Wages in Greece have risen by an average of around 30% since 2019, with increases exceeding 40% in several sectors, according to labour market data summarised in the draft state budget and detailed in surveys by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) and the ERGANI employment information system.
The increases reflect significant changes in the labour market in recent years. Unemployment has fallen to its lowest levels in 15 years, employment has grown, and businesses in several sectors now struggle to recruit workers. These conditions have helped drive wages upwards.
Average salaries and wage forecasts
In 2025, the average monthly salary for private-sector employees reached €1,336, an increase of 30.3% compared with 2019. The average salary for full-time employees rose to €1,516.
Wage growth is expected to continue in 2026, with compensation per employee forecast to increase by 3.7%. The government projects a further rise of 3.9% in 2027.
These figures reflect successive increases in the minimum wage, higher salaries in key economic sectors and pay rises for public-sector employees. The 2027 calculations also include the impact of a new €500 allowance for public servants.
As a result, nominal compensation per employee is forecast to stand 25.8% above its 2019 level in 2027. After accounting for inflation, real compensation per employee is expected to increase by 1.5% that year.
Employment growth supports wage increases
Greece’s economic growth, which has remained above 2%, has supported improvements across several labour market indicators.
According to ERGANI data, Greece recorded a net gain of 323,136 jobs between January and July 2026, compared with 319,843 during the same period in 2025. Employers reported 1,994,155 hires and 1,671,019 departures during the first seven months of this year.
Unemployment also continued to fall. The rate reached 7.9% in the second quarter of 2026, down from 8.6% in the corresponding quarter of 2025. Seasonally adjusted estimates put unemployment at 7.4% in August, also below the level recorded in the same month a year earlier.
Employment is forecast to grow by 0.4% in 2027, while the number of salaried employees is expected to rise by 0.7%. Budget figures put the number of salaried employees at nearly four million and total employment at approximately 5.3 million people.
Minimum wage rises by 41.5% since 2019
Employment growth has also coincided with increases in nominal wages, including the statutory minimum wage.
In April 2026, the minimum monthly wage rose by 4.55%, from €880 to €920. The minimum daily wage for manual workers increased from €39.30 to €41.09.
The minimum wage has risen by 41.5% since 2019. The government has announced plans to increase it to €960 in April 2027 and reach €1,000 by January 2028.
Professional and technical sectors record biggest increases
ELSTAT wage surveys show substantial differences in wage growth across 12 categories of salaried employment. Between 2019 and 2026, professional, scientific and technical activities recorded the largest increase, at 45.4%.
Information and communication, including the media sector, followed with a 43.8% rise. Administrative activities, including office and secretarial support, recorded an increase of 41%.
Other sectors also recorded significant gains:
- Wholesale and retail trade: 37.6%
- Construction: 36.3%
- Mining and quarrying: 33.6%
- Manufacturing and industry: 33.3%
- Transport and storage: 31.2%
- Real estate activities: 24.7%
- Cafés, restaurants and hotels: 19.6%
- Electricity and gas supply: 18.6%
- Water supply: 14.9%
The figures highlight the uneven pace of wage growth across the Greek economy, with professional and technical occupations, information and communication, and administrative services recording the strongest increases among the sectors listed.
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