Money talks: What the 2025 report says about work and salaries in Hungary

For foreigners working in Hungary, being aware of the current state of the Hungarian labour market is essential not only for everyday life, but also for long-term career development. Every year, Hays Hungary publishes its Salary Guide report, which is not just a simple salary overview, but an in-depth labour market mirror. The 2025 edition provides fresh insights into wage trends, highlights the industries leading market momentum, and outlines key expectations for the near future.

2024 has not spared the labour market. With global uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and stubborn inflation, many firms focused on stabilisation rather than growth. The beginning of the year looked hopeful, but by the end, it was clear: the crisis had not passed, it had just changed shape. In this environment, not only recruitment but also pay strategy underwent a transformation.

According to the Hays Salary Guide, rapid advances in technology and automation have made jobs increasingly complex. Companies have increased demand for digital competencies and soft skills (e.g. problem solving, flexibility), while employees have opted for home offices and flexible working, even as more employers try to push them back to the office.

How much do people working in Hungary earn now?

One of the most important parts of the report is, unsurprisingly, wages. In the year 2024, the vast majority of firms were able to keep to the pay rise plans they had set out at the start of the year. 44% of responding employers gave their employees a pay rise of between 6% and 10%, and 31% gave their employees a pay rise of over 10%. These are still significant figures, but when compared to 2023, a slowdown can be seen: almost 60% gave increases above 10%.

According to Pénzcentrum, the outlook for 2025 is even more subdued. Just 12% plan to raise above 10%, a brutal drop from 34% a year earlier. The most common range remains 6-10% (42%), but there has been a spectacular increase in the proportion of firms planning to raise wages by 2.5-5%, which will affect a third of firms by 2025, compared with only 13% previously.

One of the greatest strengths of the Hays Salary Guide 2025 is that it breaks down salaries by 14 sectors, providing not only median values but also minimum-maximum bands, giving a complete picture of salary opportunities. The report covers more than 600 different positions from junior level to management, with national coverage.

The industries covered in the report are the following: Finance and accounting, banking and insurance, financial services and accounting, banking and financial services, egineering and manufacturing, human resources (HR), IT contracting, technology, law and compliance, life sciences, marketing, retail and sales. The report pays particular attention to the extent to which jobs with the same or similar names can have different salary levels depending on the industry. For example, an HR professional might expect a very different salary in the IT sector than in, say, retail.

What do Hungarian workers want nowadays?

Based on the research, it is clear that the most important aspects for employees are: competitive pay, flexibility in working hours, career development opportunities, a good work-life balance and transparent communication about benefits. All these are discussed in detail in the report, with a special focus on how job satisfaction has changed, what strategies companies are using to retain staff, and how employee branding is now becoming more prominent in the HR world.

If you’re thinking about a career change or are about to make a career choice, this report is a real treasure. It shows not only current salaries, but also where to expect higher earning potential. And the data is available for several years, so it’s clear to see which industries are stagnating and which are trending upwards. The full Hays Salary Guide 2025 is free to download in PDF format and contains all the data you need to make informed career decisions, whether you’re already living in Hungary or just planning to move here.

Wish to read more about the Hungarian economy? Click HERE!

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