The lowest-paid jobs in Hungary: staggering differences in net wages across the country

Data from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office reveals that the lowest-paid jobs in Hungary are all within the same sector. Budapest boasts the highest average monthly salary, significantly raising national indicators in the first quarter of 2024. While the average income in the capital surpasses HUF 500,000 (EUR 1,284.23), in the lowest-earning counties, this figure is nearly HUF 200,000 (EUR 513.69) lower.

Pénzcentrum examined data from the Central Statistical Office for the first three months of this year, highlighting a positive change since 2023: the average net monthly salary in all counties of Hungary has reached HUF 300,000 (EUR 770.54). However, significant regional disparities remain. Although the national average monthly income is HUF 414,301 (EUR 1,064.11), in Budapest, the average salary reaches HUF 503,108 (EUR 1,292.21). In other areas, it barely crosses HUF 300,000.

County averages show great discrepancies

Overall, the numbers indicate that the wage gap between the capital and the rest of the country—as well as the national average—has continued to widen in the first economic quarter of 2024.

Aside from Budapest, wages in only one county exceeded the national average: in Győr-Moson-Sopron County, net salaries were close to HUF 450,000 (EUR 1,155.81). The average amount taken home crossed the HUF 400,000 (EUR 1,027.38) threshold in Fejér and Komárom-Esztergom Counties as well.

On the other hand, Somogy, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Nógrád, Békés and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg Counties finished at the bottom of the list. Although Pénzcentrum highlights as a positive that the average net salary in these counties has also exceeded HUF 300,000—this was not the case in the three lowest-earning counties in 2023—overall, salaries are more than HUF 170,000 (EUR 436.64) lower in these areas compared to Budapest. The best-performing county of the bottom five is Somogy, with a net average of HUF 333,027 (EUR 855.37), while the absolute lowest is Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg with HUF 303,151 (EUR 778.63).

The highest and lowest-paid jobs are in different leagues in terms of wages

The Statistical Office also collected data on average earnings by industry. Based on these figures, Pénzcentrum found that the highest earners are those in intellectual labour, particularly in the electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply sector in Pest County, where the average net wage reaches HUF 851,490 (EUR 2,187.01).

Of the top ten highest-paid positions, five belong to this same sector. Other high earners include knowledge workers in mining and quarrying in Hajdú-Bihar County and those employed in manufacturing in Győr-Moson-Sopron County. The lowest wage in the top ten is a net HUF 734,147 (EUR 1,885.62) per month.

For comparison, while the average net monthly wage for the highest earners in eight counties reaches HUF 700,000 (EUR 1,797.92)—and HUF 800,000 (EUR 2,054.76) in Budapest and Pest County—the net wages of the highest-earning sectors in two counties (Nógrád and Békés), in the manufacturing sector, range only between HUF 479,000 and 496,000 (EUR 1,230.29-1,273.95).

In the list of the sectors with the lowest wages, the lowest-paid jobs in all but five counties are in the human health and social work sector. In Borsod County, the average net wage in this area is HUF 116,133 (EUR 298.28), which is also the lowest average pay overall in the country. Employees in the social work field are no better paid in Szabolcs County, where they earn an average net wage of only HUF 116,176 (EUR 298.39). In other counties, the lowest net salaries for these workers reach at least HUF 130,000 (EUR 333.90).

The top-salaried workers among the lowest-paid jobs are employed in Budapest in the accommodation and food service sectors, with an average net wage of HUF 254,973 (EUR 654.89).

Read also:

• Poverty survey: 2.5-3 million Hungarians might be considered poor
• Number of registered jobseekers edges lower in Hungary

Source: Pénzcentrum