Average wage rises to 49,215 CZK, approaching pre-pandemic levels

The average wage in the Czech Republic rose by 7.2 percent last year to 49,215 CZK. On average, people received 3,316 CZK more on their payslips. For the second year in a row, the average wage also increased in real terms—after adjusting for inflation, it grew by 4.6 percent. According to analysts, real wages have thus approached the 2019 level, before the pandemic and the subsequent wave of inflation. This year, they are expected to surpass that level.

The median wage—the midpoint where half of people earn more and half earn less—was 45,523 CZK in the fourth quarter, representing a year-on-year increase of 8.8 percent. The median wage for men was 48,342 CZK, while for women it was 42,692 CZK. According to the statistical office, 80 percent of employees earned between 23,282 CZK and 89,006 CZK.

The highest salaries last year were in information and communication technologies, where the annual average exceeded 89,000 CZK. In the financial and banking sector, the average wage surpassed 80,000 CZK. The lowest wages were in accommodation and food services, with an annual average below 30,000 CZK, although income in these jobs is often supplemented by tips.

Meanwhile, the average wage only in Prague rose by 7.9 percent year-on-year last year to 62,723 CZK. Compared with the previous year, employees received on average 4,575 CZK more in their paychecks. After accounting for inflation, which reached 2.5 percent last year, real earnings in the capital increased by 5.3 percent. Average wages in Prague have long been the highest in the country.