IT Engineers Are the Highest Paid in Croatia

The highest paid profession in Croatia is IT engineer, with women earning on average 23 percent less than men. More than half of employees rarely or never receive a raise, and the mobile phone remains the most common benefit, according to the results of a survey conducted by the Moj Posao portal.

In 2008, the best-paid jobs were in companies primarily engaged in air traffic and transportation (40.8 percent above average), followed by the pharmaceutical industry (36.4 percent) and the development and maintenance of software solutions (27 percent). The lowest salaries were in sports and recreation (33.3 percent below average), security services (26.8 percent), and retail (25.8 percent). This was shown by an analysis of the salary survey results in Croatia, which is conducted every September on a sample of over 10,000 respondents by MojPosao. The survey covered 183 job positions in 10 categories, which is 16 more job positions than last year.

Looking at the profession, unlike last year when the highest paid were mechanical and electrical engineers, this year it is IT engineers (28.9 percent above average). They are followed by mechanical and electrical engineers (27.8 percent) and maritime professionals (13.8 percent). The lowest paid occupations are in personal services (41.21 percent below average) and commercial intermediaries and salespeople (34.5 percent). Men start their careers with a salary that is 10.4 percent higher than women, and this difference increases over the years, so on average they earn 23 percent more than women.

The lowest salaries were recorded in Bjelovar-Bilogora County (15.9 percent below average), followed by Brod-Posavina (15.6 percent) and Vukovar-Srijem County (14.7 percent). The highest salaries, as expected, were recorded in Zagreb (21.1 percent above average), which is higher than last year. The level of education greatly affects salary levels. Individuals with a completed university degree earn 51.3 percent more than those with a secondary vocational education (SVE).

A completed master’s degree or doctorate increases salary on average by 94.3 percent compared to SVE, while an MBA degree brings a 131.4 percent higher salary. The most common benefit for Croatian employees remains a mobile phone for private use (30.6 percent of survey participants). On the other hand, 29.6 percent of individuals have no additional benefits, which is still better than last year when 36.5 percent of employees had none. Following mobile phones, flexible working hours are next, while the least employers provide education as an additional benefit (only 2.6 percent).

When asked how often they receive a raise, 53.2 percent of respondents answered rarely or never. Salaries in foreign private companies are 28.4 percent higher, and in foreign institutions 21.4 percent higher compared to salaries in domestic private companies. The lowest salaries are still in associations where employees are paid 20.6 percent less compared to companies in domestic ownership.

This year’s research confirmed that salaries increase with the size of the company – in companies with fewer than 20 employees, salaries are 12.7 percent below average, in companies with 51-100 employees they are 0.8 percent above average, in companies with 101-200 employees 8.1 percent above average, and in companies with more than 200 employees 8.7 percent above average. The average salary of interns is 27.1 percent below average, and although they are 26.5 percent below average, the salaries of administrative workers this year are not lower than those of interns, which is more due to the decline in intern salaries than the increase in salaries for administrative occupations.  (H)