Average Salary in the Real Sector Increased by 4.2 Percent Last Year

Last year, for 969,776 employees at 136,260 entrepreneurs, the average monthly net salary was calculated at 5,815 kuna, which is an increase of 4.2 percent compared to the previous year, according to an analysis by the Financial Agency (Fina). The Fina analysis refers to entrepreneurs subject to profit tax, excluding banks and insurance companies, which are required to prepare annual financial reports (GFI).

The analysis of average monthly net salaries calculated by sectors shows that entrepreneurs in three sectors, manufacturing, trade, and construction, accounted for 55 percent of the total employed. Fina notes that in two of the three sectors with the highest employment, construction and wholesale and retail trade, employees receive average monthly net salaries lower than the average for entrepreneurs in Croatia.

Compared to the previous year, however, a positive shift is noticeable, as in trade, where 28,800 entrepreneurs employ 195,900 people, salaries increased by four percent compared to 2018, to 5,596 kuna, while in construction, with 16,200 entrepreneurs and 96,900 workers, the average salary recorded a jump of 2.8 percent, to 5,167 kuna. In manufacturing, 14,900 entrepreneurs employ 240,100 workers, and the average salary last year was 5,923 kuna, which is an annual increase of 4.6 percent.

The accommodation and food service activities, namely hospitality and tourism, with 78,900 employees, are fourth in terms of the number of employees, working for 12,700 entrepreneurs, and the average salary was 5,064 kuna, 3.3 percent higher than in 2018, but still lower than the average net salaries at the level of all Croatian entrepreneurs.

Highest Salaries in Mining and Extraction

The highest salaries last year were earned by employees in the mining and extraction sector, 8,485 kuna, 1.8 percent higher than in 2018, and in this sector, 3,600 workers are employed by 219 entrepreneurs. Following is the information and communication sector, where 42,700 employees at 6,800 entrepreneurs had an average salary of 8,280 kuna, 3.9 percent higher on an annual basis, while in the electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply sector, for 13,900 workers employed by 803 entrepreneurs, the average salary was 7,917 kuna, with an annual increase of 2.4 percent.

As calculated in Fina’s analysis, average monthly net salaries in mining and extraction are thus 45.9 percent higher than the average salary of employees at the level of all entrepreneurs in Croatia, for employees in information and communications, salaries are higher by 42.4 percent, and in the electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply sector by 36.1 percent compared to the average salary at the level of all entrepreneurs. 

Following in terms of average salary are financial activities and insurance activities, where for 5,900 employees at 488 entrepreneurs, the average salary was 7,495 kuna, 12.6 percent higher compared to 2018. In professional, scientific, and technical activities, last year 21,500 entrepreneurs operated with 62,700 employees, and the average net salary was 6,554 kuna, 15.4 percent higher compared to 2018, which is also the highest annual increase among all sectors.  

In transportation and storage, last year about 71,000 workers were employed at 6,700 entrepreneurs, and they were paid an average of 6,273 kuna net, 2.1 percent higher than the previous year.

From other sectors, a significant number of employees are in administrative and support service activities, 46,400 at 6,900 entrepreneurs, where one of the lowest average salaries was recorded, 4,569 kuna. Just one kuna lower is the average salary for 7,700 employees at 1,600 entrepreneurs in education, while the lowest average net salaries last year were achieved in other service activities, 4,394 kuna.

{embed_digitalno_izdanje}{/embed_digitalno_izdanje}