MojPosao: Average Salary of Women 13 Percent Lower than Men’s Salary

Women in Croatia in 2026 earn on average 13 percent less than men, according to an analysis by the MojPosao portal published on Friday ahead of International Women’s Day.

According to data from the MojaPlaća service managed by Alma Career Croatia, which includes the MojPosao portal, the average net salary for men is 1,717 euros, while for women it is 1,500 euros, confirming that the gender pay gap is still present in the domestic labor market.

The largest difference is visible in the wood industry where women earn on average 1,105 euros, while the monthly earnings of men amount to 1,476 euros, meaning women’s salaries are 25 percent lower.

In the service sector, women earn 1,126 euros, and men 1,486 euros, which means women earn 24 percent less, as well as in the field of technology and development, where the average salary for women is 1,581 euros, and for men 2,024 euros, thus women’s salaries are 22 percent lower.

In the security and protection sector, women receive on average 1,341 euros, while men earn 1,663 euros (women’s salaries are 19 percent lower), while in sales the average is 1,264 euros for women and 1,514 euros for men (women’s salaries are 17 percent lower than men’s).

Sectors where women are on average better paid are the textile and leather industries where women earn 1,122 euros, and men 900 euros, meaning women earn 25 percent more.

In the chemical industry, women earn 1,413 euros compared to 1,236 euros earned by men, which is a 14 percent increase in favor of women, while in telecommunications women’s salaries are 1,890 euros, and men’s 1,770 euros, meaning women’s salaries are seven percent higher than their male colleagues.

In engineering, the difference is smaller, two percent in favor of women, or 1,713 euros compared to 1,672 euros.

Same Position, Different Salary

According to data from the MojaPlaća service, women on average receive a salary that is six percent lower than their male colleagues for the same job.

In certain professions, the discrepancies are significantly more pronounced, for example, in the position of police inspector, women on average earn 1,462 euros, while men receive 2,156 euros (women’s salaries are 32 percent lower).

A similar gap is present for the head of customer support, where men earn 2,457 euros, and women 1,683 euros (women receive 31 percent less), as well as for UX designers, with an average salary of 2,237 euros for men and 1,574 euros for women (30 percent lower salary for women).

Significant differences are also among teaching assistants where men’s salaries are 1,510 euros compared to 1,092 euros earned by women, and financial advisors, where men earn 1,972 euros, and women 1,471 euros.

There are also positions where women are on average better paid, such as risk specialists, who earn on average 2,500 euros per month, while their male colleagues receive 2,022 euros.

In the position of reporting specialists, women earn 2,032 euros, while men earn 1,642 euros, in professions such as biologists women earn 1,569 euros compared to 1,343 euros earned by men, kinesiologists with an average of 1,691 euros for women and 1,450 euros for men, and radiologists, where women receive 2,254 euros, and men 1,934 euros.

Higher Degree, Higher Salary

The highest average salaries are achieved by employees with postgraduate and MBA qualifications, with men earning on average 2,681 euros, and women 2,166 euros. At the opposite end of the scale are employees with completed primary school, where men earn 1,391 euros, and women 1,082 euros.

For those with secondary vocational education, the difference is about 14 percent, while at the postgraduate level it expands to 19 percent, meaning that women at the highest educational levels are still significantly underpaid compared to their male colleagues, as stated in the announcement.

Analysis by age groups shows a typical “career arc.” Salaries increase with years of experience, peak between the ages of 35 and 54, and then slightly stagnate or decline. This pattern holds true for both men and women.

However, in no age group do women reach the average earnings of men.

Private Sector Leads in Salaries

The analysis showed that the highest average salaries are still paid in private companies with foreign ownership, confirming a long-standing trend. At the opposite end of the scale are associations, with the lowest average earnings, while public institutions and domestic private companies are in the middle of the range.

However, regardless of the ownership model, men on average earn more than women.

The differences are smallest in the public sector, where the gap is nine percent, in domestic private companies the difference rises to 12 percent, while in private companies with foreign ownership it is most pronounced and reaches 15 percent.

– The difference in earnings between men and women does not arise from a single cause, but from a web of interrelated factors that accumulate throughout the working life. Discrimination is part of the problem, but it is not the only or always the most visible one. Structural differences in the labor market also play an important role. Women are more often employed in lower-paid sectors such as retail, tourism, and services, while men are more represented in technical and technological fields that generally offer higher salaries – the analysis states.

Additionally, career paths are further shaped by maternity leave and the uneven distribution of family responsibilities, which often slows women’s advancement, reduces the continuity of work experience, and long-term affects earnings, while gender stereotypes and social expectations also influence career choices and advancement, directing women less frequently towards STEM fields, leadership positions, and sectors with above-average salaries.