General Income Report 2020

Statistics Austria has compiled its eleventh General Income Report under the Federal Constitutional Act on the Limitation of Holders of Public Offices (available in German only; 18 MB) on behalf of the Audit Office. The Report refers to the years 2018 and 2019 and provides statistics on the income of all employees (primarily broken down by sector, occupational group and job position), all self-employed persons (primarily broken down by sector) and all pensioners (primarily broken down by pension type and pension insurance company) in Austria. A supplement prepared by the Audit Office summarizes important results briefly.

In 2019, the 4 555 328 employees (apprentices excluded) earned an annual median income of €29 458 (gross). The lowest incomes were to be found among blue collar workers, who accounted for 39% of employees and earned a median income of €21 961. By contrast, the highest median incomes were earned by civil servants, at €59 145 (4% of the employees). Employees who worked full-time all-year achieved a median gross annual income of €43 719 (women €39 320, men €45 900) in 2019. Female employees continued to earn significantly less in 2019 than their male colleagues. In 2019 their median annual gross income was 64% of the corresponding male income, with the discrepancy less pronounced in the public sector than in the private sector of the economy. The difference in income is due in part to the high proportion of women among part-time employees. If you take only into account persons working full-time all-year the median annual gross income of woman reached 86% of the corresponding male income in 2019.

The latest income data available for self-employed persons dates from 2017. The median annual income (before tax deduction) of exclusively self-employed persons is at €13 101, women achieved €8 396 and men €18 024. The group of self-employed persons who are taxpayers earned an annual median income of €28 995 (women €22 556, men €32 039). Significant differences were noted for self-employed persons between the individual economic branches.

In 2019, the median gross annual income of pensioners resident in Austria was €21 744. The pension level depends greatly on the type of retirement benefit. The highest incomes were noted among old-age pensioners, followed by recipients of disablement and disability pensions. The lowest incomes were claimed by orphans.

The General Income Report 2020 also documents differences in income by Laender. Employees in Lower Austria earned the highest median annual gross income, at €32 621, the lowest median incomes were recorded in Vienna (€27 615). Employees who worked full-time all-year received the highest median income in Vorarlberg (€46 790) and the lowest median income in Tyrol (€42 896) and Salzburg (€43 177).

The tables of the separate table part and the Statistical Annex are also provided in EXCEL format as a tool designed to enable further calculations.

Please consult our German website for tables and charts containing further information.

Employees - Overview


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