Wondering how much all the service workers you encounter during your holiday stay earn for putting up with tourists? Or perhaps you are thinking of moving to Italy yourself and you want to know what standard of living you can expect there? We’ll take a brief look at the salaries in Italy today.
What is the minimum wage in Italy?
Italy minimum pay
The minimum wage is quite a controversial topic, though many countries have put it into place with the argument that it will aid the lower end of the ladder and protect them from being taken advantage of. Not all countries, however, support this notion. Italy is one such non-believer, and, as such, it does not have a regulated minimum wage.
On July 4 of 2023, however, a bill for establishing a minimum wage in Italy was passed in the lower house of the parliament. The proposal is 9 euros per hour in the country, which already is the common minimum wage that workers get. Simultaneously, though, agricultural workers can sometimes earn much less, so there are parties which are hit by the lack of a regulated minimum wage. There have been discussions of establishing a minimum wage before – this one received quite a bit of support, with every oppositional party in Italy supporting the proposal (all but one).
This is all, of course, still an on-going process and, as we’ve said, these have taken place before to no avail. Only thing left to do now is to wait and see. 9 euros per hour would mean, however, that a typical 9-5 job would yield €1,440 monthly or €17,280 yearly.
What is the average salary in Italy?
Average pay in Italy
The average salary tells us much more about the actual reality in Italy. In the recent dataset provided by Statista, the average monthly salary in Italy was at €2,475 (or €29,700 yearly). There are also variations depending on the region – usually, the rule of thumb is the more northward you are, the more you earn, with Milan being the highest-paid place in Italy. If you’re a woman, you may also want to know that the gender gap in Italy is present too, with an average of 6% lower pay for women across all sectors, though these gaps can get a lot more extreme in select industries.
You may also find an average salary number being closer to €3,650 for Italy (or €43,800 yearly), though this is the average gross salary plus various financial benefits that citizens receive (like the 14th month payment, which not all employees receive). The 2,5k is the more realistic forecast.
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