Helping you make sense of the numbers.
In June 2025, the average gross wage of full-time employees was HUF 704,400, while the average net wage was HUF 484,200 – according to the latest report from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH).
Gross average wages were 9.7% higher, net average wages 9.6% higher, and real wages 4.8% higher than a year earlier.
At present, one euro is roughly 400 forints, which means the gross average wage equals about €1,760, while the net wage (the actual take-home pay Hungarians receive) is around €1,210.
However, we get a more accurate picture of reality if we look at the so-called median values, also published by the KSH.
This is calculated in such a way that half of the population earns more and half earns less than this figure, making it a better indicator than the average.
The median gross wage amounted to HUF 567,700 (€1,417), and the median net wage was HUF 395,000 (€987). These values were 10.3% and 10.5% higher than in the same period last year.
Officially, the highest gross average wage is in the financial sector (HUF 1,116,000), followed by information/communication (HUF 1,100,000) and the energy sector (HUF 956,000).
The lowest gross average wages are in agriculture (HUF 553,000), other services (HUF 546,000), and hospitality (HUF 452,000).
A few notes:
- The KSH figures most likely reflect the official reality, i.e., on paper Hungarians do earn this much.
- Since deductions (income tax, social security, etc.) are high, gross wages in Hungary are less relevant benchmarks than net wages, which represent the actual money transferred to workers’ bank accounts.
- The gross figures also include one-off payments such as bonuses or premiums.
- The majority of Hungarians working in factories, administrative jobs, etc. earn salaries in the HUF 300–400,000 range, but in Budapest wages are significantly higher, and monthly salaries above one million forints are not uncommon.
- The lowest-paying categories (agriculture, hospitality, etc.) should be treated with caution, as undeclared work is still present in these sectors (and elsewhere), meaning part of the salary is paid “under the table.”
