The average salary does not reflect the income of the majority
Despite the average salary of almost 10,000, the distribution of income in Poland shows a significant difference between employees.
The median salary in February was PLN 7,690 gross. That is, half of the workers received less than this amount, and half received more.
About 40% of employees earned no more than PLN 6,802. To get into the 30% of the highest paid employees, it was necessary to receive at least PLN 10,257.
Simultaneously 10% of employees had a salary of 17,111 zlotys.
Thus, the average salary itself does not give a complete picture of the income level of Polish workers. To a large extent, earnings depend on the profession, industry, qualifications and scarcity of a specialist.
Which industries pay the most?
The highest incomes in Poland are concentrated in areas where specialized skills are required or there is a shortage of workers.
She became a leader mining industry. In February, the median salary in this sector was PLN 13,794. In the field of stone and lignite mining, the median indicator was even higher — 16,897 zlotys.
High salaries are also recorded in the digital sector. In companies related to computer infrastructure, data processing, hosting and management of web resources, the average salary reached 18,940 zlotys, and the median - 14,745 zlotys.
Where salaries are the lowest
Detective and security services were at the opposite end of the rating.
The average salary in this field was only PLN 5,547, which is significantly lower than the overall national average.
This once again demonstrates how strongly the level of income in Poland depends on a specific profession and sector of the economy.
How salary changes depending on age
A noticeable difference is also observed between age groups.
Employees under the age of 25 received the lowest average salary — 6,622 zlotys. This is explained by a shorter duration of professional experience and a greater concentration of young people in starting positions.
The highest average income was recorded among workers aged over 65 — 11,112 zlotys.
At the same time, another age group — workers — led the median salary 45–54 years old, for which the indicator was 8,109 zlotys.
What is the place of Ukrainians in the Polish labor market
Ukrainian workers remain one of the key groups of the foreign workforce in Poland.
For the first five months of 2026 the average number of insured citizens of Ukraine was 873.5 thousand people. This is 9.8% more than in the same period last year.
Ukrainians also provide about 68% of all officially employed foreigners in Poland.
Polish business continues to depend on Ukrainian workers primarily due to a shortage of personnel in a number of industries. At the same time, the pace of wage growth in the country is gradually slowing down.
Ukrainians are actively opening businesses in Poland
Ukrainians play a prominent role not only as employees, but also as entrepreneurs.
In 2025, foreigners founded in Poland 10.5 thousand new enterprises. Citizens of Ukraine demonstrated the greatest activity in business creation, ahead of representatives of other foreign groups.
At the same time, Polish companies continue to work actively in Ukraine. According to the financial statements for 2025, Ukraine was registered 1,197 companies with Polish owners.
Conclusion: the gap between average salaries in Poland and Ukraine remains significant, but even the Polish figure of almost 10,000 zlotys does not mean that this is what a typical worker earns. The median salary is more important for estimating real incomes — and it turns out to be significantly lower.
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