Salaries by industry in Slovakia
Industry affects salary no less than profession: the same accounting job in finance and in catering is paid differently. Below is a complete table of sections according to the NACE classification, the same one used by statistical offices.
An important detail about the industry average: it says nothing about the distribution. In industries with a high average, the gap between the average and the median is usually the largest – meaning "the industry pays a lot" often means "some people in the industry earn a lot."
All industries
ŠÚ SR · Q1 2026| Industry | Gross / month | Nom. y/y | Real y/y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance and insurance | 3 259 € | +4,6% | +0,9% |
| Information and communication | 2 664 € | +0,2% | −3,4% |
| Electricity, gas and steam | 2 653 € | +1,6% | −2,0% |
| Public administration and defense | 2 065 € | +3,0% | −0,7% |
| Human health and social work activities | 1 923 € | +7,4% | +3,6% |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | 1 851 € | +6,0% | +2,2% |
| Industry totalsum of sections | 1 721 € | +6,0% | +2,2% |
| Manufacturing | 1 692 € | +6,3% | +2,5% |
| Mining and quarrying | 1 670 € | −0,1% | −3,7% |
| Educationconfirmed | 1 582 € | +14,5% | +10,4% |
| Water supply | 1 581 € | +4,6% | +0,9% |
| Transportation and storage | 1 552 € | +7,6% | +3,8% |
| Real estate activities | 1 536 € | +2,7% | −1,0% |
| Tradeconfirmed | 1 518 € | +4,5% | +0,8% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 1 379 € | +7,8% | +4,0% |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 1 311 € | +9,3% | +5,4% |
| Administrative and support service activities | 1 283 € | +2,4% | −1,3% |
| Construction | 1 147 € | +6,8% | +3,0% |
| Other service activities | 1 029 € | +6,7% | +2,9% |
| Accommodation and food service activitiesconfirmed | 963 € | +6,1% | +2,3% |
Bold values were independently reprinted by media; the rest are from the ŠÚ SR (Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic) table appendix, which has no independent reprints. We show finance in the summary cards with the threshold 'over €3,000' because that's how the release named it; the exact €3,259 is only in the table. What the full list shows: 18 out of 19 sectors saw nominal growth, but real wages fell in six – mining (−3.7%), information and communication (−3.4%), electricity (−2.0%), administrative services (−1.3%), real estate (−1.0%), and public administration (−0.7%). This means the common saying 'IT has the highest salary' is twice incorrect for Slovakia: finance is the leader, and real wages in IT decreased. Education grew fastest: +14.5% nominal and +10.4% real.
Frequently asked questions
What do "nominal" and "real" growth mean?+
Nominal growth is how much more money you were credited. Real growth is how much more you can buy with it, meaning the same growth minus inflation. It is the latter figure that answers the question "has life become easier?"
The difference can be significant: an industry may show a confident nominal increase and a real decrease. In that case, salaries increased, but purchasing power decreased.