Luxembourg leads Europe in net hourly wages, paying workers an average of €49.7 per hour, according to new Eurostat data.
Following closely are Iceland at €47.0, Norway at €45.8, and Denmark at €44.7. At the opposite end, Latvia and Romania report €12.9, while Bulgaria has the lowest at €10.5.
Bulgaria also saw the fastest wage growth from 2021 to 2025, with a 69.4% increase. Poland and Romania followed with 66% and 61.3% respectively.
Meanwhile, Norway, Sweden, and Italy had the slowest growth, with increases of 5.5%, 6.1%, and 10.6%.
Total labor costs-including wages and social contributions-are highest in Luxembourg at €57 per hour. Denmark and the Netherlands follow.
In contrast, Bulgarian labor costs remain the lowest at just €12 per hour. Malta was the only nation where total labor costs decreased slightly.