Calculate Salary in Austria
Austria Salary Calculator 2026
Build accurate, tax-compliant salary packages for Austrian employees with confidence. Calculate brutto netto gehalt instantly, including income tax (Lohnsteuer), social insurance (Sozialversicherung), and total employer cost in EUR.
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From Cost to Candidates in One Click
Learn how Qureos helps recruiters cut hiring costs and connect with pre-qualified talent faster in Austria
What's Included
Everything you need to build a Austria offer
Gross to Net Salary Calculator
Enter any gross monthly salary and instantly see the exact net take-home after Austrian income tax (Lohnsteuer) and employee social insurance (Sozialversicherung) are deducted.
Social Insurance (SV) Breakdown
See all statutory Sozialversicherung contributions itemised, covering pension, health, unemployment, and accident insurance, with employee and employer shares clearly split.
13th and 14th Salary Support
Austria uses a 14-payment system. The tool clearly shows how the sonderzahlungen (holiday and Christmas bonuses) are structured and taxed at the preferential 6% flat rate.
Total Employer Cost View
Instantly see total employer cost including all Dienstgeberbeiträge (employer social contributions), essential for headcount budgeting when hiring in Austria.
How It Works
Three steps to a confident Austria offer
01
Enter Gross Salary
Input the gross monthly salary in EUR. Austrian salaries are quoted as monthly gross figures and must not fall below the applicable Kollektivvertrag minimum wage. The general minimum is EUR 2,000 gross per month.
02
Select Salary Count
Choose whether the employee receives 14 salaries per year (the standard Austrian system, including holiday pay in June and Christmas bonus in November) or 12 regular monthly salaries.
03
Get Full Breakdown
Instantly see gross salary, Sozialversicherung, Lohnsteuer, net take-home pay, net Sonderzahlungen, and total employer cost including all Dienstgeberbeiträge and Kommunalsteuer.
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Austria Salary Guides
What Is Gross Salary in Austria?
Gross salary in Austria (Bruttogehalt) is the total monthly compensation agreed in the employment contract before employee Sozialversicherungsbeiträge and Lohnsteuer are deducted. Austrian salaries are quoted as monthly gross figures in EUR. A distinctive feature of the Austrian salary system is the 14-payment structure: most employees receive 14 monthly salaries per year rather than 12, with an Urlaubsgeld (holiday pay) in June and a Weihnachtsremuneration (Christmas bonus) in November or December. Both the 13th and 14th salary are taxed at a preferential flat rate of 6% for the Lohnsteuer portion after a EUR 620 tax-free allowance, making them significantly more tax-efficient than regular monthly salaries.
What Is Net Salary in Austria?
Net salary (Nettogehalt) is what the employee actually receives after employee Sozialversicherungsbeiträge (social insurance contributions) and Lohnsteuer (income tax) have been deducted. Understanding the brutto netto gehalt calculation is essential for recruiters and hiring managers building competitive offers in Austria. Austrian employees typically retain approximately 65% to 72% of their gross regular monthly salary as net take-home, depending on income level. The Austria salary calculator must account for the Alleinverdienerabsetzbetrag (sole earner tax credit) and other deductions that reduce the Lohnsteuer liability, though for most standard employees the main deductions are the Sozialversicherung and the progressive Lohnsteuer brackets.
What Is Lohnsteuer (Income Tax) in Austria?
Lohnsteuer is Austria's employment income tax, withheld at source by the employer and remitted to the Finanzamt (tax authority). It is applied on the taxable income, which is the gross salary minus employee Sozialversicherung contributions and a standard Werbungskostenpauschale (work expense flat deduction) of EUR 132 per year. The 2026 Lohnsteuer brackets are:
Each employee also benefits from a Verkehrsabsetzbetrag (commuter credit) of EUR 463 per year and a Pensionsversicherungsabsetzbetrag (pension insurance credit). The 13th and 14th salaries (Sonderzahlungen) are taxed at a preferential flat rate: 0% on the first EUR 620, then 6% on the remainder up to EUR 83,333 per payment. This makes the Sonderzahlungen significantly more tax-efficient than regular monthly income.
What Is Sozialversicherung (Social Insurance) in Austria?
Both employees and employers in Austria pay Sozialversicherungsbeiträge (SV contributions) on the employee's gross salary. The contributions fund the pension system (Pensionsversicherung), health insurance (Krankenversicherung), unemployment insurance (Arbeitslosenversicherung), and accident insurance (Unfallversicherung). The 2026 contribution rates are:
Total employee SV contributions are 18.12% of gross salary (pension 10.25% + health 3.87% + unemployment 3.0% + housing fund 1.0%). Total employer SV contributions are approximately 20.53% of gross salary. SV contributions are subject to a maximum monthly assessment ceiling (Höchstbeitragsgrundlage) of EUR 6,060 per month for regular salaries and EUR 12,120 for Sonderzahlungen in 2026.
What Are Sonderzahlungen (13th and 14th Salary) in Austria?
Sonderzahlungen are the mandatory additional salary payments required under virtually all Austrian collective agreements (Kollektivverträge). The standard Austrian employment system provides 14 monthly salary payments per year: 12 regular monthly salaries plus an Urlaubsgeld (holiday pay, equivalent to one monthly gross salary) typically paid in June, and a Weihnachtsremuneration (Christmas bonus, equivalent to one monthly gross salary) typically paid in November. Both Sonderzahlungen are taxed at a highly preferential rate: the first EUR 620 is tax-free, and the remainder up to EUR 83,333 per payment is taxed at a flat 6% rather than the progressive Lohnsteuer scale. This makes the effective annual tax burden significantly lower than it would be if all 14 salaries were treated as regular income.
What Are Employer Contributions (Dienstgeberbeiträge) in Austria?
In addition to the employer SV contributions, Austrian employers pay several additional levies on top of the gross salary. The main employer-side costs in 2026 are:
Total employer contributions add approximately 29.31% on top of gross salary, making the total employer cost approximately 1.293 times the gross salary. This is one of the higher employer cost rates in the EU and is an important consideration for headcount budgeting in Austria.
How to Manage Payroll in Austria
Austrian payroll is regulated by the Arbeitsrecht (Labour Law) and administered by the Finanzamt (tax authority) and the Österreichische Gesundheitskasse (ÖGK, health insurance fund). Key compliance requirements when hiring in Austria include:
- Registering as an employer with the Österreichische Gesundheitskasse (ÖGK) before the employee's first working day.
- Reporting each new employee to the ÖGK via ELDA before their start date.
- Withholding and remitting Lohnsteuer monthly to the Finanzamt via ELDA.
- Paying employee and employer SV contributions monthly to the ÖGK.
- Paying Kommunalsteuer (3%) to the relevant municipality monthly.
- Paying Dienstgeberbeitrag (DB, 3.9%) and Zuschlag (DZ, 0.35%) to the Finanzamt monthly.
- Paying Mitarbeitervorsorgekasse (MV, 1.53%) to the employee's severance fund monthly.
- Issuing a monthly payslip (Gehaltszettel / Lohnzettel) detailing gross pay, all deductions, and net pay.
- Adhering to the applicable Kollektivvertrag minimum wage. The general minimum is EUR 2,000 gross per month.
- Submitting the annual Lohnzettel (L16) to the Finanzamt for each employee by end of February of the following year.
How Much Tax Is Applied on Salary in Austria?
For an average employee earning EUR 3,000 gross per month (EUR 42,000 gross per year on a 14-salary basis), the effective total deduction rate on regular monthly salary is approximately 32 to 35%. Key rates for the Austria salary calculator:
- Employee SV (Sozialversicherung): 18.12% of gross salary
- Lohnsteuer: progressive 0% to 55% on taxable income after SV deduction
- Sonderzahlungen: 6% flat rate after EUR 620 tax-free
- Total employer contributions: approximately 29.31% on top of gross salary
Minimum Wage in Austria
Austria does not have a single statutory national minimum wage set by law. Minimum wages are established through sector-specific Kollektivverträge. Through a social partnership agreement, all Kollektivverträge must provide at least EUR 2,000 gross per month for full-time employment. Many sector collective agreements set higher minimums, particularly in banking, insurance, chemicals, and the public sector. The EUR 2,000 minimum is one of the highest in the EU in nominal terms.
Average Salary in Austria
The average salary in Austria is approximately EUR 3,400 to EUR 3,800 gross per month (on a 14-salary basis) across all sectors according to Statistik Austria data for 2026. After Sozialversicherung and Lohnsteuer, this translates to a net take-home of roughly EUR 2,200 to EUR 2,500 per month. Vienna typically pays 15 to 25% above the national average. Banking, insurance, pharmaceuticals, technology, and energy sectors pay well above average.
Your Questions Answered
How is net salary (Nettogehalt) calculated in Austria?
Net salary in Austria is calculated by deducting employee Sozialversicherung (18.12% of gross) and Lohnsteuer (progressive 0% to 55% on taxable income after SV) from gross salary. For a standard employee earning EUR 3,000 gross per month on a 14-salary contract, the approximate net monthly salary is EUR 1,950 to EUR 2,100. The Gehaltsrechner above gives the precise figure instantly. The 13th and 14th salaries are taxed more favourably at 6% flat after a EUR 620 tax-free amount, significantly boosting annual net income.
What are Sonderzahlungen (13th and 14th salary) in Austria?
Sonderzahlungen are additional salary payments required under virtually all Austrian collective agreements. Standard employment in Austria involves 14 monthly salary payments per year: 12 regular monthly salaries plus an Urlaubsgeld (holiday pay) in June and a Weihnachtsremuneration (Christmas bonus) in November, each equivalent to one monthly gross salary. The Sonderzahlungen are taxed at a preferential flat rate of 6% (after a EUR 620 tax-free allowance) rather than the progressive Lohnsteuer scale. This makes the 13th and 14th salary significantly more tax-efficient and is a key feature of the Austrian compensation system that job seekers and employers must understand when comparing offers.
What is Sozialversicherung (social insurance) in Austria?
Sozialversicherung (SV) is Austria's mandatory social insurance system, covering pension (Pensionsversicherung), health (Krankenversicherung), unemployment (Arbeitslosenversicherung), and accident (Unfallversicherung) insurance. Employee SV contributions total 18.12% of gross salary, while employer SV contributions total approximately 20.53%. Contributions are subject to a monthly ceiling (Höchstbeitragsgrundlage) of EUR 6,060 for regular salary and EUR 12,120 for Sonderzahlungen. SV contributions are administered by the Österreichische Gesundheitskasse (ÖGK) and related institutions.
What are total employer costs when hiring in Austria?
Beyond gross salary, Austrian employers must budget for total employer contributions of approximately 29.31% of gross salary. This covers employer SV (~20.53%), Kommunalsteuer (3.0%), Dienstgeberbeitrag DB (3.9%), Zuschlag DZ (0.35%), and Mitarbeitervorsorgekasse MV (1.53%). For an employee earning EUR 3,000 gross per month, total employer cost is approximately EUR 3,879 per month. This is one of the higher employer cost rates in the EU, and recruiters and finance teams must include all these levies when calculating the true cost of a new hire in Austria.
What is the minimum wage in Austria in 2026?
Austria's effective minimum wage is EUR 2,000 gross per month for full-time employment, established through a social partnership agreement covering all Kollektivverträge (collective agreements). This was raised to EUR 2,000 in 2024 from EUR 1,700 in 2020. Austria does not have a single statutory minimum wage set by law — instead, minimum wages are negotiated through collective agreements for each sector. Most sector collective agreements set higher minimums than the EUR 2,000 floor, particularly in banking, insurance, chemicals, and the public sector.
What is Kommunalsteuer and who pays it?
Kommunalsteuer is a municipal payroll tax of 3.0% paid by the employer on the total gross wages of all employees at a workplace location, remitted to the relevant municipality (Gemeinde) each month. It is an employer-only cost and is not deducted from the employee's salary. Vienna, Graz, Linz, and all other Austrian municipalities receive this tax, which funds local public services. For an employee earning EUR 3,000 gross per month, the Kommunalsteuer costs the employer EUR 90 per month. The Kommunalsteuer applies to all employers regardless of sector or legal form.
What is Mitarbeitervorsorgekasse (MV) in Austria?
The Mitarbeitervorsorgekasse (MV), sometimes called the Abfertigungskasse or "new severance pay" fund, is a mandatory employer contribution of 1.53% of gross salary paid monthly into an individual portable severance account for each employee. Introduced in 2003 as the "Abfertigung neu" system, it replaced the old lump-sum severance payment (Abfertigung alt) that was only paid on dismissal. Under the new system, the MV contributions accumulate in a portable account that the employee can either cash out after a minimum service period or transfer to a new employer. This makes it a form of portable occupational pension contribution unique to Austria.
