In August 2025, the average net salary in Croatia amounted to 1,446 euros, meaning that employees in legal entities received slightly more on average than a month earlier.

According to data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, compared with July, salaries increased nominally by 0.6 percent and, in real terms, when inflation is taken into account, by 0.5 percent.

A slight increase also continued in gross salaries, which averaged 2,015 euros. Compared with July, this is an increase of 0.8 percent nominally and 0.7 percent in real terms.

Comparison with last year: Growth above 9 percent

If compared with August last year, Croatian workers received an average net salary 9.2 percent higher, while real growth, when price changes are taken into account, amounted to 4.9 percent. Gross salaries increased in the same period by 9.6 percent nominally, or 5.3 percent in real terms.

In other words, despite inflation, most employees today are earning more in real terms than a year ago, although that growth is not even across all sectors.

Highest paid in air transport, lowest salaries in the textile industry

As in previous months, the highest average salaries were paid in air transport, where workers in August received an average of 2,430 euros net, or 3,557 euros gross.

At the opposite end of the scale is clothing manufacturing, with an average net salary of only 918 euros and a gross amount of 1,202 euros. These figures clearly show how uneven the labor market is, with large differences between industries that require high expertise and physical jobs.

Median salary: Half of workers receive less than 1,245 euros

The median net salary, which better shows the real picture because it eliminates the influence of exceptionally high incomes, amounted to 1,245 euros in August. This means that half of employees in Croatia receive 1,245 euros or less.

Compared with July, the median salary fell slightly, by 0.3 percent, but compared with August 2024 it increased by almost 10 percent.

The median gross salary amounted to 1,700 euros, which is 10.1 percent more than a year ago.

An average of 166 paid hours in the month

Employees in August had an average of 166 paid working hours, which is 8.8 percent less than a month earlier. The highest number of working hours was recorded in water transport and support services for mining – as many as 178 hours, while employees in advertising and market research worked the least, with an average of 149 hours.

Hourly pay increased significantly

The average net hourly wage amounted to 8.43 euros, which is an increase of 9.2 percent compared with July and as much as 14.1 percent compared with last year.

The gross hourly wage amounted to 11.75 euros, which is an increase of 9.4 percent compared with July and 14.5 percent compared with the same month in 2024.

Average since the beginning of the year: Growth above 10 percent

Viewed cumulatively, from January to August 2025, the average net salary amounted to 1,434 euros, which is 10.1 percent higher nominally and 6.2 percent higher in real terms compared with the same period last year.

The average gross salary in that same period was 1,993 euros, representing growth of 10.8 percent nominally and 6.8 percent in real terms.

Salary growth continues, but not all sectors are keeping up

The data clearly show that salaries in Croatia are still rising, but the differences among activities are becoming increasingly pronounced. Workers in air transport earn almost three times more than those in the textile industry.

Although average and median salaries are higher than a year ago, many employees still feel pressure due to prices and living costs, which means that salary growth does not necessarily mean a better standard of living for everyone.

For those who want more detailed data, the Croatian Bureau of Statistics has published a full release on average salaries for August 2025, which includes comparative overviews by activity, hourly wages, and non-taxable receipts.