Information and communications technology services managers (EUR 4 259) and ship and aircraft controllers and technicians (EUR 3 564) took second and third places the top rankings in the list of best-paid occupations.
The Structure of Earnings Survey is conducted once every four years in all European Union countries based on a common methodology, which ensures international data comparability.
Ten occupational groups with highest earnings in 2022
|
Occupation and occupation code* |
Average gross monthly earnings in 2022 (in full-time units, euros) |
|
|
Medical doctors (221) |
4 805 |
|
|
Information and communications technology services managers (133) |
4 259 |
|
|
Ship and aircraft controllers and technicians (315) |
3 564 |
|
|
Other health professionals (226) |
3 319 |
|
|
Software and applications developers and analysts (251) |
3 312 |
|
|
Managing directors and chief executives (122) |
2 964 |
|
|
Database and network professionals (252) |
2 878 |
|
|
University and higher education teachers (231) |
2 798 |
|
|
Managing directors and chief executives (112) |
2 580 |
|
|
Administration professionals (242) |
2 568 |
* Occupations and occupation codes meet the Latvian Classification of Occupations (which is based on the International Standard Classification of Occupations).
Street vendors (excluding food) (i.e., vendors, usually selling a limited range of goods (excluding food for immediate consumption) in streets and public places such as stations, cinemas or theatres) had the lowest earnings among all minor occupational groups – an average of EUR 598 monthly before taxes. Child care workers and teachers’ aides (EUR 754), food preparation assistants (EUR 755), garment and related trades workers (EUR 756), as well as domestic, hotel and office cleaners and helpers, earning an average of EUR 801 monthly before taxes, also were among the occupations with the lowest earnings.
More education means higher earnings
Employees who had completed tertiary education had higher earnings than those with lower educational attainment, however women in 2022 had lower earnings than men regardless their educational attainment level.
Men and women having doctoral or equivalent level had the highest average hourly earnings (EUR 18.62 and EUR 14.80, respectively) followed by women and men with master's or equivalent level (EUR 12.58 and EUR 10.23, respectively).
The widest pay gap was observed for employees who had completed less than primary education – between EUR 9.32 earned by men and EUR 5.19 earned by women (however, it should be noted that in the survey sample this is an underrepresented group which may have affected the figures).
Highest hourly earnings received by employees aged 30–39
In 2022, employees aged 30–39 had the highest average hourly earnings while young people aged 15–19 and elderly people aged 69 and over the lowest.
Out of all employees, 6.3 % had worked overtime hours in 2022. The information received from employers shows that plant and machine operators and assemblers was the major occupational group working most of the overtime hours – 14.5 % of employees in this group. However, the smallest shares of employees working overtime hours was registered among managers and professionals (1.7 % and 2.3 %, respectively).
Employees working paid overtime hours by main occupational group
|
Major occupational group* |
Employees, thousand |
of which with overtime hours, thousand |
Share, % |
|
TOTAL |
822.4 |
52.2 |
6.3 |
|
Managers |
105.8 |
1.8 |
1.7 |
|
Professionals |
180.5 |
4.2 |
2.3 |
|
Technicians and associate professionals |
117.6 |
4.9 |
4.2 |
|
Clerical support workers |
50.9 |
4.0 |
7.9 |
|
Service and sales workers |
110.3 |
12.2 |
11.0 |
|
Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers |
4.6 |
0.3 |
5.5 |
|
Craft and related trades workers |
76.0 |
7.0 |
9.2 |
|
Plant and machine operators and assemblers |
71.0 |
10.3 |
14.5 |
|
Elementary occupations |
103.5 |
7.6 |
7.4 |
* Major occupational groups meet the Latvian Classification of Occupations (which is based on the International Standard Classification of Occupations).
Biggest rise observed in earnings of university teachers
Compared to the results from the Structure of Earnings Survey 2028, in 2022 university and higher education teachers had the most significant increase in their average earnings (from EUR 1 122 to 2 798 (in full-time units)), followed by refuse workers (from EUR 621 to 1 468), handicraft workers (from EUR 785 to 1840) and market gardeners and crop growers (from EUR 792 to 1663).
