Structure of earnings statistics, Slovenia, 2016

According to provisional data of the annual structure of earnings statistics, in 2016 average monthly gross earnings of persons in paid employment in Slovenia (calculated from annual gross earnings) amounted to EUR 1,685, which is 2.0% more than in the previous year. Average monthly gross earnings of men were 2.8% higher than the Slovene average and amounted to EUR 1,732. Average monthly gross earnings of women were 3.3% lower than the average and amounted to EUR 1,630. Average monthly gross earnings in 2016 were 2.0% higher than in the previous year for both men and women.

Distribution of average gross earnings in Slovenia very asymmetric

According to the data of the annual structure of earnings statistics, the distribution of gross earnings in Slovenia is very asymmetric. The median of gross earnings, which divides the population into two halves, was in 2016 EUR 1,394 (EUR 1,412 for men and EUR 1,370 for women). Half of the persons in paid employment had average monthly gross earnings lower than EUR 1,394. The first quartile was EUR 1,017, which means that 25% of the persons in paid employment had average monthly gross earnings lower than EUR 1,017. On the other hand, only 10% of the persons in paid employment received average monthly gross earnings higher than EUR 2,730, while only 1% of the persons in paid employment had average monthly gross earnings higher than EUR 5,903.

In most activities women have lower average monthly gross earnings than men

In 2016, average monthly gross earnings of women were lower than average monthly gross earnings of men in almost all activities. The exceptions where average monthly gross earnings of women were higher than the average in those activities were: water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities (by 11.7%), construction (by 13.1%), and transportation and storage (by 10.1%). In the mentioned activities most persons in paid employment were men (in the first and third activities only one fifth were women, and in construction only one tenth), but women mainly had better paid jobs. The difference between men's and women's average gross earnings was the highest in human health and social work activities and in financial and insurance activities (in the first activity men received 23.6% more and women 5.6% less than the average in this activity, in the second activity men received 17.5% more and women 10.2% less than the average in this activity).

In Jugovzhodna Slovenia men and women had almost the same average monthly gross earnings

In 2016, average monthly gross earnings of men and women were the closest in the statistical region of employment Jugovzhodna Slovenia (men’s earnings amounted to EUR 1,661 and women’s earnings to EUR 1,656). The difference between men's and women's average monthly gross earnings was the highest in the Gorenjska and Spodnjeposavska statistical regions. In the former men received on average 5.4% and in the latter 5.1% more and women in the former 6.9% and in the latter 6.0% less than the average in those statistical regions. Compared to the previous year, in 2016 average monthly gross earnings increased the most in the Goriška statistical region (by 3.9% for women and by 2.9% for men).

The oldest persons in paid employment have the highest average monthly gross earnings

A closer look at the age structure shows that as regards average monthly gross earnings in 2016 men aged 35 years and more and women aged 40 years and more were closest to the average. Younger persons in paid employment received lower average monthly gross earnings than the Slovene average. Average monthly gross earnings of men in the age group 40–59 were more or less constant. The highest average monthly gross earnings of men were received by those in the age groups 60–64 years and 65 years and more (the former amounted to EUR 2,295 and the latter to EUR 3,515).  The reason for this is the retirement age, since earnings of men aged 60 years or more who are still in paid employment are higher. For women a similar trend can be observed; however, the retirement age is slightly lower, so average monthly gross earnings are slightly higher already in the age group 55–59 years, where they amounted to EUR 1,798. The highest average monthly gross earnings of women aged 60–64 amounted to EUR 2,350 and of women aged 65 years or more to EUR 3,285.

Women prevail in health, teaching, but they are paid less than men

As regards the number of persons in paid employment, in 2016 women prevailed (more than three quarters) in the following occupations: health, teaching, cleaning, and food preparation. In all these occupations women were on average paid less than men. They were paid more than men in the following occupations: forestry, fishery and hunting, construction, accounting, and bookkeeping. Compared to the previous year, average monthly gross earnings increased the most in armed forces occupations (by 14.3%), commissioned armed forces (by 10.8%), non-commissioned armed forces (by 9.0%) and protective services (7.9%).

The highest paid persons in paid employment with tertiary education

As regards the level of education, in 2016 persons in paid employment with tertiary education received the highest average monthly gross earnings (EUR 2,334). Men with tertiary education earned much more (EUR 2,596) than women with tertiary education (EUR 2,146), even though the share of women with this level of education (58.3%) was much higher than the share of men (41.7%). Persons in paid employment with upper secondary education and those with basic education or less earned on average much less (the former EUR 1,364 and the latter EUR 1,103).

The difference between public and private sector earnings larger for men than for women

Average monthly gross earnings of men in 2016 were much higher than average monthly gross earnings of women in both the private and public sectors, even though in the public sector women in paid employment (61.3%) greatly outnumbered their male colleagues. In the private sector women earned on average EUR 1,473 and in the public sector EUR 1,806, which was 8.8% (in the private sector) and 12.8% (in the public sector) less than men in these two sectors. Average monthly gross earnings of women were quite close in both sectors for those with tertiary education (in the private sector EUR 2,116 and in the public sector EUR 2,163). The difference was slightly higher for women with upper secondary education and basic education or less. Women with upper secondary education earned on average about 8.0% more in the public sector than in the private sector, while women with basic education or less earned on average about 6.1% more in the private sector than in the public sector.

Average monthly gross earnings of men in the public sector were 28.1% higher than average monthly gross earnings of men in the private sector. As regards the level of education, men in the public sector earned on average more than men in the private sector with the same level of education. Average monthly gross earnings of men with tertiary education employed in the private sector were on average 3.0% lower than in the public sector, of those with basic education or less 8.6% lower and of those with upper secondary education 14.1% lower.

Compared to the previous year, in 2016 average monthly earnings increased both for men (in the public sector by 3.1% and in the private sector by 1.8%) and for women (in the public sector by 2.6% and in the private sector by 1.5%). As regards the public sector, earnings increased the most in the general government sector (by 4.3% for men and by 3.0% for women).