In November 2024, official statistics reveal that out of Serbia’s two million employees, 608,000 received a salary equal to or higher than the average of 100,738 dinars. Meanwhile, 86,000 employees earned no more than the minimum wage of 45,528 dinars. Approximately one-third of employed citizens in Serbia have a salary that reaches or exceeds the official average, as calculated by the Republic Statistical Office (RZS) for November 2024.
The median salary for that month was 77,830 dinars, and half of the employed population could not earn more than this amount. Of the 2.07 million employees, 86,000 earned the minimum wage, which is set at 45,528 dinars, and they received no more than that amount.
According to the RZS, the established minimum net salary for November 2024 was 45,528 dinars, and approximately 4% (86,000 employees) earned this amount or less.
The RZS clarified that the minimum net salary is a calculated category and does not represent an exact sum paid to employees who earn the minimum. Workers who receive the minimum wage are entitled to additional payments as per the Labor Law, such as those for working on holidays, night shifts, overtime, and possibly other allowances like hot meals or holiday pay.
For employees who sign a contract specifying they will be paid the minimum wage, this amount reflects the smallest hourly rate established by the Social and Economic Council. Employers are required to implement and pay the minimum wage based on the terms outlined in the employment contract, with the minimum amount being guaranteed for full-time employees.
Salary Distribution:
- Below the Median, Above Minimum Wage: Approximately 948,000 employees (46% of the total workforce) earned more than the minimum wage but less than the median salary of 77,830 dinars in November 2024.
- Above the Median, Below the Average: Over 426,000 employees, or about one-fifth of the workforce, earned more than the median but less than the average salary of 100,738 dinars.
- Average Salary and Above: About 608,000 employees, or roughly 29% of the workforce, earned the average salary or more in November 2024.
Comparison with May 2024:
In May 2024, the number of employees earning the minimum wage was significantly higher, with 114,064 employees (5.5% of the workforce) earning up to 49,864 dinars, the minimum net salary for that month. At that time, 917,798 employees earned between the minimum wage and the median wage of 77,571 dinars.
Only 30% of employees had salaries that were equal to or higher than the average, which was 100,170 dinars in May 2024.
Data for December 2024 is yet to be released, but these figures provide a snapshot of income distribution trends over the course of the year.
