Which Polish city pays the best? The winner may surprise

Data from the Central Statistical Office (GUS), quoted by “Rzeczpospolita”, show that in the ranking of average gross remuneration in the sector of medium and large enterprises (i.e. in organizations employing more than ten people, excluding administration and the financial sector) in Polish cities, Kraków is the leader at the beginning of 2026. Average earnings in the former capital of Poland amounted to as much as PLN 11,600 in February. PLN gross.

Where do medium and large companies pay the best? Warsaw defeated

In this respect, Kraków is slightly ahead of the current capital, where the average salary was PLN 11,200. PLN gross. However, Warsaw remains the leader when it comes to total remuneration, taking into account all entities regardless of size.

You could earn slightly less than in Warsaw and Kraków in Gdańsk and Poznań. In these cities, the average salary exceeded PLN 10,000 at the beginning of this year. PLN gross. Katowice also achieved a good result (PLN 9.7 thousand), partly due to annual and anniversary awards paid during this period.

On the other side there are Olsztyn, Białystok and Gorzów Wielkopolski, where average earnings are just below PLN 8,000. zloty. However, Kielce is the weakest in the ranking. In the capital of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, the average salary was PLN 7.57 thousand in February. PLN gross.

The difference between the worst and the best paid voivodeship capitals was just over PLN 4,000. PLN gross.

In which industries in Krakow can you earn the most? The highest salaries are recorded in the IT, telecommunications sector, but also in scientific and technical activities. They earn up to 40 percent. more than average.

The newspaper draws attention to the differences in the number of employees in the corporate sector in Kraków and Warsaw. In the capital there are over 1.1 million employees, while in the capital of Małopolska there are less than 250,000. people.