Although in a difficult economic year, due to the pandemic, women have managed to have higher salary increases than men, narrowing the gap between them in payments.
INSTAT data showed that the average salary for women in 2020 reached 51.7 thousand ALL, marking an increase of 4.6% compared to the previous year. The average salary of men was 55.3 thousand ALL, marking a minimal increase of only 0.7% compared to the previous year.
As a result of the faster growth of women’s salaries compared to men, the wage gap between them has narrowed significantly. In 2020, women were paid 6.6% less than men, compared to 10.1% which was the difference between them a year ago, marking the lowest level since 2014, when data were reported.
Professions where women outnumber men outperform men
Of the 36 occupational groups reported by INSTAT, only 4 of them (Administrative and Commercial Executives; Employees in Electro-Technology Professions; Employees of Personal Services and Protection; Metalworking and Machinery Workers), women are paid more more than men and in the other three the monthly bonuses are almost unequal (Construction workers; Service and support workers; Food preparation assistants).
Even in 2020, female “administrative and commercial executives” continued to be better paid than men in the same position. Female executives receive the highest salaries of all group activities for both genders. In 2020, they were paid on average gross per month with 166.4 thousand ALL (over 1,300 euros), or 17% more than men in the positions of administrative and commercial manager. However, compared to the previous year, the salaries of female executives have slightly decreased by 2.2%.
“Production managers and specialized services” is the second highest paid profession-group for farms, with 102.7 thousand ALL per month, but in this category men are paid 15% more.
After the management level, more are paid “Information and Communication technology specialists”, with 96 thousand ALL per month, or 4.5% less than men. This is also the activity group that has marked the highest wage increase in 2020 (by 6.7%) influenced by the high demand for information technology services in the pandemic year. Even for “Information and Communication Technology Technicians (ICT)”, the salary increased by 7.2% in 2020, reaching 55 thousand ALL.
In the category of “Legislator, senior officials of state administration and executive directors”, the fourth most rewarded, the average salary for women was about 87 thousand ALL, almost at the same levels as men of the same category.
In addition to information technology, the occupational groups that saw the highest salary increases for both men and women were in the health sector.
Female “health specialists” were paid an average of about 59 thousand ALL, with an increase of 6%. Men in the same category receive 20% more than women, or an average of 73.7 thousand ALL.
“Specialized health assistants”, women were paid 48.7 thousand ALL, with an increase of 6.7%. Men in the same category are paid 115% more.
For other occupational groups, the salary has changed on average by +/- 2%.
The highest wage gap between men and women is in the industrial sector (27%) and the health sector (20%). For detailed salaries by occupational group and gender, see the graph: Average gross monthly salary by occupational group and gender, 2020.
Monitor
