Best paid jobs in Poland in 2026 – ranking and salaries

The most reliable comparison of pay by occupation is the GUS survey “Structure of wages and salaries by occupation”. The latest edition covers October 2024 (the next one, for October 2026, will be published in 2027). These were the top ten occupational groups:

For comparison, the average salary across all occupations in this survey was PLN 8,944.79 and the median PLN 7,404.69, which means half of employees earned less than PLN 7,400 gross.

To judge whether a job pays well, it helps to know the benchmarks:

• PLN 8,903.56 gross – average salary in the national economy in 2025 (GUS),
• PLN 9,266.48 gross – average salary in the enterprise sector in September 2026 (GUS),
• PLN 8,550 gross – median in the Sedlak & Sedlak National Salary Survey for 2025,
• PLN 4,806 gross – minimum wage in 2026, rising to PLN 4,950 on 1 January 2027.

Read more about pay levels in our article on average earnings in Poland.

Finance is one of the best paid career paths. According to the Hays Salary Report 2026 (gross monthly pay, most frequently offered salary in brackets):

• CFO / board member – PLN 30,000–57,000 (PLN 40,000),
• finance director – PLN 26,000–45,000 (PLN 35,000),
• chief accountant – PLN 18,000–30,000 (PLN 23,000).

Experience and the size of the organisation matter most: international groups pay considerably more than small companies.

In the GUS survey, software developers and analysts earned PLN 15,630 gross on average and IT managers over PLN 21,000. Market reports show even higher figures:

• Java developer – PLN 16,000–25,000 gross (most often PLN 20,000, Hays 2026),
• data scientist – PLN 20,000–27,000, machine learning engineer – PLN 19,000–26,000 (Hays 2026),
• IT director / CIO – PLN 30,000–80,000 (most often PLN 50,000, Hays 2026),
• senior IT architect – around PLN 26,000 gross on an employment contract and around PLN 30,000 net on a B2B contract (justjoin.it, 2025 job ads).

B2B contracts are common in Polish IT. The rates are higher, but they do not include paid leave or social security contributions paid by the employer.

According to Hays for 2026:

• security manager – PLN 32,000–48,000 gross (most often PLN 40,000),
• cybersecurity architect – PLN 32,000–45,000,
• cybersecurity engineer – PLN 25,000–34,000,
• SOC analyst (tier 3) – PLN 20,000–29,000.

In justjoin.it job ads, the average B2B rate in cybersecurity exceeded PLN 20,000 net a month.

Doctors are near the top: according to GUS they earned PLN 17,440 gross on average, and dentists PLN 13,831. Public healthcare has statutory minimum salaries, which from 1 July 2026 are:

• specialist doctor – PLN 12,910.16 gross,
• doctor without a specialisation – PLN 10,595.24 gross,
• junior doctor (intern) – PLN 8,458.38 gross.

These are only minimums: many doctors combine several jobs or contracts and on-call shifts, so their real income is much higher.

Legal professionals earned PLN 15,876 gross on average according to GUS. The Hays Salary Report 2026 lists:

• head of legal – PLN 22,000–43,000 gross (most often PLN 35,000),
• tax manager – PLN 19,000–37,000 (PLN 26,000),
• senior associate in a law firm – PLN 14,000–43,000 (PLN 22,000),
• in-house lawyer – PLN 13,000–30,000 (PLN 22,000).

Sales, marketing and development managers earned PLN 15,736 gross on average according to GUS. Hays reports for 2026:

• sales director (retail) – PLN 25,000–45,000 gross (most often PLN 38,000),
• corporate banking sales director – PLN 27,000–47,000,
• key account manager – usually PLN 12,000–23,000.

In sales, especially international B2B trading, bonuses and commission make up a large part of the pay, so an experienced trader can earn far more than the base salary. We explain how this works in how much a B2B sales representative earns and describe the development stages in the career path of a trader at Foodcom S.A.

Foodcom S.A. is currently recruiting for positions including:

• Junior International Commodity Trader,
• International Commodity Trader,
• Senior International Commodity Trader.

• Experience and seniority – a director often earns several times more than a junior in the same field.
• Region – according to Sedlak & Sedlak, the 2025 median was PLN 10,000 in the Masovian region (Warsaw) and PLN 7,172 in Warmian-Masurian.
• Company size and type – international corporations usually pay more than small businesses.
• Type of contract – B2B rates are higher than salaries on an employment contract, but you pay your own contributions and taxes.
• Languages and skills – English plus another foreign language, AI or data analysis skills increase your market value.

Changing jobs or asking for a raise? See our guide on how to negotiate your salary and our article on pay transparency in Poland.

What is the highest paying job in Poland?

According to GUS, chief executives and managing directors have the highest average salary, almost PLN 23,000 gross a month. Among specialists, doctors (about PLN 17,400) and lawyers (about PLN 15,900) lead.

Which IT jobs pay the most in Poland?

IT directors, architects, cybersecurity specialists and AI and data experts earn the most, usually from PLN 20,000 to over PLN 40,000 gross a month.

Is PLN 10,000 a good salary in Poland?

Yes. It is above both the average salary (PLN 8,903.56 in 2025) and the median, so most employees in Poland earn less.

The highest earners in Poland are directors and managers, doctors, lawyers and IT specialists: from about PLN 14,000 to PLN 23,000 gross on average according to GUS, and up to PLN 40,000–50,000 for director roles in 2026 salary reports. Experience, region and type of contract matter just as much as the occupation itself.