Average Salary in Portugal

Written by Luis Minvielle Moderated by Oleksandra Dosii

Luis Minvielle

Luis is a writer with over 5 years of experience in B2B software. Even though he has always worked in tech, a sector he regularly publishes about, his initial incursions into writing were, curiously enough, music essays discussing scenes from different parts of the world—most likely to deal with his unfulfilled ambition of becoming a neo-soul crooner.

Oleksandra Dosii

Oleksandra is a dedicated marketer with a passion for growing HR-tech products. She believes content marketing is about delivering high-quality content that provides value—not just generating leads. Since 2016, Oleksandra has been involved in tech talent relocation.

Last update: March 25, 2025

Next update: Scheduled for January 25, 2026

What is the average salary in Portugal?

By the end of 2024, the gross average salary in Portugal was €1,777 per month or €24,878 per year. The annual salary is divided by 14 in Portugal. This means around US$25,921 or ₤20,601, or a net annual income of €16,016. This salary data was reported by the National Statistics Institute (INE) in 2024 and is currently the latest from the government of Portugal.

Considering all the days worked in a year, the average worker in Portugal earns around €95 a day, or around €12 per hour.

Compared to the rest of Europe, the Portuguese average salary is positioned below the EU average of €28,217 (2023). This is predictable, as wages in Southern Europe are generally lower than in Western or Northern Europe.

What is the average salary in Lisbon?

The average salary in Lisbon is €2,215 a month or around €31,000 per year before taxes. Using the tax calculator, we can determine that the average worker in Lisbon takes home €19,137 per year after taxes. That means roughly €1,595 a month (or €1,366 if you divide by 14) after taxes.

Please note that salary averages in global cities like Lisbon are sometimes inflated by some high-earning individuals who work, for example, in tech. This also happens in Australia, where a greater indicator of how much you’ll earn is the median salary. So, a better reference for salaries in Lisbon are actually the numbers of Portugal-as-a-whole.

How many salaries do you get in a year in Portugal?

In Portugal, employees are entitled, each year, to two bonus packages, which are each equivalent to a month’s pay. As such, they get a 13th and 14th salary. So annualized salaries in Portugal are comprised of 14 instalments instead of 12. When figuring out an employee's monthly salary, you need to divide the yearly sum by 14.

What is the minimum wage in Portugal?

In 2025, the minimum wage in Portugal is €870 per month. In 2024, it was €820, and in November, the government announced they would bump it up. The measure became effective in January 2025.

With this increase, the minimum wage in Portugal now amounts to a total annual salary of €12,180 (14 instalments of €870). If you work part-time or are paid by the hour, you can expect to earn about €4.40 per hour.

What is a good salary in Portugal?

As in most countries, the cost of living in major cities, like Lisbon, is higher, so what qualifies as a good salary partly depends on where you live. According to our research, and especially for an expat who wants to relocate, €45,000 a year is a good gross salary for a single person living in Portugal. It’s well above the average and will allow you to live comfortably across the country, including in major cities like Lisbon.

Let’s look at some of the numbers. The cost of living in Lisbon—the capital and the most expensive Portuguese city by many measures—is €781 per month for a single person, including rent, according to Numbeo. If you were earning €45,000 a year, you would be left with around €2,200 net per month, which could cover your rent, bills, and the occasional splurge.

For a more comfortable life in Portugal, a salary of €45,000+ is what you should be aiming for–and that salary will obviously go a lot further if you choose to live outside the capital. But keep in mind that salaries at this level are not easily attainable in Portugal. As one online user pointed out: “A specialized worker makes half of 45,000 if they’re very lucky. Foreigners working in programming or similar can reach these numbers in Portugal, but for the average Portuguese? Not even close.” You can confirm these claims with some figures we’ve included at the end of this article.

Average salary after tax in Portugal

Personal income tax rates in Portugal are progressive, ranging from 13% to 47% (can check the brackets in this official document in Portuguese from January 2025; keep in mind salaries are listed monthly). The average annual salary of €24,878 has a tax ruling of 25%, either if you divide it by 12 or 14. When we apply that rate, the net average salary is €18,658.50. (Still, please note that this figure is extremely close to the 32% bracket. If you’re just a couple of hundred euros above that, you’ll have to pay around €2,000 more in taxes).

You can find out more about taxes by heading to our Taxes in Portugal page, or calculate your own expected income using the Tax Calculator from our site.

What are the highest-paying jobs in Portugal?

Let’s take a look at the average salaries for some common professions in Portugal (sources: Payscale and Plane.com):

• Software Engineer: €31,087
• Software Developer: €23,332
• Data Analyst: €25,611
• Project Manager: €35,426
• Customer Service Representative: €15,382
• Business Manager: €24,318
• Sales Manager: €21,167
• Marketing Specialist: €25,490

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