These are a few examples of jobs and salaries of real Greek, EU and non-EU citizens who agreed to share sensitive information.
Presenting them as case studies was done with the intent of dispelling the myth that having a university degree, being experienced, speaking several languages and being Greek automatically entitles one to a good job and salary. In fact, job conditions and salaries in Greece are highly subjective.
Basic information
- The minimum salary in Greece is 668 euros per month, which is up from the previous 633 euros. There are people who earn less and illegal work remains a reality.
- There is no one job, one company or one profession that will pay you a high salary. More likely, a high salary depends on connections, not skills or education.
- Salaries are always quoted in net; the only time salaries are quoted otherwise is when an employer wants to trick a newbie into thinking they will be earning more by adding the IKA contribution, thus quoting gross.
- Identical people with identical experience and skills can have vastly different results.
- Much like other countries, men and women with the same qualifications, hired at the same time, doing the same job will see the man earning more on the whole. It is perceived that a woman does not need money because she has a husband and/or family to support her.
- Greece operates on a 14 payment system, 12 regular monthly payments and one full month payment at Christmas, and two half payments at both Easter and summer. They are called “bonuses,” however they are part of the normal taxable salary and not based on performance or merit.
- If someone earns less than 12,000 euros per year, there is no additional tax burden, but most everyone must still file (see the “Taxes” category for more information).
- The ruling New Democracy Party promises to raise all salaries to a level on par with other EU countries within 5 years that would double or triple current levels. However, the same promise was made previously and not fulfilled, which leaves Greece near the bottom of the EU ranking in regards to salaries (only Portugal and newly admitted Eastern European countries such as Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, et al rank lower). See, “Minimum monthly salaries in the EU” for details.
Before reading the salaries of real people, take a look at who earns the best salaries in Greece by clicking, “What are the highest paid jobs in Greece?“ and “Big discrepancies in high-rank salaries and employees, along with non-EU foreigners earning only 350-400 euros a month in, “Hospital workers pay issue.”
Example 1: American working in Greece
I’m a non-EU citizen of no Greek origin with authorization to work in the EU, which I secured on my own many years ago. In Greece, I’ve worked illegally, as a freelance/consultant, owned a business and am now a salaried worker. Aside from speaking high levels of French, Spanish and Greek, I have a university education and 10 years professional experience in my field in the U.S. and Europe, which supposedly helps me beat out hundreds of other qualified workers of all nationalities and hundreds of other applicants whose CVs didn’t make the cut, according to my employers.
Ironically, I usually work alongside people who have no university education, no experience, no language proficiency, no skills and no work ethic for the same salary or higher than mine. (Greece was surveyed as working more hours than the EU average, but productivity is quite another issue). Since I produce almost 40% of our total income (on average) as one of sometimes dozens of people, I feel this is highly unfair. There are no promotions and no merit raises, and a male colleague doing the same job makes 20 percent more than me. My boss says that as a woman, I “don’t need the money” because I should be able to get it from my parents (dead) and my husband (I’m not married, but he says I “should be”).
For privacy reasons, I cannot say where I work now and how much I’m paid. I can say that for the first 7 years, only one employer offered to give me IKA in exchange for earning 633 euros or 900 euros and no IKA (paying insurance myself); all of the others expected me to work illegally. I can also say I’d earn five times more in the USA for the same job and at least double or triple in another EU country, though my expenses in Greece are on par with America and EU countries such as Germany, Sweden and France. I’ve only been able to advance my salary 200 euros in the past 10 years of working in Greece, and it’s because I’ve asked, changed jobs and used legal means to do so.
Opportunities are limited at my skill and experience level, and I’ve accepted that I need to leave the Greece to advance my career further since there is nowhere left to go.
Example 2: Greek-American TV reporter and journalist
My friend Nestor has dual U.S. and Greek citizenship, speaks both Greek and English like a native speaker, finished his army obligations, has a university education in journalism and several years experience as a reporter, editor and TV anchor; he co-hosted a show on STAR and was a VJ on MadTV. He has a great job, right? Wrong.
In the 10 years he’s worked in Athens, none of his employers have been willing to give him a contract as a salaried worker with IKA (insurance) and bonuses. His employers see him as overqualified and too expensive to retain as an employee.
As a result, he maintains an independent status, issues receipts, keeps his own books, pays his own TEBE insurance (289 euros and rising), gets no paid vacation, no bonuses and often needs to chase after his bosses to pay wages. To be clear, he’s not freelance. He works normal hours, Monday-Friday; he’s just not treated as a salaried employee, could lose his job at any time and would not be entitled to unemployment benefits if he did.
He considers himself lucky since many he knows in the industry had to do “favors” in order to get and keep their jobs. I cannot say what those “favors” are, but I’m sure you can figure it out.
Example 3: Greek working for American bank
My Greek friend Eva, who has a university education in banking and previous experience, works as a financial administrator for an American bank in Athens. She speaks native Greek and basic English. Her starting salary in 1995 was 500 euros. Thirteen years later with the same company, she only earns 1000 euros, which is wholly due to the fact she accessed the labor union’s salary index and legally forced her company to raise it to this level by filing a labor claim against them. Before filing that claim, they were only paying her 750 euros.
A colleague of hers is fresh from university and has no experience or skills (can’t even use a computer). He got a job as a account manager with no CV or cover letter or interview, and his starting salary was 1,350 euros. Why? He’s the boss’ nephew.
For those who are keeping track, it also shows that working for an American bank does not guarantee better treatment, better wages or a greater need for native English speakers (all employees are native Greek speakers with little or no English skills).
Example 4: Greek-American business owner
My Greek-American friend Marcos, a dual citizen who is university educated and a former business owner in the USA, sold his business and home to come to Greece and open a business in the same field. Once he made it past the paperwork, he was successful because his family is well-known and he speaks Greek and English like a native speaker.
Two years later, he closed his business because he had problems collecting money from the same family “friends” who owe him more than 20,000 euros. He could bring several lawsuits, but it would take many years to get convictions and money from his own pocket to pursue them, with no guarantee he would ever recover his debts (currently, the courts are backlogged with 30,000 lawsuits). Further, he can no longer build a penthouse on his family’s home in Voula due to the implementation of a new law that prevents it, so the money he already invested is now gone.
He is contemplating his future and a possible move back to the USA for the sake of his wife and children, who he believes are suffering for his mistake. In the meantime, he works as a sales account manager for 900 euros/month plus IKA, bonuses and commission (variable), and his wife and children live apart from him on an Ionian island assisting his parents with their taverna. Marcos’ wife was the manager of a multinational company in Florida, and Marcos believes it’s not worth her time to work here at a meaningless job for peanuts, so he works harder and she stays home with their two children. His parents support his decision to leave if it comes to that.
Example 5: Non-EU office assistant
A non-EU health administrator was married to a Greek woman and had a child before moving to Athens. After a year in Athens, they divorced and he remained here for his daughter though he cannot speak Greek, does not have money or time to learn, and works as an office assistant for 1100 euros/month after five years, IKA and proper bonuses. (I earned 200 euros/month less than him with no IKA and no bonuses, even though we were hired at the same time and did the same job; this is why I quit).
The job requires him to work 10 hours/day, twice a month on Saturday and varied hours that change almost daily, but he won’t leave this job because he understands that it will be difficult to find something better. “Predictable %$#@ with a tad of respect is better than unknown %$#@,” he says.
He hopes his ex-wife will eventually agree to move away from Greece, so he can get his career back on track and provide a better life for his daughter. But it’s already been five years, and there’s no progress.
Example 6: Greek Doctor
My friend Carol is a from a family of established private doctors in Athens and has her own practice. Since having a child, she now only works three nights a week because her husband works full-time during the day, and their parents are unable to help her with child care except two nights a week; her husband does not help with child care.
Paying for full-time child care (5 days or 5 nights) would be almost as expensive as cutting back her hours, so it was decided she would stay home and earn less money even though she is the breadwinner. This option is only possible because her husband’s parents gave them a brand new apartment as a wedding gift, otherwise her full-time salary would be necessary. She considers herself fortunate, even though they cannot afford to have another child.
Medical salaries and conditions vary widely, same as other countries. You can check these articles for more information: “EU vs. USA health care issues” (comprehensive data on health care industry & salaries), “Unemployment hits women doctors harder than men,” “Quest for greener pastures,” “Athens: Highest per capita of doctors in Europe,” “Greece hemorrhaging doctors” and “Beating the brain drain.” State hospitals will hire 5,500 doctors to comply with EU labor guidelines, however these vacancies will be filled from a list of tens of thousands candidates.
Example 7: EU citizen working for Embassy in Athens
My friend Bob is a driver and bodyguard for an embassy here in Athens. He’s a half-Greek EU citizen with a diplomatic lineage, educated and speaks three languages fluently.
In exchange for being on-call nearly 24/7, never having advance notice of his schedule or vacation time and working 65-80 hours a week at different hours, he is paid more than 2000 euros/month (most of it overtime pay). He asked that I not disclose his normal 40-hour/week salary, but he never works only 40 hours.
It is also important to note that he has no social life, no routine, no real vacation and no life. There is currently no plan to hire additional staff, so Bob stays focused on being grateful for his job instead of complaining. He would like to be married and have a child sometime soon as he’s approaching 40, but he doesn’t have time to meet anyone since his schedule shows no sign of slowing down after 10 years in the position.
He would like to leave Greece, but his parents are divorced, and there is no one to assist his aging mother since his younger sister is married with a child and already has her husband’s aging parents to take care of.
Example 8: Non-EU business owner
Raymond is a non-EU citizen who opened an ethnic food store before the new law of depositing 60,000 euros came into effect. Over the years, his business has grown but not to the point he can afford to hire an employee so he works 6 days a week from 8:00-20:00, sometimes closing the shop for an hour or two in late morning to handle bureaucracy that inevitably follows non-EU citizens. He has an accountant do his books and taxes.
His shop is busy, and he is grateful but he doesn’t live extravagantly by any stretch of the imagination. He has enough to maintain his small apartment in an average neighborhood, cover basic needs and go out only on occasion since seeing a movie, enjoying dinner out or having a drink cuts into his budget. The shop is only closed on major national holidays and for 3 weeks every two years when he takes a vacation.
He would like to bring his wife here to live, however he doesn’t earn the minimum annual income of 9,775 euros required to bring over a non-EU family member and secure her residence/work permit.
Example 9: Greek-American Photographer
Thanos has an American degree in photography and has worked both in the USA and Europe for more than 20 years. Speaking Greek and English fluently, his primary employers in the States were newspapers, in addition to freelance projects using both traditional and digital photography for books, rock bands and gallery shows.
Since coming back to Athens 10 years ago, he has struggled to provide for his family because employers either don’t pay him or pay several months late, so he often takes work as a wedding photographer (something he hates) or picks up side jobs at restaurants to ensure the bills get paid.
According to Thanos and several friends in the same field, photography jobs are not plentiful and the coveted spots are usually held by the same person until retirement or won by people with connections.
Example 10: OTE employee
Vassilis is a Greek citizen speaking Greek and a low level of English and German, has no university degree or previous work experience. His parents had a connection at OTE, so he applied and she got him the job.
He originally started as a roving employee on a team with two experienced technicians, who taught him the logistics of the job. He earned 608 euros a month back in 2004. This lasted until his temporary contract expired, and he was left unemployed.
In late 2005, he was rehired by OTE but placed in an office where he had no experience dealing with customers or using a computer. As he told me, he shows up at around 7:30, takes a coffee break around 9:30, lunch at 11:30 for an hour, then leaves at 15:00. He earned 670 euros a month. His boss doesn’t reprimand him because she herself comes in around 8:30 after dropping off her children at school, then leaves around 14:30 to pick them up.
He’s able to have a car because he lives at home and has no other expenses beyond expenses associated with his car and going out.
He was released from OTE in early 2007 with the promise of being hired back in 6-12 months as per terms of his contract. This is not unusual, so he’s found work at the local Pro-Po.
Example 11: Programmers at IT company in Greece
The IT company is homegrown Greek with an international clientele, open from Monday-Friday 7:00-21:00 and Saturday 7:30-18:00. All employees are expected to work at least one Saturday per month, including senior level management.
a) Greek male: Nikos is a Greek citizen who was educated in the UK and speaks Greek, German and English. Seven years ago, he started with a well-known chain store as their tech guy, doing light programming and manning the help desk. In 2002, he jumped to a specialized software company tapped into the latest innovations (rare in Greece) earning 900 euros a month. He works alongside 60 other programmers and five techs of which 85 percent are Greek citizens speaking a higher proficiency of English or repatriated dual citizens from the UK, Australia and the USA. Today, he is considered one of the more talented programmers on staff and earns 1700 euros a month, which is a small fortune since his parents gave him an apartment and he pays no rent.
b) EU male: Brendan is an EU citizen from the UK, who moved to Greece at the urging of his Greek wife. He speaks only English, but graduated from a UK university and has worked in IT for the past 7 years for well-known multinational companies. In 2004, he was hired and paid 900 euros a month; considered one of the most efficient, customer-friendly and talented on staff, he now earns 1100 euros a month. He suspects his salary is lower than his peers, but likely won’t look for something else because he’s paid on time, left alone and knows that finding another company with such a big budget for the latest technology is rare.
c) Greek female: Dimitra is a Greek citizen, educated at a local university in Greece and speaks/writes English at a low level. She started at the same software company in 2003, earning 700 euros a month, and is only one of three women programmers employed at the company. After being mentored by several senior programmers, she is still considered mediocre by her peers and earns 1000 euros a month. It doesn’t matter to her, since she is married, now has a child and is not interested in furthering her career or changing jobs. She likes having her own money for shopping.
d) Non-EU female: Irina is a non-EU citizen who has been here for 5 years, graduated from a American college in Greece at the top of her class and speaks fluent Greek, English, Bulgarian and German. Considered talented by her peers, she was hired illegally by the same company at an hourly wage without IKA in 2003 and moved up to 850 euros a month with IKA in late 2005. The boss refused to give her a raise or more responsibilities in 2006, so she left for another company and now earns 1000 a month in a more senior role.
Essential Information
If you are an American/non-EU citizen, I highly recommend you read “How Americans/non-EU citizens can move, live and work in Greece” before going any further, since there is no point looking for a job if you are not able to manage legalities of visas and permits. For practical information and stories based on 11 years real life experience working in Greece, see the category “Jobs in Greece” or start your job search with links in the third column of this site.
* Names in this post were changed for privacy reasons, and this post is regularly updated as more people come forward to share their stories.
Article updated May 8, 2008
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Photo from architecture.nd.edu
Wow, so I’m guessing then that there are other benefits to working in Greece and salary isn’t the main motivator. It seems that all jobs in Europe have in common the fact that in the US you’d earn much much more in the same position. This knowledge can be so frustrating.
Of course, the US can’t touch the vacation and health benefits… at least in Germany. What about the side benefits in Greece? Vacation? Health? Maternity leave? Anything??