PayScope EU

Average salary in Iceland (2023)

Statistical averages from Eurostat. Figures in euros; local currency shown where useful.

Average gross / month
€6,270
Average net / month
€4,545
Real change (3y)
+0.4%
Wage growth after inflation
Job marketEmployment, vacancies, inflation and working patterns
Inflation right now
4.0%
As of 2025-12
Unemployment rate
4.5%
Share of the active workforce
Youth unemployment
9.5%
Ages 15–24
Employment rate
85.8%
Ages 20-64, share of the population in work
Job vacancy rate
1.3%
As of 2025-Q4
Part-time workers
18.7%
Share of employment, ages 20-64
Usually work from home
8.0%
Plus 33.4% sometimes (2025)
Income, tax & workHousehold income, tax burden, time and employer cost
Median income / year
€35,934
Household equivalised, after tax
Tax wedge
27.3%
Tax + social contributions on labour
Usual weekly hours
38.7 h
Main job, ages 20–64
Labour cost / hour
€60
Total cost to employ (gross + employer)

Compared with the EU average

Deviation from the simple average of all covered countries. Green means better for workers: higher pay and employment, lower costs, unemployment and tax.

Average net / month€4,545 vs EU €2,592 · +75.3%
Average gross / month€6,270 vs EU €3,309 · +89.5%
Cost of living184 vs EU 98 · +87.2%
Unemployment rate4.5% vs EU 6.3% · -28.0%
Employment rate85.8% vs EU 75.8% · +13.2%
Tax wedge27.3% vs EU 35.6% · -23.4%

Pay by age (2022)

Mean gross monthly pay by age band, all occupations.

Occupation-level figures come from the 2022 Structure of Earnings Survey, the latest round of this four-yearly survey. The next round covers 2026.

Net salary trend

Average net monthly salary in euros.

Cost of living by category

Price level relative to the EU average (EU = 100). Above the line is pricier than the EU norm; below is cheaper.

Food & non-alcoholic drinks155.8
Alcohol & tobacco230.6
Clothing & footwear149.6
Housing & utilities178
Furnishings & household equipment133.7
Health236.2
Transport147.5
Information & communication151.6
Recreation & culture168.6
Education221.1
Restaurants & hotels173.2
Other goods & services181.7

Housing

House prices (1-year change)
+5.1%
Annual change in the house price index
Housing cost overburden
13.1%
Share of people spending over 40% of income on housing

Work incentives

How much of extra earnings is lost to taxes and withdrawn benefits. Lower is better: it means taking a job or a raise pays off.

Low-wage trap
43.1%
Lost when pay rises from a low wage
Unemployment trap
85.0%
Lost when taking a job from unemployment

Gender pay gap by sector

Unadjusted gap in average gross hourly pay between men and women, by economic sector.

Financial services26.1%
Manufacturing12.9%
Wholesale & retail trade8.4%
Information & communication7.3%
Education3.7%
Health & social work3.0%
Construction-18.1%

Pay by occupation

Monthly earnings by ISCO-1 occupation group. Click headers to sort.

OccupationMedianP10P90
Managers€8,883€7,741€4,239€15,265
Professionals€7,229€6,552€4,545€10,299
Technicians and associate professionals€5,622€5,043€3,576€8,148
Craft and related trades workers€5,469€4,894€3,175€7,994
Plant and machine operators and assemblers€4,668€4,212€2,850€6,327
Clerical support workers€4,085€3,929€2,844€5,468
Service and sales workers€3,839€3,166€2,474€5,581
Elementary occupations€3,773€3,290€2,520€5,198

Occupation-level figures come from the 2022 Structure of Earnings Survey, the latest round of this four-yearly survey. The next round covers 2026. Bonuses and special payments add about 2.7% of annual pay, overtime about 8.5%.

Managers€8,883

Salary range

P10 €4,239Median €7,741P90 €15,265

Middle 80% of full-time earners fall between P10 and P90.

Pay by age (2022)

Under 30
€5,344
30 to 49
€8,523
50 and over
€9,368
Men, mean gross
€9,645
Women, mean gross
€7,987
Professionals€7,229

Salary range

P10 €4,545Median €6,552P90 €10,299

Middle 80% of full-time earners fall between P10 and P90.

Pay by age (2022)

Under 30
€5,249
30 to 49
€6,057
50 and over
€6,417
Men, mean gross
€6,831
Women, mean gross
€5,745
Technicians and associate professionals€5,622

Salary range

P10 €3,576Median €5,043P90 €8,148

Middle 80% of full-time earners fall between P10 and P90.

Pay by age (2022)

Under 30
€4,947
30 to 49
€6,260
50 and over
€6,173
Men, mean gross
€6,812
Women, mean gross
€5,410
Craft and related trades workers€5,469

Salary range

P10 €3,175Median €4,894P90 €7,994

Middle 80% of full-time earners fall between P10 and P90.

Pay by age (2022)

Under 30
€5,922
30 to 49
€6,134
50 and over
€5,881
Men, mean gross
€6,037
Women, mean gross
€5,662
Plant and machine operators and assemblers€4,668

Salary range

P10 €2,850Median €4,212P90 €6,327

Middle 80% of full-time earners fall between P10 and P90.

Pay by age (2022)

Under 30
€4,567
30 to 49
€5,243
50 and over
€5,504
Men, mean gross
€5,246
Women, mean gross
€4,329
Clerical support workers€4,085

Salary range

P10 €2,844Median €3,929P90 €5,468

Middle 80% of full-time earners fall between P10 and P90.

Pay by age (2022)

Under 30
€4,258
30 to 49
€4,391
50 and over
€4,567
Men, mean gross
€4,502
Women, mean gross
€4,401
Service and sales workers€3,839

Salary range

P10 €2,474Median €3,166P90 €5,581

Middle 80% of full-time earners fall between P10 and P90.

Pay by age (2022)

Under 30
€4,149
30 to 49
€4,516
50 and over
€4,567
Men, mean gross
€4,593
Women, mean gross
€4,156
Elementary occupations€3,773

Salary range

P10 €2,520Median €3,290P90 €5,198

Middle 80% of full-time earners fall between P10 and P90.

Pay by age (2022)

Under 30
€4,011
30 to 49
€4,430
50 and over
€4,399
Men, mean gross
€4,645
Women, mean gross
€3,730

Other regions: Iceland

Shade the map by GDP, income or unemployment. Hover a region; click to open it.

RegionGDP per personHousehold incomeUnemployment
ÍslandIS004.5%

Averages are simple means of available NUTS 2 regional observations; they are not population-weighted. For unemployment, rank 1 is the lowest rate.

Pay by industry

Mean gross monthly pay by economic sector.

Occupation-level figures come from the 2022 Structure of Earnings Survey, the latest round of this four-yearly survey. The next round covers 2026. Covers firms with 10 or more employees.

Income inequality

How evenly income and pay are distributed.

Gini coefficient
24
0 = fully equal, 100 = fully unequal
Top 20% vs bottom 20%
3.4x
Income share ratio (S80/S20)
High pay vs low pay
2.92x
P90 earnings vs P10 earnings
In-work poverty
7.0%
Employed but below the poverty line
Low-wage earners
4.4%
Earning under two-thirds of the median wage

Estimate your net salary

Iceland
Net (EUR)
€4,546
Net (local)
Deductions
27.5%

Estimate based on Eurostat net/gross ratios. Not tax advice.

Summary

In 2023, the average net monthly salary in Iceland was around €4,545. That corresponds to an average gross salary of roughly €6,270/month. Real wages have grown by 0.4% over the last three years, after inflation. Price levels sit at 184% of the EU average.

Free tools

Source: Eurostat. Figures are statistical averages, not tax advice.