Whether you’re thinking about a move to Vienna or you already live here and are eyeing up job opportunities, here’s what you need to know about salaries in the Austrian capital in 2026.
Vienna is for many people a dream destination. It has a rich cultural scene and is home to some of the best galleries and museums in Europe. At the same time, you don’t have to venture far to find nature that wouldn’t be out of place in a children’s fairytale book.
Austria is also known for its robust healthcare system, strong labour rights and healthy work-life-balance.
But to enjoy all of that, most of us need to secure a stable job. So what is considered a comfortable or even high salary in Austria, and in particular: the capital Vienna.
What’s a comfortable wage in Austria and Vienna?
According to the latest Stepstone report, Austria’s median annual salary for 2025 is €55,000 gross (before tax). This includes the 13th and 14th salaries.
It’s equal to an average gross monthly salary of around €3,900, and typically leaves employees with a net income of around €2,600 per month, depending on tax benefits and deductions.
Larger cities in Austria tend to have higher salaries. With a median income of €59,000, Vienna leads the list of cities and states with the highest salaries. It’s followed by Vorarlberg at €56,750.
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Next year, experts believe there will be a modest wage increase despite high inflation. Finance specialists estimate that employees could see a pay increase of between 2.8-3.3 percent on average.
In Vienna, you are generally considered to have a comfortable to high income if you earn between €3,500 and €5,000 before taxes every month.
READ ALSO: What’s a good salary in Austria in 2026?
What’s considered a high wage in Austria?
Of course, there are huge variations in how much you’ll earn at a job.
Typically, doctors are the highest earners in Austria with a median annual salary of €109,750, followed by people in management roles and those in the banking, finance and insurance industries (median annual salary of around €70,000- €72,750).
People in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, IT and Internet services, engineering and machinery, energy and utilities, as well as the automotive and aerospace sectors also earn a hefty pay packet.
A report from Der Standard published earlier this year sheds more light on what’s considered a high wage. Salary expert Conrad Pramböck of Upstyle Consulting told the newspaper that a comfortable salary in Austria is between €3,900 and €4,400 gross, paid 14 times a year.
If you earn €5,150 a month before tax, you’re among the top 10 percent of earners in the country (this works out at €72,100 annually). Meanwhile, earning €6,550 gross puts you among the top five highest earners in the country
You reach the top one percent of earners in Austria when you take home €11,100 per month before tax, 14 times per year.
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Employment opportunities in Vienna
Vienna is home to a large life sciences community with lots of researcher roles available.
There are also a range of opportunities in IT, healthcare, finance, tourism, engineering, logistics, the media and creative industries.
Some of the largest employers in Vienna are the City of Vienna, the General Hospital, Erste Bank, Wien Energie and ÖBB.
Employers that tend to have a lot of international workers include the United Nations, Microsoft, Refurbed, Dynatrace and Austrian Airlines.
READ ALSO: How hard is it for immigrants to find a job in Austria?
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How high is the cost of living in Vienna?
Unfortunately, the cost of everyday goods as well as rent and other services has been increasing in Vienna and Austria because of stubbornly high inflation.
Rent for a one-bedroom flat in the city centre costs just over €1,000 per month, according to analysis site Numbeo, while rent is likely to cost around €750 outside of central zones.
A three-bedroom apartment outside of the city centre might set you back around €1,300 per month.
According to discussions on Reddit, people typically pay about €500-€600 for a room in a shared flat in Vienna (known as a WG), although a room for €400-€450 per month is still possible to find, at least in some neighbourhoods.
READ ALSO: Where immigrants live in Vienna and what it says about the city
A meal for two at a mid-range restaurant might cost around €75, while a cappuccino reportedly costs €4.50.
Meanwhile, an annual public transport ticket for Wiener Linien will cost €467 (€461 for the digital version) from January 2026.
Grocery shopping is also going up in price, with the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) anticipating an average annual price increase of 3.2 percent for food (including alcohol and tobacco) in 2026.
Of course, how far your wages stretch depends on personal factors, such as where you choose to live, your lifestyle, whether you travel a lot and your family situation.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the City of Vienna is planning to raise several public fees in 2026, such as dog tax, library membership and kindergarten meals.
READ ALSO: ‘Unable to save money’ – Is Austria an affordable place for foreigners to live?