Average monthly gross pay offered to specialists and managers in Poland has risen to PLN 16,422 from PLN 15,691, according to Antal’s 2026 Salary Report. The headline increase of roughly 4.7% hides a much more fragmented market: pay is rising quickly in some specialist areas while stabilising in others.
The report is based on the remuneration of more than 3,000 specialists and managers participating in recruitment processes during the second half of 2025 and first half of 2026. It covers people with at least two years of experience working mainly in medium-sized and large organisations.
IT still pays the most among specialist areas
Average pay in IT and telecommunications reached PLN 19,859 gross per month, but annual growth was only around 2%. The sector is splitting into two markets: AI, cybersecurity, data architecture and cloud skills remain expensive, while more standardised and junior roles face weaker demand and stronger automation pressure.
Average monthly pay for specialists and managers
Gross PLN per month
IT & telecommunications — 19,859
Finance & accounting — 17,849
Pharma & medical devices — 17,548
Legal — 17,500
FMCG — 17,432
Sales & marketing — 16,448
Banking & insurance — 15,335
Engineering & manufacturing — 12,852
Administration — 10,188
Source: Antal Salary Report 2026.
AI and cybersecurity command a premium
The spread inside IT is large. Antal’s ranges for an AI Solutions Architect run from PLN 19,000–23,000 for junior profiles to PLN 30,000–40,000 for seniors. A senior AI Research Scientist can reach PLN 42,000, while senior Security Architects are quoted at up to PLN 38,000.
At the other end, Help Desk Tier 1 ranges from PLN 7,000–8,000 for junior staff to PLN 11,000–12,000 for experienced employees. The comparison shows why an average for the whole technology sector is increasingly misleading.
Finance, pharma and legal roles are gaining
Finance and accounting rose to an average PLN 17,849, while pharma and medical devices reached PLN 17,548 and legal roles PLN 17,500. These areas increasingly reward combinations of specialist knowledge, regulation, technology and direct business responsibility.
In banking and insurance, average pay was PLN 15,335, up around 4%. Compliance, risk, product and technology roles are better positioned than repetitive operational jobs, where automation is limiting pressure on base salaries.
Engineering is slower, but energy is different
Engineering, manufacturing and R&D averaged PLN 12,852, with growth of around 3%. The overall market is more cautious, but energy is moving in the opposite direction. Grid investment, renewables, decarbonisation and new regulation are increasing demand for people with specialist technical experience.
Employees want time and money from benefits
The report also shows a mismatch between benefits offered and benefits employees want. Additional days off are desired by 49% of respondents but received by only 18%, a gap of 31 percentage points. Bonuses are wanted by 60% but received by 41%.
| Benefit | Receive | Would like |
|---|---|---|
| Additional leave | 18% | 49% |
| Bonuses | 41% | 60% |
| Flexible working time | 49% | 56% |
| Remote work | 56% | 56% |
One pay rise for everyone fits the market less and less
The broader message from the report is that skills are being repriced. AI does not simply remove jobs; it reduces the value of some repetitive tasks while increasing the value of people who can design, implement, supervise or secure automated systems.
For employers, that makes uniform salary policies harder to maintain. A single percentage increase across an organisation may be too generous in one function and insufficient in another. For employees, the name of the profession matters less than the scarcity and business value of the specific skills they bring.
Source: Antal Salary Report 2026, based on reporting published by ManagerPlus.pl and CEO.com.pl.
