Workers at Dutch small and mid-sized firms earned 4.6% more in 2025; Pay gap remains
Median wages in Dutch small and medium-sized enterprises rose 4.6 percent in 2025 to 3,500 euros per month, keeping pace with inflation, according to the Van Spaendonck Wage Index. The gender wage gap is narrowing, but continues to persist, according to the analysis, which is based on 1.2 million payroll records from 145,000 companies.
Employees under collective bargaining agreements (CBA) earned 3,385 euros, while those without CBAs earned 15.7 percent more at 3,916.67 euros. Both groups saw roughly 4.4 percent growth, leaving the wage gap between these groups relatively unchanged. About 70 percent of Dutch workers are covered by CBAs.
Highest-paying sectors were insurance and health funds, followed by banking and merchant shipping. Specialist and executive roles paid the most. Psychiatrists earned a median of 12,181 euros per month, while general practitioners, administrators, and pharmacists earned over 8,000 euros. Among those earning under a collective agreement, general practitioners on salary earned the highest median wage at 8,467 euros.
Since 2018, median salaries have risen 29.6 percent, outpacing inflation, which grew 26.5 percent. Salaries fell behind inflation only in 2022.
Median earnings for men were 3,666.25 euros versus 3,322.22 euros for women, a 10.4 percent difference largely explained by contract size, sector, and role. Equal Pay Day fell on November 24, marking the symbolic day women effectively work unpaid.
Regional differences remain significant. Limburg (+5.7 percent), Overijssel (+5.6 percent), and Flevoland (+5.4 percent) saw the largest increases. Utrecht had the highest median salary at 3,746.59 euros, followed by Zuid-Holland (3,684.19 euros) and Noord-Holland (3,680 euros), while Zeeland remained lowest at 3,200 euros.
Labor market dynamics varied by sector: security companies had the highest employee influx at 28.9 percent, while the agricultural sector saw the largest outflow at 24.8 percent.
