Keep our news free from ads and paywalls by making a donation to support our work!
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Poland’s minimum hourly wage has, for the first time, surpassed the federal minimum wage in the United States.
On 1 January, the minimum wage in Poland rose to 30.50 zloty per hour before tax, which at the average exchange rate so far this year is $7.35.
That puts it above the current federal minimum wage in the US, which has stood at $7.25/hour since 2009 (though most individual US states have their own, higher minimum wage).
Poland typically raises its minimum wage once every year, on 1 January. However, that additionally happens in the middle of a year if inflation is above 5%, as was the case last year.
The minimum level of the increase is calculated on the basis of estimated inflation for the coming year, with the final figure then decided by the government following discussions with employers and trade unions.
The new hourly minimum wage is around 8.5% higher than the one that had been in place since last July and 10.1% higher than a year ago.
Polish trade union Sierpień 80 hailed the 2025 wage increase as a “victory” for workers but urged caution in comparing wages between countries.
“Although Poland in 2025 can boast a higher minimum wage than the US, it is worth remembering that the cost of living in the two countries is significantly different,” the trade union said in a statement.
As well as the hourly rate, the minimum monthly wage in Poland also increased on 1 January to 4,666 zloty gross, representing a 366 zloty (8.5%) increase compared to level from the end of 2024 and a 424 zloty (10%) rise from one year ago.
The Polish government estimates that the new minimum wage will benefit over 3 million workers and entail additional costs to small and medium-sized enterprises of 11.8 billion zloty and 3.2 billion zloty for large companies.
The rise in Poland’s minimum wage in recent years has accompanied the country’s steady economic growth.
It has accelerated over the last five years amid efforts by successive Polish governments to soften the blow of soaring inflation amid the fallout from first the Covid pandemic and then Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Inflation peaked at 18.4% in February 2023 in Poland, leading to a record minimum wage hike of 21.5% year-on-year in January 2024. Inflation has since fallen significantly, but remained among the highest in the EU last year.
While 20 US states have a minimum wage that matches the federal level, the majority have higher rates, ranging up to $16.60 in Washington state. The highest level, of $17.50, is in the District of Columbia, which is not a state.
Source: wikimedia.org (under public domain)
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Main image credit: Kaboompics.com / Pexels
Alicja Ptak is senior editor at Notes from Poland and a multimedia journalist. She previously worked for Reuters.
