Czech salary calculator: how much to ask for at a job interview

The Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has launched an online tool to help people work out how much to ask for at a job interview: the Fair Pay Calculator on Rovnaodmena.cz shows average salaries by profession and region. According to the ministry, it is meant to let job seekers negotiate actively for their starting salary when looking for a new job.

The question of what figure to name is a difficult one for many: some are afraid of asking too much and losing out to other candidates, while others set their expectations too low and lose money for no reason.

How the calculator works

The tool takes into account age, gender, industry, qualifications and region of residence, as well as the size of the company a person works for. According to the ministry, the calculations rely not on estimates but on real data from the regular monitoring of earnings in Czechia last year.

An example from the ministry: a fifty-year-old supermarket cashier in the Ostrava region earns an average of CZK 31,900, while her male colleague earns CZK 39,590. The income gap is almost a fifth.

More recent data by profession will only appear at the turn of the year, from the new Unified Monthly Employer Report. It is expected to be even more accurate.

What we know about salaries next year

It is already possible to go by the general trend. In January the minimum wage will rise from the current CZK 22,400 to CZK 24,900 — a record increase of CZK 2,500. The average salary in the first half of the year was CZK 50,650, and for next year the Ministry of Finance forecasts CZK 55,627.

What awaits public-sector workers

It is still unclear how public-sector pay will grow. All that is known concerns the security forces: they will get CZK 2,400 added to their pay scales, with another CZK 500 going towards overtime and on-call duty.

For everyone else, the trade unions will negotiate with the government on Monday, and the draft pay tables for next year will also be discussed. According to the Ministry of Labour, the pay for cleaners in the first pay grade should rise from CZK 22,400 to CZK 25,940, and for administrative staff in the seventh grade from CZK 31,360 to CZK 34,760 gross per month. Under previously announced plans, the salaries of civil servants and public-sector employees are due to rise by 5–9 percent.

As Finance Ministry spokeswoman Helena Skacelová explained, citing the draft state budget, the average salary of workers in culture, civilian staff of the security forces, officials and other employees paid under pay tables will rise by at least three thousand crowns. Around another thousand crowns will go to professions with persistently low pay.

Read also: Minimum and average salary in Czechia 2026

Source: novinky.cz