Gross hourly earnings vary considerably across occupations. Based on detailed earnings data for 2018, managers were the best-paid occupation in all EU Member States. At EU level, with mean gross hourly earnings of €28.6, managers were ahead of professionals (€21.4), followed by technicians (€17.8).
At the opposite end of the scale, elementary occupations (such as cleaners and helpers, labourers, food preparation assistants, street and related sales and service workers) were the worst paid occupation in all EU Member States, with the exception of Denmark, where service and sales workers earned less. At EU level, elementary occupations (€9.7/hour) were followed by service and sales workers (€11.2), plant and machine operators and assemblers (€11.5).