120 thousand students work during the summer: here are the most typical hourly wages

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 07. 11. 11:16

Not surprisingly, the summer season is the most intense period for student workers, but it is no longer true that student work is concentrated exclusively during this period. Seasonality is characteristic primarily in the summer around Lake Balaton, and in the industrial sector due to holidays, but in many areas – especially in retail and the service sectors – tens of thousands of students work regularly during the year. According to the currently effective regulations, the minimum hourly wage for students is 1,672 HUF gross. On average, gross hourly wages are typically around 1,672 – 2,000 HUF, while in Budapest they range between 2,000-2,300 HUF, but in some more prominent areas – especially in the engineering or IT fields – hourly wages can reach a level of 3,000 – 3,500 HUF gross.

“According to estimates, tourism and hospitality account for approximately 35-40% of the total summer student labor demand. In the Balaton region, a significant number of people work in restaurants, beaches, festivals and various accommodations during the high season from June to August. The most typical student jobs are bartending, serving, selling ice cream, helping in the kitchen, selling tickets and cleaning. According to our data, there are settlements near Lake Balaton where students make up up to 60-70% of the seasonal workforce. The average hourly wage in this sector is around 2,300 HUF gross,” said Rozália Tóth, head of Prodiak. The expert explained that although summer is the most intensive period due to the labor shortage that has been experienced for years, a lot of students work during the year as well. Only through the Prodiak school cooperative, 10-12 thousand students take up jobs, which makes up 10-12% of all student workers.

In addition to tourism, the number of student workers also increases in factories and production plants during the summer months, where students replace the lost workforce in production during the holidays. According to Prodiak data, the industrial-production sector covers approximately 25-30% of the student jobs available in the summer, the most typical being assembly, packaging, warehouse and administration tasks. At multinational factories – mainly in Western Transdanubia and the Southern Great Plain – well-paying student positions, even with 3 shifts, also appear during this period.