More than half of employees received a pay raise last year

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 03. 17. 10:27

53% of Hungarian employees reported receiving a salary increase in 2024. This is a lower rate than in 2023 (61%), but higher than in 2022 (44%). Respondents are more optimistic this year: while 74% of respondents last year, 81% this year expect their salary package to increase in some way, while companies are more cautious this year than in the previous year – according to a recent, representative survey by Profession.hu.

The job portal’s latest survey of employees shows that last year’s salary increases most often (38%) amounted to a net monthly amount of HUF 20,000-50,000. 27% of respondents received less than HUF 20,000, while 10% received an increase of HUF 50,000-100,000. The same proportion (10%) received an increase exceeding this. Similar to previous years, in 2024, employees of foreign-owned companies received the most salary increases (69%).

In what form did they receive them?

Compared to 2023 (61%), the following year saw a smaller proportion of wage increases (53%), but instead, companies increased regular benefits and used lump-sum supplements more often. The frequency of the former increased from 8 to 12%, and the latter from 14 to 23% last year compared to the previous year.
More employees are optimistic about this year, expecting a higher rate of increases: 48% expect a salary increase, 14% a one-time supplement, and 7% an increase in their regular benefits package. 19% of employees do not expect an increase this year. 29% of those expecting a wage increase expect a maximum of 20,000 forints per month, 37% expect an amount between 20,000 and 50,000 forints, while the rest expect a more significant change.

Hopeful employees

Although more people expect some kind of increase this year than in the past two years, many will not be satisfied with the amount of the increase, according to their own expectations.

“After last year’s wave of wage increases, this year employees are expecting further wage increases in a higher proportion: while last year 74% of respondents expect a wage increase by 2025, this year 81%. On the other hand, companies are somewhat more cautious in this regard, with 60% planning wage increases. However, employees are less optimistic about the expected amount: 64% of those planning a wage increase believe that it will not be satisfactory for them, while last year only half of respondents expected this way

– said Blanka Dencső, a market research and business development expert at Profession.hu.