The Dutch Worker’s Satisfaction with Pay
While there is no concrete study to confirm it, one thing is evident: Dutch administrative and support services workers are among the happiest in Europe regarding their salaries. According to a comprehensive survey conducted by SD Worx, a leading HR firm across Europe, these workers have the lowest rate of complaints about their pay, at just 14.5%. This is followed by utility workers in the Netherlands, such as engineers, electricians, plumbers, and waste management operators, who report a complaint rate of 17%, and civil servants with 23%.
This data comes from a major study involving 16,000 workers across 16 European countries and 15 different sectors. However, not all sectors show the same level of satisfaction. For instance, Slovenian healthcare workers are the most dissatisfied, with 74.7% expressing frustration over their pay. Similarly, German hospitality workers and Swedish education professionals also rank high in dissatisfaction, with 73.0% and 72.7% respectively.
Overall Satisfaction with Pay in Europe
When asked if they feel underpaid, 49% of European workers say yes. However, employers hold a different view, with 64% claiming that they offer fair salaries. This discrepancy highlights a growing gap between employee perceptions and employer realities.
In the Balkans, employees are the least satisfied with their pay. A majority of Slovenians (60%), Serbians (59%), and Croatians (58%) believe they do not earn enough. On the other end of the spectrum, workers in Belgium and the Netherlands are the most content, with over 60% stating that they earn enough. Romanians follow closely with 58%, while 57% of British workers also feel they are adequately compensated.
However, there is a significant gap between what British and Irish employees perceive as fair pay and what their employers claim. In both countries, the difference exceeds 20 percentage points, which is the largest in the entire survey.
Sector-Specific Dissatisfaction
Looking at specific sectors, healthcare workers are the most dissatisfied, with 56.5% reporting dissatisfaction. Education and manufacturing workers also show high levels of discontent, at 54% and 51% respectively. Conversely, finance, construction, and administrative services workers report the lowest levels of complaints, all below 45%.
Gender Pay Gap: Perceptions vs. Reality
On average, women are more likely than men to feel underpaid, with 51.5% of women versus 47% of men expressing this sentiment. Finland stands out as having the largest gender gap in salary satisfaction, with a 14-point difference. Norway follows closely with 12.4 points, while Croatia and France show gaps of 11 and 8.8 points respectively.
Across all surveyed countries, women report higher concerns about their pay than men, except in Spain, Germany, and the UK, where more men than women feel they are paid unfairly. However, the differences in these cases are smaller.
Reality Check: Do Perceptions Match Facts?
The alignment between perception and reality varies by country. In Germany, for example, male and female workers report nearly identical levels of satisfaction (53.8% for men vs. 54.4% for women), yet the country has one of the highest gender pay gaps in Europe, at 17.6% according to Eurostat data. This shows that perception does not always reflect actual earnings.
Croatia also exhibits a mismatch between perception and reality. It ranks third in perceived gender inequality but has one of the lowest gender pay gaps in Europe at 7.4%. In contrast, Finland's perception of a gender pay gap aligns closely with reality, as the country has the seventh-largest gap in the EU at 16.8%. Norway also shows a similar trend, with a gender pay gap of 12.8%.
Employer Perspective: What Are the Top Concerns?
Employers seem less focused on addressing the gender pay gap. In Finland, only about a quarter of employers acknowledge the issue, and the European average is slightly higher at 35%. Improving diversity, equity, and inclusion is not a top priority for most employers, ranking 15th among the most pressing HR challenges.
According to SD Worx, the main priorities for employers include "employee well-being," "retention and turnover," "recruitment," "employee engagement," "compensation & benefits," "hybrid work," and "internal communication and transparency." Surprisingly, personal branding ranks last among 26 options, indicating that employers are not prioritizing this aspect of their image.