In a significant shift across professional sectors, healthcare workers, particularly physicians, emerged as the highest earners in 2023, with some specialties seeing unprecedented salary increases. This trend highlights the evolving landscape of professional compensation in both private and public sectors.
Pediatricians in the private sector led the surge, with their average monthly gross salary jumping by an impressive 32,914 CZK to reach 136,098 CZK – nearly a third increase. Following closely were other medical specialties, with radiologists in the public sector securing a remarkable 25% increase, bringing their monthly earnings to 155,186 CZK.
The substantial salary growth is largely attributed to a successful campaign by young doctors that resulted in systematic changes to overtime work and overall wage structures. As noted by BHS Chief Economist Štěpán Křeček, “The benefits weren’t limited to young doctors; experienced physicians also saw significant gains.” However, he predicts more modest increases in the coming year.
At the top of the earnings pyramid, hospital department heads (primáři) in the public sector now command an average monthly salary of 186,315 CZK, while private sector corporate executives lead overall with average earnings of 325,545 CZK, with top performers reaching over 641,000 CZK monthly.
The stark contrast in professional earnings is evident at the other end of the spectrum, where cleaning staff, restroom attendants, kitchen helpers, and hairdressers continue to represent the lowest-paid sectors of the workforce.
These significant wage disparities reflect broader economic trends and the unique challenges facing different professional sectors, particularly in healthcare where staff shortages have strengthened negotiating positions.