Average annual salary in the Netherlands 2021, by age

The average Dutch employee reached their highest annual salary between the age of 50 and 54 years old, at just under 50 thousand euros. Up to that point, the average annual salary generally increased, from about 1,530 euros per year for those under 15, to 49.2 thousand for those 45-49 years old. After that age, average annual salaries decreased again, to about 17 euros for those 75 years and older. The average annual salary in the Netherlands in 2021 was just over 38.1 thousand euros, including bonuses.

 Highest salaries in the mining and quarrying industry

  Those looking to make a substantial amount of money were best off in the mining and quarrying industry, where average annual wages reached nearly 83.5 thousand euros in 2021. Employees in the electricity and gas supply sector earned roughly 62.7 thousand euros, and those working in finance made nearly as much, at 62,200 euros. On the lower end of the scale, employees in the accommodation and food serving industry earned an average annual salary of only 15.1 thousand euros.

Gender differences

   In general, annual salaries for men were considerably higher than salaries for women. Whereas men earned an average annual salary of over 46.3 thousand in 2021, women in the Netherlands on average made about 29.7thousand euros annually. This was not just the result of men having a higher average hourly salary, to some extent this was also a consequence of women working fewer hours than men. Whereas men in the Netherlands on average worked 33.5 hours per week in 2021, women worked only 25.3 hours.