Working and Hiring in Krakow: Pay, Rent and What Employers Should Know
The average monthly gross wage in Krakow's enterprise sector was PLN 11,744.54 in September 2026. On that pay, an employer adds 20.48% in social contributions at 2026 rates, so the cost is about PLN 169,805 a year, or PLN 171,919 with PPK.
Thinking of hiring in Krakow, or working there? This guide covers what an employee costs in the city, pay levels, living costs, the local labor market in figures and the ways a company outside Poland can employ someone there. National rules are in our Poland guide.
Krakow in figures
Employer cost on the Krakow average pay, 2026 rates
What it costs to employ someone in Krakow
Polish employer costs are national, so they are the same in Krakow as in the rest of Poland. In 2026 the employer pays 20.48% of gross pay in social contributions at the standard 1.67% accident rate, and 1.5% more for PPK if the employee takes part in the Employee Capital Plans.
On the Krakow enterprise sector average of PLN 11,745 a month in September 2026, or PLN 140,940 a year, employer contributions come to PLN 28,865, for a total of PLN 169,805 a year, or PLN 171,919 with PPK. That pay is below the PLN 282,600 cap on pension and disability contributions. Notice periods, leave, the minimum wage and income tax follow national law. Our guide to hiring in Poland covers them.
Pay in Krakow
The Statistical Office in Krakow publishes monthly pay for the city itself. In the enterprise sector, the average monthly gross wage was PLN 11,744.54 in September 2026, 6.4% more than a year earlier and 20.1% above the Malopolska region average of PLN 9,781.99. In the same month it was 5.4% above Warsaw. See average salary in Krakow.
Rent and living costs in Krakow
We found no official average rent for Krakow, so we do not show one. What is published: residents with the Karta Krakowska pay PLN 99 for a monthly ticket on all lines in zone I, falling to PLN 90 from 1 September 2027. Krakow completed 6,882 new homes from January to September 2026, 44.0% more than a year earlier. See cost of living in Krakow.
The Krakow labor market
Krakow had 819.5 thousand residents on 30 June 2026. At the end of September 2026, its registered unemployment rate was 2.8%, up from 2.4% a year earlier, against 5.0% in Malopolska and 5.8% in Poland. Labor offices held 2,341 job offers, about 6 registered unemployed people per offer. Average paid employment in the city's enterprise sector was 242.5 thousand, 2.3% lower than a year earlier. The REGON register listed 198,811 businesses and other entities in Krakow, 3.6% more than a year earlier and 37.8% of the region's total.
How to hire in Krakow
- Find the person. Write the role, set the salary against Krakow pay levels, then source and interview candidates. You can run the search yourself with a job post, or use a placement service that delivers a shortlist.
- Choose how to employ them. A Polish entity running payroll, an employer of record or a contractor agreement.
- Make the offer. The contract has to meet the Polish Labor Code. Pay in Poland is usually quoted as a gross monthly salary.
There are 3 ways to employ someone in Krakow. With a Polish entity, you register a company in Poland, run payroll and pay the employer's ZUS contributions yourself. With an employer of record (EOR), a third-party provider becomes the legal employer and runs Polish payroll for a monthly fee per employee, while your company directs the work. With a contractor agreement, the person runs their own business and invoices you, and the relationship has to be genuinely independent.
Euro Remote Talent does not employ people on your behalf. We handle the placement: we find and shortlist the candidate, and you employ them through the route that fits.
How Euro Remote Talent can help
We do placement. We source, screen and interview remote professionals across Europe, then deliver a shortlist of 3 candidates within 21 days for a flat $6,500, or your deposit back. Prefer to run the search yourself? Post a job for $299 and reach candidates who want to work remotely.
See how placement works, post a job or book a 30-minute call. Browse remote jobs in Poland to see who is hiring there now.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and collective agreements can set different terms. Confirm with a local accountant or lawyer before you hire.
Frequently asked questions
What does it cost to employ someone in Krakow?
On the Krakow enterprise sector average pay of PLN 11,745 a month, the employer adds 20.48% in social contributions at 2026 rates, for about PLN 169,805 a year, or PLN 171,919 with PPK.
Are employer costs different in Krakow from the rest of Poland?
No. ZUS contributions, the Labor Fund, the Solidarity Fund, FGลP and PPK are national. What differs is the pay level, which is higher in Krakow than in the Malopolska region as a whole.
What is the average salary in Krakow?
The Statistical Office in Krakow puts the average monthly gross wage in the city's enterprise sector at PLN 11,744.54 in September 2026, 6.4% more than a year earlier.
What is the unemployment rate in Krakow?
The registered unemployment rate was 2.8% at the end of September 2026, against 5.0% in Malopolska and 5.8% in Poland.
Can a company outside Poland hire someone in Krakow without a Polish entity?
Yes. The usual routes are an employer of record, a third-party provider that employs the person for you, or a genuine contractor agreement. Euro Remote Talent handles the placement: we find, screen and shortlist the person, and you choose the route.
Sources
- Urzฤ d Statystyczny w Krakowie, Statystyka Krakowa, September 2026. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
- Urzฤ d Statystyczny w Krakowie, Homepage dashboard, population on 30 June 2026. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
- Wortal PSZ, Rates, amounts and indicators in force. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
- Miasto Krakรณw, Cheaper resident period tickets from 1 September 2027. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
