The salary of politicians is a topic that a lot of people like to broach because most of us feel like their taxes are paying these salaries (and yet many people are dissatisfied with their politicians). But the question few people ever ask is: "Do politicians in my country earn more or less than in other countries?" That's what we'll see here for a selection of developed countries.
Comparison is made more difficult by the fact that many salaries are given as gross salaries, but the tax rates and tax brackets vary considerably between countries. Then, outside the Eurozone, the local currency also differs. To facilitate comparison I will provide net monthly salaries in euro.
Australia
Here is the ranking of monthly net salaries by function.
Head of state/government
Cabinet ministers & Secretaries of State (highest salary)
Members of Parliament/Congress
City mayor (highest paid)
Comparison is made more difficult by the fact that many salaries are given as gross salaries, but the tax rates and tax brackets vary considerably between countries. Then, outside the Eurozone, the local currency also differs. To facilitate comparison I will provide net monthly salaries in euro.
Australia
- Head of state : ~15,800€
- Cabinet ministers : 7,500€ to 10,450€
- Members of parliament : 6,050€
- City mayors : up to 5,775€
- Head of state : 14,560€ (president) / 12,770€ (chancellor)
- Cabinet ministers : 9,050€
- Members of parliament : 3,840€
- City mayors : 1,290€ to 7,700€
- Head of state : 11,500€
- Ministers/secretaries of state : 10,700 to 11,500€
- Members of parliament : ~6,000€
- City mayors : 1,667€ (village) to 5,724€ (city)
- Head of state : 13,400€ (including MP salary and expenditures)
- Ministers/secretaries of state : 4,035€
- Members of parliament : 7,300€ (MP), 6,270€ (senators)
- City mayors : 620€ (village) to 6,950€
- Head of state : 8,790€
- Cabinet ministers : 7,035€ to 7,740€
- Members of parliament : 4,580€
- City mayors : 2,840€ to 8,640€
- Head of state : 14,000€
- Ministers/secretaries of state : gross salary 9,600€ to 10,100€. If the tax rate is the same as everyone else, at 41% for such salaries, then net salary of 5,664€ to 5,959€.
- Members of parliament : 5,700€ (députés), 5,300€ (sénateurs)
- City mayors : gross salary from 646€ (village under 500 inhabitants) to 8,684€ (Paris). Net salary from 646€ to 5,123€.
- Head of state : 10,875€ (president) / 39,000€ (chancellor with MP salary and expenditures)
- Ministers/secretaries of state : ~8,200€
- Members of parliament : 5,800€
- City mayors : 4,650€ to 8,300€
- Head of state : 9,300€
- Ministers/ministers of state : 6,050€ to 7,900€
- Members of parliament : 5,000€ (TD), 3,500€ (senators)
- City mayors : up to 3,650€
- Head of state : 10,450€ (president) / 7,885€ (prime minister)
- Ministers/secretaries of state : 5,245€ (net ministerial salary) or 7,125€ (including MP salary)
- Members of parliament : ~5,300€ (base salary) or ~14,000€ (with expenses)
- City mayors : 993€ (village under 1000 inhabitants) to 4,446€ (city of 500,000+)
- Head of state : 10,700€ to 15,300€
- Cabinet ministers : 7,705€
- Members of parliament : average of 6,650€ (gross salary = 9,925€)
- City mayors : ~1,780€ to ~7,300€ (Yokohama)
- Head of state : 11,195€
- Cabinet ministers : average of 9,850€
- Members of parliament : 4,800€
- City mayors : 460€ (village) to 3,600€ (Luxembourg City)
- Head of state : 7,050€
- Cabinet ministers : 7,050€ (same as PM)
- Members of parliament : average of 5,900€
- City mayors : 3920€ to 7,200€
- Head of state : 4,490€
- Ministers/secretaries of state : 3,450€ to 4,675€
- Members of parliament : 2,930€ to 3,200€
- City mayors : 0€ to 4,675€ (Madrid)
- Head of state : 8,320€
- Cabinet ministers : 6,710€
- Members of parliament : 3,170€
- City mayors : 4,375€
- Head of state : 30,390€ (president)
- Cabinet ministers : 30,390€ (federal councillors)
- Members of parliament : 10,250€
- City mayors : 1,290€ (village) to 19,000€ (Geneva)
- Head of state : 8,550€ (PM salary only) or 10,585€ (with parliamentary salary)
- Ministers/secretaries of state : 4,665€ (ministerial salary) or 8,450€ (with parliamentary salary)
- Members of parliament : 4,725€
- City mayors : 0€ to 8,000€ (London)
- Head of state : net annual salary of 400,000$ (+169,000$ of allowances), i.e. ~27,900€ (+11,800€) per month
- Ministers/secretaries of state : ~3,300$ to 18,300$, i.e. ~2,450€ to 10,000€.
- Members of parliament : 14,500$, i.e. 12,200€
- City mayors : 0€ to 18,500€ (San Francisco) ; average mayor's net salary is 2,950€
Here is the ranking of monthly net salaries by function.
Head of state/government
- German Chancellor : 39,000€
- US President : 27,900€ (+11,800€ of expenses)
- Swiss Federal Council President : 30,390€
- Australian PM : 15,800€
- Japanese PM : 15,300€
- Austrian President : 14,560€
- French President : 14,000€
- Canadian PM : 13,400€
- Austrian Chancellor : 12,770€
- Belgian PM : 11,500€
- Luxembourg PM : 11,195€
- German President : 10,875€
- British PM : 10,585€
- Italian President : 10,450€
- Irish PM : 9,300€
- Danish PM : 8,790€
- Swedish PM : 8,320€
- Italian PM : 7,885€
- Dutch PM : 7,050€
- Spanish PM : 4,490€
Cabinet ministers & Secretaries of State (highest salary)
- Switzerland : 30,390€
- Belgium : 11,500€
- Australia : 10,450€
- France : 10,100€
- United States : 10,000€
- Luxembourg : 9,850€
- Austria : 9,050€
- United Kingdom : 8,450€
- Germany : 8,200€
- Ireland : 7,900€
- Denmark : 7,740€
- Japan : 7,705€
- Italy : 7,125€
- Netherlands : 7,050€
- Sweden : 6,710€
- Spain : 4,675€
- Canada : 4,035€
Members of Parliament/Congress
- Italy : 14,000€
- United States : 12,200€
- Switzerland : 10,250€
- Canada (MP) : 7,300€
- Japan : 6,650€
- Canada (senator) : 6,270€
- Australia : 6,050€
- Belgium : 6,000€
- Netherlands : 5,900€
- Germany : 5,800€
- France (MP) : 5,700€
- France (senator) : 5,300€
- Ireland (MP) : 5,000€
- Luxembourg : 4,800€
- United Kingdom : 4,725€
- Denmark : 4,580€
- Austria : 3,840€
- Ireland (senator) : 3,500€
- Spain : 3,200€
- Sweden : 3,170€
City mayor (highest paid)
- Switzerland : 19,000€ (Geneva)
- United States : 18,500€ (San Francisco)
- France : 8,684€ (Paris)
- Denmark : 8,640€
- Germany : 8,300€ (Berlin)
- United Kingdom : 8,000€ (London)
- Austria : 7,700€
- Japan : 7,300€ (Yokohama)
- Netherlands : 7,200€
- Canada : 6,950€
- Australia : 5,775€
- Belgium : 5,724€
- Spain : 4,675€ (Madrid)
- Italy : 4,446€ (6 largest cities)
- Sweden : 4,375€
- Ireland : 3,650€ (Dublin)
- Luxembourg : 3,600€ (Luxembourg City)
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