Working Life in Austria

Working conditions in Austria stand out with supportive labor laws, practices that consider the health of workers, and an emphasis on work-life balance.

In Austria, the standard working hours are 40 hours per week, with a 50% higher salary for overtime. Each employee is entitled to 5 weeks of annual leave each year, excluding official holidays. Working mothers can use paid maternity leave covering the two months before and after childbirth.

While salaries vary based on the sector, experience, and position, a fair system is applied in remuneration, adjusted to the cost of living.

Although there is no officially set minimum wage, workers’ salaries are safeguarded by collective bargaining agreements. The minimum worker wage set for each sector in Austria is 1,500 euros.

With the highest minimum wage level in Europe after Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, and Ireland, Austria also implements an extra salary system known as the 13th and 14th salary, paid around Christmas and mid-year.

Unemployment benefits in Austria are calculated based on the income earned in the last or second-to-last year. The average unemployment benefit in Austria is 425.70 euros.

Austria, known for its well-functioning healthcare system, provides health services through hospitals, specialized clinics, family doctors, and specialists.

Family medicine is a widely used system in Austria, where a family doctor can refer patients to a specialist or hospital when necessary.

Services covered by insurance include hospital care and treatment, doctor visits, and an annual health screening.

Health insurance is a legal obligation for everyone working in Austria. This insurance covers doctor services (excluding home visits), home nursing, rehabilitation, inpatient treatment in hospitals, medications, and medical equipment/devices.

Everyone with insurance receives an E-Card by mail, which serves as proof of insurance. The first E-Card is issued for free. This E-Card is valid at all doctors and healthcare institutions that have an agreement with the social insurance institution.

In Austria, where social security insurance is mandatory, employers register employees with the social security system. The start date of work is the start date of mandatory insurance, and the mandatory insurance period ends when leaving the job. The employer is responsible for deducting and paying contribution shares to the tax office for all employees and any persons the employees are obliged to support. The contribution share is determined based on the income amount.

Freelancers with a trade license and factory entrepreneurs pay their social insurance premiums themselves.