Salaries in Cyprus. Salaries are disappearing from job advertisements.

Salaries in Cyprus remain unknown in the vast majority of job advertisements surveyed. According to an analysis by TalentUp and Esperta Pay, in August 2026, only 0.4% of job postings from the island included salary information. This is the lowest among the 27 European Union countries.

For candidates, this means searching for a job without the basic information needed to compare offers. However, this doesn't mean that all job postings without a salary are illegal. The EU directive allows for the disclosure of salary information outside of job postings, and as of October 21st, Cyprus has still not completed its implementation.

Four out of a thousand ads reveal the salary

The 0.4% figure corresponds to four job postings with salary information for every thousand job postings analyzed from Cyprus. The data refers to the sample from August 2026, not all recruitments conducted on the island.

The study covered a total of nearly 1.2 million job ads published in EU countries between May and August. During this time, the share of job ads disclosing salaries increased from 10.5% to 22.8% in the EU sample.

Cyprus ranked last despite increased transparency across the entire study group. However, the analysis does not show how many candidates learned the stakes at a later stage, for example, in a message from the recruiter before the interview.

Wages in Cyprus and the EU directive

The Pay Transparency Directive aims to strengthen the principle of equal pay for women and men for equal work or work of equal value.

It provides candidates with information about starting salary or salary range. The rate should be based on objective, gender-neutral criteria.

This information may appear in the job ad, be provided before the interview, or in any other way that facilitates informed negotiations. Therefore, every job ad without a price should not be considered a violation of the new rules.

The directive also prohibits asking candidates about their salary history. The goal is to prevent a low previous salary from influencing subsequent job offers.

Cyprus has not completed the implementation of the regulations

The deadline for transposing the directive into national law was 7 June 2026.

According to SigmaLive English, which reported on the case on October 21, the process in Cyprus remains ongoing. Draft regulations have been prepared, including those regarding salary information for job applicants and transparency in salary determination.

However, the draft is not equivalent to the current law. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish between the solutions provided for in the directive and the completed implementation of specific national obligations.

“Competitive salary” is not enough to compare

The lack of a salary makes it difficult to assess whether it's worth investing time in recruitment. For someone considering moving from Poland, it also means it's difficult to weigh future earnings against housing and commuting costs.

When first contacting someone, it's worth asking about the salary range. It's equally important to determine what the stated amount covers and what conditions must be met to receive benefits.

The national average is not a promise of earnings

Salary data may serve as a reference point, but it will not replace a specific proposal from the employer.

According to CYSTAT, the average monthly salary in 2025 was €2,591 gross, while the median was €1,953. The median divides employees into two equal groups based on earnings. It is therefore a different measure than the average, which is increased by the high salaries of some employees.

Before accepting employment, it's worth obtaining written confirmation of your salary and the rules for calculating it. Only an offer with a clearly defined base, benefits, and working hours will allow you to assess whether a change of employment meets your needs and budget.