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Payroll and Benefits Guide Austria

Last updated: Feb 22, 2022

Currency
Euro (EUR)
Employer Taxes
21.08%
Payroll Frequency
Monthly
Employee Costs
17.12%
Capital
Vienna
Date Format
dd/mm/yyyy
Fiscal Year
1 January- 31 December

Contributions

Employer

Employer Payroll Contributions

21.08% Total Employment Cost
3.78% Health Insurance
1.20% Accident Insurance
12.55% Old-Age Pension Insurance
3.00% Unemployment Insurance
0.55% Insolvency Guarantee Funds Contribution

Employee

Employee Payroll Contributions

17.12% Total Employee Cost
3.87% Health Insurance
10.25% Old-Age Pension Insurance
3.00% Unemployment Insurance

Employee Income Tax

0.00% Up to 11,000.00 EUR
20.00% 11,001.00 EUR – 18,000.00 EUR
30.00% 18,001.00 EUR – 31,000.00 EUR
40.00% 31,001.00 EUR – 60,000.00 EUR
48.00% 60,001.00 EUR – 90,000.00 EUR
50.00% 90,001.00 EUR-1,000,000.00 EUR
55.00% 1,000,001.00 EUR and over

Employer taxes

Highest
Lowest

Employee taxes

Highest
Lowest

Minimum Wage

General

Austria does not have a statutory minimum wage. However, the Austrian law against wage and social dumping (Lohnund Sozialdumping-Bekämpfungsgesetz) regulates that similar wage conditions must apply to those working in Austria in the same branch.  This is currently 1,700 EUR per month for a full-time employee.

MINIMUM WAGE (PER MONTH)

Highest
Lowest

Payroll

Payroll Cycle

The payroll cycle is monthly, and the employer must pay wages by the last working day of each month unless stipulated otherwise in a collective bargaining agreement or employment contract.

13th Salary

It is customary to pay 13th and 14th salaries in Austria.  The annual salary is paid in 14 equal payments. The 13th and 14th payments are paid out in June and November.

Working Hours

General

Working hours are regulated by the Austrian Working Hours Act, the Working Hours Rest Act, and collective bargaining agreements. The standard workweek is 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, with a maximum of 12 hours per day (including overtime).  In addition, the average weekly working hours must not exceed 48 hours for  17 consecutive weeks.

Overtime

Work in excess of 40 hours per week is paid at the rate of 150% of the regular pay. Overtime can also be given as time off in lieu at a ratio of 1 to 1.5 days. However, collective bargaining agreements often present higher figures for overtime payment or time off in lieu.

Working Week

Monday-Friday

Leave

Paid Time Off

The statutory holiday entitlement in Austria is five weeks (25 days) per year for an employee who has completed six months of employment. Once an employee completes 25 years or longer for the same employer the entitlement increases to six weeks (30 days). Up to 12 years of prior employment in other jobs and periods of education can also be credited to an employee, whereby the required number of years of service with the same employer is reduced to 13 years. There can also be deviations to this rule in different collective agreements.

Vacation Days
Public Holidays
Highest
Lowest

Public Holidays

2022 offers ten-weekday public holidays, while two of the three ‘de facto’ public holidays (which employers are not obliged to give as days off, but many do) also fall on weekends, so most employees will get 11 days off work in addition to their annual leave.

Sick Days

Sick leave entitlement varies based on the length of employment:

  • 1 year of employment: 6 weeks
  • 2-15 years of employment: 8 weeks
  • 16-25 years of employment: 10 weeks
  • 26+ years of employment: 12 weeks

Any sick leave beyond the above entitlement is covered by social security.

A medical certificate must be provided.

Maternity Leave

Maternity leave in Austria is 16 weeks. Expectant mothers are prohibited from working 8 weeks before the child’s expected due date and for 8 weeks (12 weeks in the case of a Caesarean section or high-risk delivery) after the child’s birth.

Maternity leave is paid by a weekly allowance through the Social Security provider. This allowance is based on the average earnings of the last three months before the Maternity Leave began. After 16 weeks, the mother is entitled to unpaid Maternity Leave until the child is two years old (during this period, the mother receives childcare pay under the Child Care Payment Act).

PAID MATERNITY LEAVE (DAYS)

Highest
Lowest

Paternity Leave

Fathers are entitled to one month of unpaid paternity leave which may begin any time after the child’s birth up until the child turns two years old. This month of leave is often referred to as ‘Daddy Month’. The new father must notify his employer three months before the estimated date of birth to be granted this leave.

Parental Leave

In Austria, parental leave starts when maternity leave finishes.

Parents can take parental leave until the child reaches the age of 24 months and are entitled to payment under the Child Care Payment Act from social security during their parental leave.

Fathers can share maternity leave with mothers.  They can switch ‘leave periods’ between the two parents twice  throughout the parental leave period, although these must be at least two months apart, mother and father are prohibited from taking parental leave at the same time

Other Leave

There are various additional leave periods to which employees are entitled:

  • 2 weeks of paid leave to care for a sick child under the age of 12
  • An employee can also request up to 6 months of unpaid leave to care for an immediate family member
  • 1 – 3 days paid leave for marriage or bereavement (the exact days leave will be outlined in the employee’s collective bargaining agreement or employment contract)

Termination

Termination Process

Upon termination of employment and depending on the reason for termination, the employee may be entitled to severance pay. Austria has two schemes linked to the employment contract start date.

Notice Period

The notice period varies based on the length of employment:

  • Up to 2 years of employment: 6 weeks’ notice
  • 2-5 years of employment: 2 months’ notice
  • 5-15 years of employment: 3 months’ notice
  • 15-25 years of employment: 4 months’ notice
  • 25+ years of employment: 5 months’ notice

The notice period can be increased by up to six months, subject to a contractual agreement or collective bargaining agreement.

Severance Pay

If the employment commenced before January 1, 2003, and has lasted for at least three years, the severance payment is calculated as a multiple of the remuneration payable to the employee before termination:

  • Less than 5 years of employment: 2 times the regular salary payment
  • 5-10 years of employment: 3 times the regular salary payment
  • 10-15 years of employment: 4 times the regular salary payment
  • 15-20 years of employment: 5 times the regular salary payment
  • 20-25 years of employment: 9 times the regular salary payment
  • 25+ years of employment: 12 times the regular salary payment

Employees forfeit their claim to receive the “old” severance pay from their employer if they resign without cause or if they are summarily dismissed for a reason.

For employment that began after December 31, 2002, the new severance pay scheme applies. The new scheme is due to the regulated requirement for employers to pay monthly contributions amounting to 1.53% of the pre-tax salary to an outside severance fund provider who manages and invests the funds received from employers. These employees are entitled to this severance pay scheme regardless of how the employment relationship ended. There are exceptions and waiting periods to be considered.

Probation Period

The standard probation period in Austria must not exceed 1 month, except for apprenticeships whose probation period is typically three months.

Common Benefits

General

Meal Vouchers
Gym/Wellness allowance
Transportation allowance
Private Health Insurance/allowance
Private pension contribution
Additional Leave (usually 5 extras days)
Home office allowance

VISA

VISA

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens must apply for a Schengen visa to enter Austria. In contrast, citizens from the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland can work in Austria without a visa for up to 90 days as Austria is part of the Schengen Area of Europe.

Longer-term visas, work permits, and residence permits are approved based on a point criteria system.

In summary, the type of work visa one needs depends on the length of stay and the applicant’s qualifications.

For example, as a Highly Qualified Worker from a third country:

  • One may either enter Austria under a Job Seeker Visa to look for employment.If one receives an employment offer during the visa’s validity period, one may apply for a Red-White-Red card at the appropriate residence authority in Austria.
  • If one has received an employment offer, one may apply for a Red-White-Red card with the appropriate  Austrian representation in one’s home country or country of residence.

An applicant must reach a minimum of 70 points according to the list of criteria as a prerequisite in both cases.

Alternatively, as a third-country citizen, one may be granted an EU Blue Card (for which there is no link to the points system), if one:

  • has completed a course of study at a university or other tertiary educational institution with a minimum duration of three years,
  • has received a binding job offer for at least one year in Austria, and the employment corresponds to the applicant’s education,
  • will earn a gross annual income of at least one and a half times the average yearly gross income of full-time employees
  • is qualified for the position and the labor market test (Arbeitsmarktprüfung) shows no equally qualified worker registered as a job seeker with the Public Employment Service (AMS) available for the job.

Individuals who are not EEA citizens or Swiss nationals may apply for a Red-White-Red Card (combined residence and work permit) as  Skilled Workers in a Shortage Occupation valid for 24 months if they can:

  • Provide proof of completed training in a shortage occupation under the regulation
  • Show evidence of a binding job offer in Austria and the prospective employer is willing to pay the minimum stipulated by law, regulation, or collective agreement.
  • Reach a minimum of 55 points

Once the initial term with the Red-White-Red or EU Blue Card has been completed (or is due to be completed), one may apply for a Red-White-Red Card Plus. The Red-White-Red Card entitles you as a non-EEA citizen or Swiss national to a fixed-term settlement and unlimited labor market access (as a self-employed or an employed person, not limited to a specific employer).

VAT

General

The standard VAT rate in Austria is 20%, however, there are several industry and product special concessions in 2022 due to COVID-19 special measures.

Stay up to date on payroll & employment law changes

Version History

February 9, 2022
Income tax brackets updated
Similar wage conditions updated from 1,500 EUR per month to 1,700 per month
January 1, 2021
Individual income tax bracket changed.
September 22, 2020
Employee payroll contributions has changed.
More

Questions & Answers

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Paul
Paul
1 year ago

Is there a legal limit to how long a non-compete clause in an employee’s contract can run?

Alex Margolin
Admin
Alex Margolin
1 year ago
Reply to  Paul

Hi Paul, a non-compete clause can run for a maximum of one year after the termination of an employee’s contract.

Alexandra
Alexandra
1 year ago

What happens if you don’t report sick leave?

Emily Kuhnert
Emily Kuhnert
1 year ago
Reply to  Alexandra

Hi, In Austria, the employee has one week to report that they are sick by providing a medical certificate. If they fail to do so, sick pay only begins from the day that the sickness is reported.

Ahmed
Ahmed
1 year ago

will be a problem if i take unpaid leave for 2 months during RWR Card and also don’t pay socail insurance ?

Alex Margolin
Admin
Alex Margolin
1 year ago
Reply to  Ahmed

it will depend on the specific type of RWR card you hold. Some RWR cards are tied to specific employers, so if they leave that employer they will need to apply for a new card. Best to check the details of the specific card.

Francesca Min
Francesca Min
1 year ago

I need to do a company salary review – applying a percentage increase to the annual gross salary. My company wants to consider as annual salary the monthly salary times 12 – saying 13 and 14 months are allowance. Can you confirm best practices ?

Erez Greenberg
Admin
Erez Greenberg
1 year ago
Reply to  Francesca Min

This depends on the collective labor agreement in place when it comes to the best practice. 13th salary is in December (called Christmas allowance) and 14th salary in May (it is called holiday allowance and should be paid by June 30).

Fabio
Fabio
7 months ago

Hi, if hired through Austrian contract, from EU country and it’s the first time, how can i calculate net salary, fringe company car and and other things may have an impact?
thanks

Erez Greenberg
Admin
Erez Greenberg
6 months ago
Reply to  Fabio

Here is a tool you can use to calculate the gross net of any taxable income – https://bruttonetto.arbeiterkammer.at/

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Payroll and Benefits Guide in Austria

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Payroll and Benefits Guide
in Austria

What’s covered in this guide:

  • Employer/employee contributions
  • Minimum wage
  • Working hours
  • Visa requirements

And more...

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All questions are answered by our in-house compliance department working in conjunction with our local in-country partner for this specific country

Public Holidays Calendar

Austria 2023
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Day Date Holiday Notes
Sunday Jan-1 New Year’s Day
Thursday Jun-1 Epiphany
Wednesday Oct-4 Easter Monday
Thursday Jan-5 Labour Day
Tuesday Feb-21 Ascension Day
Tuesday Feb-21 Whit Monday
Sunday Aug-6 Corpus Christi
Tuesday Feb-21 Assumption of Virgin Mary
Tuesday Feb-21 National Day
Wednesday Jan-11 All Saints’ Day
Saturday Aug-12 Immaculate Conception
Tuesday Feb-21 Christmas Day
Tuesday Feb-21 St. Stephen’s Day