Minimum salary for academic teachers in 2026
In the case of public universities, the regulations do not establish rigid salary ranges for each position. However, they determine the minimum level of basic salary. The Ministry of Science emphasized in 2026 that universities can set salaries above these minimums.
The reference point is the professor's salary. From January 1, 2026, the minimum monthly basic salary of a professor at a public university is PLN 9,650 gross. The rate was increased from the previously applicable PLN 9,370.
Based on statutory proportions, this means the following minimum basic wages:
The Law on Higher Education and Science stipulates that the basic salary of an academic teacher at a public university cannot be lower than 50%. professor's salary. For a university professor, it is at least 83 percent, and for an assistant professor, at least 73 percent.
Important: the amounts given refer to basic salary. Therefore, they are not equivalent to the total monthly payment.
How much does an academic teacher actually earn?
Data from the National Salary Survey published by pozna.pl indicate that the median monthly total salary of academic teachers is PLN 8,850 gross. In the middle 50 percent respondents' salaries range between PLN 6,540 and PLN 11,810 gross per month. This means that 25 percent respondents earn less than PLN 6,540, and 25 percent over PLN 11,810 gross.
This is salary survey data, not the statutory rate. The portal states that the list was created on the basis of data regarding positions defined as, among others: academic teacher, lecturer and researcher. The respondents came from all over Poland.
It is also worth paying attention to the sample size. The published list includes 298 people at the position of academic teacher, while 1,136 positions and 581,000. people refer to the broader context of the website's data, and not to 1,136 academic teachers. Therefore, this last number should not be presented as a sample size for the group of academic teachers alone.
Basic salary is not everything
The remuneration of an academic teacher may consist of several elements. The Act mentions, among others: base salary and seniority allowance as fixed components of remuneration. Functional and task allowances, remuneration for overtime or overtime hours, as well as other components specified in university regulations are also possible.
One of the statutory elements is the seniority allowance. It is 1 percent. basic salary for each year of employment, starting from the fourth year, with a maximum amount of 20%. basic salary.
For example, with a professor's basic salary of PLN 9,650, the maximum internship allowance would be PLN 1,930 gross per month.
There may be other components, depending on the scope of responsibilities and rules applicable at a specific university.
Overtime hours can increase your earnings
Academic teachers may also receive remuneration for conducting classes overtime. The Act sets limits on such activities.
In the case of a research and teaching employee, the university may, in special cases, entrust overtime classes of up to one quarter of the annual teaching load. For a teaching employee, the limit is one-half of the annual salary. With the consent of an academic teacher, it is possible to assign a larger number of classes - up to twice the annual teaching load.
However, there is no single "PLN 70 per hour" rate for each professor applicable throughout the country. Remuneration for overtime hours depends on applicable regulations and the remuneration principles adopted by a given university. Therefore, specific amounts should be checked in the remuneration regulations and other acts applicable at a given university.
Public and private universities - an important difference
The statutory minimums mentioned above apply to public universities. They should not be automatically transferred to all universities operating in Poland.
In the case of public universities, the regulations specify a minimum level of basic salary, but do not require that all employees employed in the same position receive the same salary. The Ministry of Science explained in 2026 that the regulations do not introduce rigid ranges of basic salaries for academic teachers.
The final amount of salary may therefore depend, among others, on: on the university's remuneration policy, employee's experience, position held, assigned functions and additional responsibilities.
The median and the statutory minimum are two different numbers
The combination of PLN 9,650 and PLN 8,850 may seem like a contradiction at first glance. However, this is not the case.
The first amount is the minimum basic salary of a professor at a public university, effective from 2026. The second is the median total salary in a study covering a broader category of academic teachers. Therefore, these are data regarding other groups and other pay concepts.
It cannot be concluded on this basis that the average professor earns PLN 8,850. The data from the study is not a table of salaries according to individual academic positions.
