Press release: EU researchers earn less than their counterparts in the US, Australia, Japan and India

A study on researchers' salaries carried out for the European Commission shows that the average salary for EU researchers is almost €23000 less than the average in the US, and also below average salaries in Australia, India and Japan. The study also notes the huge variations within the European Research Area (from €9800 in Bulgaria to €46500 in Switzerland) and significant differences between male and female researchers, as much as 35% in some countries. The value given to experience and the different levels of starting salaries also show up great differences across the EU: a UK researcher can expect a significant increase in salary as his or her career progresses - maybe as much as 335% - while a Danish researcher will maybe see a 90% increase.