Which job pays more?
Job A pays €15 per hour. Job B pays €3,000 per month.
🤔 So which one pays more?
Show answer
You can't know yet. One number is missing: the hours.
€3,000 a month at 40 hours a week (about 173 hours a month) is about €17 per hour — more than Job A.
At 60 hours a week it is only about €12 per hour — less than Job A.
To compare two jobs you need one number that fits both.
Your money per hour
Type any monthly pay and the hours per week. See what one hour of that job is worth.
Why you don't get the whole amount
Your contract says €2,000 per month. On payday you look at your account — and it is less.
🤔 Where did those slices go — and who decided that?
Show answer
Tax and social payments are taken off before the money reaches you. Your employer sends them directly. How much is taken depends on the country and your situation.
These two amounts have names — and you will see both on every payslip.
🤔 A job advert says "€2,400 per month". Gross or net?
Show answer
Almost always gross. That is the number companies advertise. Before you compare two jobs, check which one you are looking at — and ask if it is not written.
What makes one hour worth more?
Different jobs pay very different amounts for the same hour. Four reasons:
- 🛠️ Skills — what you can do well
- 🎓 Qualification — training and certificates
- 🔎 How many people can do the job
- ⚖️ Responsibility and risk
🤔 A pilot earns more per hour than a cashier. Why?
Show answer
The pilot needs years of training, has a rare qualification, and carries big responsibility. Fewer people can do the job — so companies pay more for that hour.
🤔 Then why is nursing hard, important — and still not the best paid job?
Show answer
Pay follows the market, not importance. It depends on who pays (often the state), on how many people can do the job, and on what workers can negotiate together. "Important" and "well paid" are not the same thing — and many people think that is unfair.
Zusatzwissen · extra knowledge
A skill is something you can do well. Skills can be learned at any age, and a rare skill raises your hourly wage more than long hours do. That is the quiet lesson of this page.
Four words you now own
You met all of them while comparing two real jobs. Now say them out loud and use one in your own sentence.