Higher Education Salary Report 2026: Poland
Salary report and benchmark
Higher education salary benchmark for Poland.
How academic pay works in Poland
Academic Jobs, the higher education salary benchmark, based on 249 university job posts since January 1, 2026, drawn from millions of historical job posts.
Academic pay across Europe is shaped largely by national systems.
In many countries, including Poland, university staff are paid on public-sector or civil-service scales, with set grades and step increases rather than individually negotiated salaries.
Titles differ by country (professor, associate professor, lecturer or docent, researcher), and professorships are often fewer and more senior than in the US or UK.
Generous leave, pension and social benefits are common and not always reflected in headline pay.
Academic Jobs tracks 249 higher education roles in Poland and across Europe since January 1, 2026.
| Role | Pay now | What this is |
|---|---|---|
| Post-Doc | zł123,396 | 81 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Assistant Professor | zł94,956 | 47 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Lecturer/Instructor | zł61,992 | 26 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Research Assistant | zł72,000 | 19 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Post Doc Research Fellow | zł140,000 | 15 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Research Fellow | zł138,600 | 14 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Research | zł96,060 | 12 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| PhD Researcher | zł103,500 | 10 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Teaching Assistant | zł63,696 | 6 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Senior Lecturer | zł57,900 | 4 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Associate Professor | zł97,260 | 3 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Professor | zł97,260 | 3 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Scientist/Associate | zł121,155 | 2 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Adjunct Faculty | zł111,600 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Clinical Educator | zł6,200 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
4 more roles
| Role | Pay now | What this is |
|---|---|---|
| Director/Manager | zł285,600 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Research Technician | zł84,000 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Tenure | zł91,800 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Tenure-track | zł270,000 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
What changes pay
Discipline
Professional faculties often sit above the academic scale for the same rank.
Experience
Step increases inside a grade move pay without a change of title.
Funding
Grant-funded research roles can sit outside the teaching scale.
Benefits
Superannuation, pension, and medical aid sit on top of the headline salary.
Compare a real offer
Use this salary report when you negotiate, or compare professor salaries and university salaries.