> Source: https://coursetojob.com/countries/portugal/ — updated 2026-09-26 · language: en > Markdown version of this CourseToJob page for AI agents. The HTML page is canonical. Data licence CC BY 4.0: cite the page URL and the original statistical source. Europe and Central Asia # Graduate jobs and salaries in Portugal Updated September 26, 2026 Data years: 2024, 2025 [How we use data](https://coursetojob.com/methodology/) Quick answer In Portugal, employees with tertiary education earned a median of €1,500 a month in 2025 (PPP$ 2,610) — +43% compared with all employees. Their unemployment rate was 3.8%, against 5.0% for all adults aged 25 and over (2025). Sources: ILOSTAT (ILO) · OECD - **+43%** degree premium: tertiary-educated vs all employees (2025) - **€1,500** median monthly pay with tertiary education (2025) - **3.8%** unemployment, tertiary-educated adults 25+ (all adults: 5.0%, 2025) - **18.3%** unemployment, tertiary-educated 15–24 year olds (2025) ## Do graduates earn more in Portugal? **Median monthly earnings by education level, Portugal, 2025Employees, median monthly earnings. PPP$ adjusts for price differences between countries.** | Education level | Local currency a month | PPP$ a month | vs all employees | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Less than basic education | €850 | 1,479 | -19% | | Basic education | €900 | 1,566 | -14% | | Intermediate education | €1,000 | 1,740 | -5% | | Advanced (tertiary) education | €1,500 | 2,610 | +43% | | Short-cycle tertiary | €1,000 | 1,740 | -5% | | Bachelor's or equivalent | €1,500 | 2,610 | +43% | | Master's or equivalent | €1,584 | 2,756 | +51% | | Doctoral or equivalent | €2,150 | 3,741 | +105% | | All levels | €1,050 | 1,827 | — | The degree premium ranks 73 of 128 countries with data. That is above the Europe and Central Asia median of +25%. ### Earnings over time (PPP$ a month) Advanced (tertiary) educationAll levels PPP$ values are in current international dollars, so part of the rise reflects inflation. ### Earnings compared with upper secondary education (OECD) The OECD compares the earnings of adults aged 25–64 with each level of education to those who finished upper secondary school (= 100). Latest year: 2024. | Education level | Index (upper secondary = 100) | | --- | --- | | Short-cycle tertiary | 113 | | All tertiary | 175 | | Below upper secondary | 86 | Source: OECD, Education at a Glance. Full-time, full-year earners. ## Which occupations pay the most in Portugal? Median monthly earnings by occupation group in 2025, from highest to lowest. Examples link to our career profiles. | Occupation group | Local currency a month | PPP$ a month | vs all employees | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Managers [Construction manager](https://coursetojob.com/careers/construction-manager/), [Marketing manager](https://coursetojob.com/careers/marketing-manager/), [Project manager](https://coursetojob.com/careers/project-manager/), [Supply chain manager](https://coursetojob.com/careers/supply-chain-manager/) | €1,800 | 3,132 | +71% | | Professionals [Software developer](https://coursetojob.com/careers/software-developer/), [Web developer](https://coursetojob.com/careers/web-developer/), [Data scientist](https://coursetojob.com/careers/data-scientist/), [Data analyst](https://coursetojob.com/careers/data-analyst/) | €1,600 | 2,784 | +52% | | Technicians and associate professionals [IT support technician](https://coursetojob.com/careers/it-support-technician/), [Paramedic](https://coursetojob.com/careers/paramedic/), [Biomedical scientist](https://coursetojob.com/careers/biomedical-scientist/), [Paralegal](https://coursetojob.com/careers/paralegal/) | €1,200 | 2,088 | +14% | | Clerical support workers | €1,000 | 1,740 | -5% | | Craft and related trades workers | €950 | 1,653 | -10% | | Plant and machine operators and assemblers | €950 | 1,653 | -10% | | Service and sales workers [Police officer](https://coursetojob.com/careers/police-officer/) | €900 | 1,566 | -14% | | Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers | €870 | 1,514 | -17% | | Elementary occupations | €870 | 1,514 | -17% | | All occupations | €1,050 | 1,827 | — | ## Are graduates less likely to be unemployed in Portugal? **Unemployment rate by education level, 2025** | Education level | Adults 25+ | Young people 15–24 | | --- | --- | --- | | Basic education | 5.7% | 32.3% | | Intermediate education | 5.5% | 17.0% | | Advanced (tertiary) education | 3.8% | 18.3% | | All levels | 5.0% | 19.5% | Unemployment among tertiary-educated adults is the 54 lowest of 130 countries with data. The Europe and Central Asia median is 3.6%. ### Unemployment over time, adults 25+ Advanced (tertiary) educationAll levels ## Graduate employment by field of study in Portugal Employment rate of adults aged 25–64 with tertiary education, by field of study (OECD, 2024). | Field of study | Employment rate | | --- | --- | | Health and welfare [Biomedical science](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/biomedical-science/), [Dentistry](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/dentistry/), [Medicine](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/medicine/), [Nursing](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/nursing/) | 93.3% | | Agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary [Agriculture](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/agriculture/), [Veterinary science](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/veterinary-science/) | 93.2% | | Engineering, manufacturing and construction [Aerospace engineering](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/aerospace-engineering/), [Architecture](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/architecture/), [Chemical engineering](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/chemical-engineering/), [Civil engineering](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/civil-engineering/) | 92.1% | | Education [Education](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/education/) | 91.9% | | Information and communication technologies [Computer science](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/computer-science/) | 91.4% | | Services [Hospitality and tourism](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/hospitality-and-tourism/), [Sports science](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/sports-science/) | 90.8% | | Social sciences, journalism and information [Criminology](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/criminology/), [Economics](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/economics/), [Geography](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/geography/), [International relations](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/international-relations/) | 90.7% | | Business, administration and law [Accounting and finance](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/accounting-and-finance/), [Business management](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/business-management/), [Law](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/law/), [Marketing](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/marketing/) | 89.7% | | Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics [Biology](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/biology/), [Chemistry](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/chemistry/), [Data science](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/data-science/), [Environmental science](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/environmental-science/) | 86.1% | | Arts and humanities [Design](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/design/), [English literature](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/english-literature/), [History](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/history/), [Modern languages](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/modern-languages/) | 85.6% | | All fields | 90.7% | ## Studying and working in Portugal Rules on student visas, work after graduation and recognition of qualifications change often. Use the official sources below and check the date on any advice you read. Portugal is in the European Union: EU citizens can study and work there without a visa. EURES lists jobs across Europe and the ENIC-NARIC network advises on qualification recognition. [EURES](https://eures.europa.eu/) · [ENIC-NARIC](https://www.enic-naric.net/) [Guide: how to choose a country to study in](https://coursetojob.com/guides/study-abroad/) · [Guide: getting your degree recognised abroad](https://coursetojob.com/guides/degree-recognition-abroad/) ## Country context - **Population:** 10.8M (2025) - **GDP per person (PPP):** $53,146 (2025) - **Tertiary enrolment (gross):** 77.7% (2023) ## Questions about graduate jobs in Portugal **Do graduates earn more than non-graduates in Portugal?** According to the International Labour Organization, employees in Portugal with tertiary education earned a median of €1,500 a month in 2025, compared with €1,050 for all employees — +43%. The degree premium ranks 73 of 128 countries with data. **What is the unemployment rate for graduates in Portugal?** In 2025, the unemployment rate for adults aged 25 and over with tertiary education in Portugal was 3.8%, compared with 5.0% for all adults. Among young people aged 15–24 with tertiary education it was 18.3%. **Which jobs pay the most in Portugal?** The best-paid occupation group in Portugal in 2025 was “Managers”, with median monthly earnings of €1,800 (PPP$ 3,132). Professionals, the group that includes most graduate careers, earned a median of €1,600. ## Compare with other countries in Europe and Central Asia [Compare Portugal side by side](https://coursetojob.com/compare/?c=PT,CZ,SE) - **[Czechia](https://coursetojob.com/countries/czechia/)** — +22% more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) Europe and Central Asia - **[Sweden](https://coursetojob.com/countries/sweden/)** — +12% more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) Europe and Central Asia - **[Greece](https://coursetojob.com/countries/greece/)** — +13% more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) Europe and Central Asia - **[Belgium](https://coursetojob.com/countries/belgium/)** — +12% more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) Europe and Central Asia - **[Hungary](https://coursetojob.com/countries/hungary/)** — +30% more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) Europe and Central Asia - **[Austria](https://coursetojob.com/countries/austria/)** — +18% more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) Europe and Central Asia ## Sources 1. [ILOSTAT — Median monthly earnings of employees by education](https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/) — LFS - Employment Survey, 2025 2. [ILOSTAT — Median monthly earnings of employees by occupation](https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/) — LFS - Employment Survey, 2025 3. [ILOSTAT — Unemployment rate by age and education](https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/) — LFS - EU Labour Force Survey, 2025 4. [OECD — Education at a Glance, labour-market outcomes](https://data-explorer.oecd.org/) — Relative earnings and employment by field of study 5. [World Bank — World Development Indicators](https://data.worldbank.org/country/pt) — Population, GDP per person (PPP) and tertiary enrolment **How to cite this page:** CourseToJob (2026). Portugal: graduate salaries, jobs and unemployment. https://coursetojob.com/countries/portugal/ (accessed September 26, 2026) [Report a data or content issue](mailto:hello@elitedigitalagency.io?subject=Data%20issue%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fcoursetojob.com%2Fcountries%2Fportugal%2F) **Notes from the data source** - Repository: Eurostat special tabulation ## Key facts - **Region:** Europe and Central Asia - **Currency:** EUR - **Degree premium:** +43% (2025) - **Unemployment, tertiary:** 3.8% (2025) - **Degree premium rank:** 73 of 128 **On this page** 1. Do graduates earn more in Portugal? 2. Which occupations pay the most in Portugal? 3. Are graduates less likely to be unemployed in Portugal? 4. Studying and working in Portugal Machine-readable: [JSON](https://coursetojob.com/api/v1/countries/pt.json) · [Markdown](https://coursetojob.com/countries/portugal.md)