Say you work as an office clerk, driver or electrician in Athens or Thessaloniki, and a job ad on Naxos or Corfu offers noticeably more money. Is it worth packing up? A new analysis of Greek job ads suggests the gap is real and large. It also leaves out the costs that decide whether the move pays off.

The study by Chrysi Efkairia (Χρυσή Ευκαιρία), a Greek job-listings publication, looked at 31,631 job ads with published pay covering 206 specialties in 19 sectors, from January 2025 to July 2026. The Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ) also reported the findings. Here is what they mean if you are looking for work or thinking about a move.

Island pay offers: 47% to 91% above the big cities

In the Ionian, Cyclades and Dodecanese islands, the pay offered in job ads runs 47% to 91% higher than in the major urban centres, according to the analysis. That is not just a summer effect. Nearly nine in ten of the better-paid island ads are for non-seasonal, year-round positions.

These are mostly not hotel jobs. Employers on the islands are offering more for office clerks, craftsmen, drivers and salespeople. The study says the aim is to persuade workers to settle there permanently. In practice, local businesses can't find enough people, so they are paying more to bring them in.

What the headline figure doesn’t tell you

The study measures the pay offered in job ads. It does not measure what you have left at the end of the month. Housing is the biggest unknown. On many islands, rentals that serve tourists in summer are scarce or expensive for people living there all year, and groceries, fuel and travel to the mainland can cost more too.

So treat the premium as a starting point, not a final answer. A salary 60% higher can shrink quickly if a large share goes on rent, or if you need to fly back regularly to see family.

Which sectors pay above the market average

Outside the island effect, some sectors stand out across Greece. Shipping shows the biggest gap, with offered pay packages 82% above the market average. Food service, technical trades, IT and arts and media sit 14% above average. Tourism, transport and logistics, and science and research are 9% above, while administration and marketing are 5% above.

Food service is also where most of the jobs are: more than 18,600 food-service ads were published in the 18 months the study covers. If you want plenty of openings to choose from, that is the busiest market. If you want the highest salaries, shipping is the outlier.

Experience and languages: where your pay really moves

Experience raises offers steadily. Compared with entry-level positions, the analysis found:

• 1 to 2 years of experience: offers about 10% higher
• 2 to 3 years: about 20% higher
• 3 to 5 years: about 25% higher
• 5 to 10 years: about 40% above the average entry-level wage

Languages are less straightforward. English is the foreign language employers ask for most, yet it adds no extra pay: they now see it as a basic requirement. German is different. Jobs that require it offer pay 27% above the market average, mainly in customer service and technical support. If you already have some German, it may be worth more to your career than another English certificate.

Don’t count on remote work to bridge the gap

Could you keep a city salary and live on an island instead? For most people, probably not. Outside purely tech roles, remote or hybrid positions make up just over 5% of ads. The study notes that teleworking has fallen since its 2021 peak, as ELSTAT data also shows, although it is still above pre-pandemic levels. For most island jobs, you will need to be there in person.

If you are actively looking, compare island and mainland jobs in the same role side by side before you decide.

How to weigh an island offer before you sign

• Ask about housing directly. Some island employers help with accommodation. Whether they do can matter more than the salary figure itself.
• Confirm it’s year-round. Get the contract type and length in writing, not just the monthly figure.
• Do the monthly maths. Take your expected net pay, subtract local rent and travel to the mainland, and compare what is left with your city offer.
• Use the data in your salary negotiation. If island employers are struggling to fill roles, you have room to ask for more, or for help with moving costs.

The island premium is a real signal: employers in the Ionian, Cyclades and Dodecanese are paying to attract people who will stay. Whether it is right for you depends on the figures the job ad leaves out. Price your housing and living costs before you price your move. Sharing what you earn also helps others make the same calculation.