Sant Cugat leads salaries in Catalonia and leaves Barcelona behind

Sant Cugat del Vallès has established itself as the municipality with the highest salaries in Catalonia in 2024, according to Idescat’s latest experimental report. With an average annual gross salary of €54,549, its residents earn around €22,000 more than the Catalan average, leaving Barcelona and Castelldefels in the background.

The ranking of municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants places Castelldefels second, with €38,570, and Barcelona third, with an average of €36,466. The difference from the bottom of the table is enormous: in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, the average salary barely reaches €26,003, while L’Hospitalet de Llobregat and Reus close the list with similar figures.

The report highlights that, although most municipalities experienced pay rises in 2024, the gap between those earning the most and least remains very pronounced. Sant Cugat, as well as leading in income, is the municipality that has grown the most, with an increase of 5.9%. Mollet del Vallès and Granollers have also recorded significant increases. By contrast, Manresa is the exception, with salaries virtually stagnant and a slight fall of 0.1%.

By sector, the best-paid in Catalonia are communications, financial activities and real estate, with an average of €45,469. However, in municipalities such as Castelldefels or Tarragona, industry remains the driver of the highest salaries.

The study also focuses on the gender gap. Although Barcelona stands out for having one of the highest average salaries for women (€33,349), the difference from men remains notable. Across Catalonia, the pay gap between men and women is around €6,000 a year, showing that there is still a long way to go towards pay equality.