Overview
- Italy ranks near the bottom in Europe for graduate starting pay, ahead only of Spain and Poland, while Germany is about €57,500 and Switzerland is near €90,000.
- The 2025 Total Remuneration Survey analyzed 735 companies and roughly 270,000 pay observations, reflecting practices at medium and large firms.
- Entry pay rose about 7% from 2022 to 2025, a pace that failed to keep up with inflation and eroded purchasing power for new graduates.
- Sector gaps are wide, with Life Sciences averaging about €34,000 and non‑financial services near €28,400, while manufacturing and high tech sit just above the national mean.
- Only 16% of firms report structured policies for new graduates and 36% offer formal career paths, as Mercer’s Italy chief warns retention may get tougher under transparency rules and urges raising entry pay above €40,000 with stronger total‑reward plans.