Both the level of education and training attained and age have a bearing on salary level. Thus, younger workers and those with a lower educational level tend to concentrate at the lower salaries, whereas older workers and those who have attained a higher education level have a higher relative weight among the higher salaries.

The representative salary refers to the median salary, i.e., the value of the salary that divides the number of workers into two equal groups: the group of workers with a salary above that value and the group of workers earning a lower salary. Given the existence of significant differences between countries in the participation of women in the labour market, especially in the case of countries in Southern Europe, it has been decided to compare only the salary of men. This avoids any bias derived from comparing women’s salaries between countries.