Polish Academy of Sciences salaries revealed: research assistants earn as little as 3513 zł, with technical workers making 2333 zł, according to comprehensive data.
Controversial Job Posting: Physicist Position at 4806 zł Gross
In late January, salary issues at the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) gained attention due to a job posting published on its website. The position was for a physicist whose main responsibility would be operating the Titan Cubed 80-300 microscope—a device that allows viewing individual atoms and studying nanostructures crucial for future electronics and medicine.
How Are PAN Salaries Funded?
Salaries of PAN scientific employees are financed from two sources: state subsidies and grants. According to PAN press spokesman Robert Papliński, it’s rare for a scientific employee to receive only a subsidy-based salary. In practice, these two financial streams overlap, creating a combined income structure for scientific employees.
Lowest Earners: Research Assistants
The lowest-paid group among PAN scientific employees are research assistants. When funded by subsidies, the largest number of assistant positions fall within specific salary ranges. Similar patterns exist for positions funded by grants, with some higher-range positions also appearing.
Better Pay for Adjunct Professors
Adjunct professors can expect higher salaries. In 2025, an adjunct professor at PAN institutes—whether funded by subsidies or grants—didn’t earn less than 6800 zł gross. The most common salary range for subsidy-funded positions was 6801 zł – 6900 zł (1,017.6 positions). For grant-funded positions, salaries started from the 7701 zł – 7800 zł range.
Professors with the Highest Salaries
The next salary threshold is set by professors. Their lowest salary range is 7701 zł – 7800 zł, which also contains the most positions (577.7). The best-paid group are full professors, with salaries starting from the 9301 zł – 9400 zł range. For full professors funded by projects, 9.2 positions fall within this salary bracket.
Non-Scientific Staff: Even Lower Salaries
The problem of low salaries at PAN also affects administrative support staff. The “up to 4666 zł” range includes positions with the following average monthly salaries: unspecified positions earning an average of unspecified amount.