Salary Growth: How Many Years of Work Lead to Pay Raises and by How Much (Tables)

Salary Increases: Factors and Considerations

The salary of a worker can increase due to various factors.
Sometimes, an employer voluntarily decides to raise an employee’s pay to reward them for their work.
In other instances, it is the law that dictates the conditions under which pay increases must occur, making it obligatory for the employer.

One significant factor in this context is seniority—specifically, how many years the worker has been employed with the same company.
After a specific number of working years, wages are mandated to rise due to what is known as the seniority increase, which results in a boost to the fixed portion of the salary.

However, there is no universal answer to the question of after how many years a salary goes up, nor how much that increase is.
The collective labor agreement (Ccnl) outlines the details regarding periodic seniority increases, including the new amounts to appear on the pay slip.

How Often Do Salaries Increase?

The Ccnl specifies how long each seniority increment takes to mature and establishes limits on the number of increases allowed.
Typically, collective agreements set these increments every 2 to 3 years, with a minimum of 4 up to a maximum of 12 potential increases during an employee’s career.

Below is an outline of salary increases in essential Ccnl categories currently applied in Italy:

Ccnl	Years Until Salary Increase	Allowed Increments
Commerce and Tertiary	3 years	10 increments
Metalworkers	2 years	5 increments
Transport and Logistics	2 years	5 increments
Tourism and Catering	4 years	6 increments

What Counts Towards Seniority Increments?

It is crucial to note that only the seniority accrued within that specific company counts toward the right to increments; experience in the same sector does not factor into this calculation.

Specifically, service time starts from the worker’s hiring date, and all years worked under the contract count, barring certain non-working periods.
The Ccnl specifies these non-counted periods, typically including unauthorized absences or unpaid leave.
However, periods of holiday, illness, maternity, and layoff are valid for calculating service seniority.

Be mindful in cases of promotions where an employee moves to a higher job level and therefore receives a pay increase—this affects how seniority increments are computed, as they are absorbed by the promotion raise.

Where to Verify Salary Increase?

The seniority increment is reflected on the first pay slip following the period it was earned.
To check if it has been correctly applied, look at the upper section of the pay slip, where fixed and ongoing remuneration items are detailed.

Magnitude of Salary Increases

Lastly, many workers wonder how much their salary will increase upon reaching a particular seniority level.
The raise is not uniform across all categories; it varies according to the related Ccnl, which specifies gross amounts typically influenced by job level.

Here’s a summary table of the minimum and maximum increments for various Ccnl categories:

Ccnl	Minimum Increase	Maximum Increase
Commerce and Tertiary	19.47€	25.46€
Metalworkers	18.49€	40.96€