Exciting side jobs

255 additional salaries for only 183 MPs

Although the MPs are already earning a tidy sum, there are still many who earn a tidy sum on top.

(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK)

Transparency: Despite earning more than 10,000 euros per month, our MPs often have multiple jobs on the side, some of which are well paid. There are 255 part-time jobs for 183 members of parliament.

Next week will see the last plenary sessions for MPs before the summer break. Around 60 bills are on the agenda. And just in time for the vacation season, there are the latest figures on the transparency of part-time jobs. According to these figures, the 183 members of the National Council have 255 paid part-time jobs. Remarkable considering the amount of work that the ladies and gentlemen supposedly do as politicians anyway.

This is where most of the top earners are based
An astonishing number of MPs are active in local politics on the side, as transparency data from parliament analyzed by the APA shows. Self-employed people and entrepreneurs are also well represented. This is followed by activities with social partners, political parties and in the public sector. According to the analysis, most of the top earners are in the ranks of the ÖVP and FPÖ.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV)

The deadline for the last transparency reports before the National Council elections expired on Sunday. 72 MPs find time for two or more paid functions on the side. Axel Kassegger from the FPÖ and Andreas Minnich from the ÖVP have the most, with eight each. Both are entrepreneurs and run their own companies. Kassegger is also President of the FPÖ Education Institute, Minnich is a city councillor in Korneuburg and also a Chamber of Commerce official.

Varied field of side jobs
52 state either a political mandate or employment at municipal level. Various self-employed activities were reported by 30 elected representatives, 25 work in their own companies, almost half of them unsurprisingly from the ÖVP. This is followed by 22 paid functionaries or employees of chambers and trade unions (mainly ÖVP and SPÖ) and 15 elected representatives with a farm. Fourteen members of parliament work directly for political parties or party companies, while 13 each work in the federal or provincial government and for other private companies.

Top earners mainly from the ÖVP and FPÖ
MPs currently receive EUR 10,351.39 per month. Once a year, they must also declare how much money they earn in addition to their mandate. Once again, the top earners are freelancers and party managers. These include lawyer and ÖVP Secretary General Christian Stocker and notaries Harald Stefan and Volker Reifenberger (both FPÖ)

Dell manager Karin Doppelbauer (NEOS), ÖVP MP Kurt Egger (Secretary General of the Wirtschaftsbund) and Alexander Melchior also fall into the highest income category 5 above 12,000 euros gross per month. The only SPÖ MP in this category is Josef Muchitsch from the Bau-Holz trade union - a newcomer among the top earners.

Lowest incomes among the Greens
However, the majority of salaries in parliament are in the middle income category 3 (4001 and 8000 euros gross per month). There are 45 MPs in this category. A further 33 reported the lower category 2 (i.e. 1151 to 4000 euros), 27 MPs earned up to 1150 euros (category 1) and 50 MPs did not report any additional income at all for the previous year.

This also includes the President of the National Council, Wolfgang Sobotka, as well as the heads of the parliamentary clubs, who receive higher salaries and are therefore subject to an occupational ban. Incidentally, members of the government are also not allowed to have second jobs. The second-highest category 4 includes 15 members of parliament.

The Greens have the lowest additional income. Out of 26 MPs, 16 have reported additional income in the lowest two categories for 2023. This means they earn a maximum of €4,000 gross per month. A further eleven MPs have not reported any additional income at all. Only the SPÖ has more full-time MPs (namely 16).