In the framework of the European Labour Cost statistics, the Structure of earnings survey (SES) is a quadrennial survey which aims to provide accurate and harmonized data on earnings in EU Member States for policy-making and research purposes.

The data collection is based on the following legislation: Regulation 530/1999 of 9 March 1999 concerning structural statistics on earnings and on labour costs; Regulation 1738/2005 of 21 October 2005 amending Regulation 1916/2000 as regards the definition and transmission of information on the structure of earnings; Regulation 698/2006 of 5 May 2006 implementing Regulation 530/1999 as regards quality evaluation of structural statistics on labor costs and earnings.

The objective of this legislation is to monitor the structure and distribution of earnings. The survey provides information on relationships between the level of remuneration, individual characteristics of employees (sex, age, occupation, length of service, highest educational level attained, etc.) and their enterprises (economic activity, size and location of the enterprise).

The statistics of the SES refer to enterprises with at least 10 employees in the areas of economic activity defined by sections C-K of NACE Rev.1.1.