site.btaAverage Gross Annual Wage in 2023 Stands at BGN 24,485, Going Up by 15.3% Y/Y

In 2023, the average gross annual wage in Bulgaria was BGN 24,485, increasing by 15.3% compared with 2022, the National Statistical Institute reported on Friday. The average gross annual wage increased most notably in education (18.8%), construction (16.7%) and transport, storage and posts (16.1%).

In 2023, gross wages earned under contracts of employment or service were highest in the sectors of information, creative products and telecommunications (BGN 59,598 annually in average); electricity, heat and gaseous fuels (BGN 38,358); and finance and insurance (BGN 35,992). The lowest-paid jobs were in hotels and restaurants (BGN 14,605); “other activities” (BGN 15,366); and agriculture, forestry and fisheries (BGN 17,604).

A breakdown into occupational levels shows that the average gross annual wage in 2023 was highest in the “management” category, at BGN 66,499 (up by 13.6% compared with 2022), followed by “specialists”, at BGN 38,299 (up by 15.8%), and “technical staff and applied specialists”, at BGN 26,937 (up by 14.3%). The lowest rate was reported in the category of “unskilled workers”, at BGN 12,485 (increasing by 14% year on year).

Geographically, the highest average gross annual wage in 2023 was reported in Sofia City (BGN 34,262), followed by the regions of Varna (BGN 22,587) and Stara Zagora (BGN 22,234), and the lowest in the regions of Blagoevgrad (BGN 15,999), Kyustendil (BGN 16,205) and Haskovo (BGN 16,344).