Majority of Bulgarians Work in Low-Paying Sectors, Below National Average Salary

Nearly three-quarters of Bulgaria’s workforce are employed in sectors where salaries remain below the national average, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Social Affairs. At the close of the first quarter, the average salary in the country reached 2,443 leva, yet about 73% of workers are in industries that fall short of this threshold.

One notable disparity is between the public and private sectors. Employees in the public sector earn on average 100 leva less than their counterparts in private enterprises, further contributing to wage inequality across the board.

Sectors such as “Hotels and Restaurants” show significant annual growth - nearly 11% - but still report an average wage of just 1,503 leva. This sector employs around 4.4% of the country's workforce. Similarly, those in “Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries” earn an average of 1,584 leva. The “Water Supply, Sewerage and Waste Management” sector offers slightly higher pay at 1,852 leva, up 14% over the year.

In construction, wages average 2,000 leva, reflecting a yearly increase of more than 17%. Roughly 6% of all employed Bulgarians work in this field. A similar share is employed in “Transport”, where average pay approaches 2,100 leva.

“Trade” remains the largest employer, engaging close to 17% of all workers. Still, the average pay in this area - 2,118 leva - remains below the national figure. Education fares a bit better, with average salaries reaching 2,389 leva by the end of March, up nearly 8% on an annual basis. Around 7.5% of the workforce is employed in the education sector.

Those in “Human Health and Social Activities” make slightly more than the national average, with monthly earnings of 2,460 lev - just over 17 leva higher than the overall mean.

Geographically, the wage gap is also apparent. In six regions, average salaries represent just 60 to 70 percent of the national level. Haskovo reports the lowest, with an average of 1,635 leva - about half of the 3,386 leva average salary in Sofia, the country’s highest.