Why are salaries low in Russia? Comparison of salaries by profession, region and year. What is the difference between nominal wages and real wages? What is reduced wages?

Not every employee knows what it is - nominal wages and how they differ from real wages. However, this indicator, as well as the nominal wage index or the average monthly nominal wage, is extremely important both for the employees themselves and, first of all, for their employers and employees of the HR and accounting departments.

Nominal wage - what is it?

The concept of nominal wages is quite broad and is often used in labor relations. Usually it means the employee’s earnings, which he receives in accordance with the documentation and before deducting mandatory taxes and fees from it, without actual reference to the purchasing power of the currency and other indicators.

In Russian legislation, the concept of nominal wages, as well as real wages, is not considered separately. In this case, the employee’s salary almost always means the average monthly nominal salary.

Due to the lack of direct regulation of the concept of nominal wages, this term is primarily not legal, but theoretical. And, accordingly, it may have different interpretations in different contexts of its consideration. Thus, nominal wages can be divided into the following types:

  • Accrued nominal wages. The average monthly nominal accrued wages include all funds that actually correspond to the employee’s wages before any deductions from it.
  • Nominal wages paid. It means a specific amount of funds received by the employee, however, without taking into account the real purchasing power of these funds.

Often, the nominal wage paid may not be considered nominal, but, on the contrary, refers to real wages, depending on the point of view of the specialist considering the issue.

It should be noted that the lack of direct legal regulation creates various controversial issues in defining the concept of real or nominal wages. However, there is virtually no controversy regarding the net nominal salary - most economists consider it to be the exact sum of all employee benefits before actually subtracting the necessary payments from it and without actually comparing it with the purchasing power of money.

The nominal salary itself is usually expressed in national currency during studies, although international studies may also use references to global currencies, which can lead to significant differences in indicators.

How do nominal wages differ from real wages?

In most situations, the concept of nominal wages is considered together with its antonymous definition - real wages. The difference between these two concepts is fundamental. So, if the nominal salary presupposes the total actual amount of funds accrued to the employee, then the real salary presupposes a specific amount of benefits that the employee can afford, or simply a specific amount of funds received in hand.

It is necessary to understand that nominal wages differ from real wages and in the cases in which this indicator is used. Thus, nominal indicators cannot fully reflect the economic situation in the country without linking them to real earnings. At the same time, real wages cannot indicate the state of the national monetary system and other important macroeconomic indicators.

It is necessary to understand that the concept of real wages also does not have precise legislative definition and regulation, therefore this theoretical concept may also have different interpretations. You can read more about real wages in a separate article.

Where is nominal wage used as an indicator?

It is necessary to understand that nominal wages are an extremely important indicator for accounting, HR specialists and most calculations. Thus, it is on the basis of the average monthly nominal wage that the following is established:

Moreover, the nominal wage itself includes all types of remuneration for labor. Including bonuses, additional payments for production, salary or payments at the tariff rate, percentages of sales or other methods of monetary as well as non-monetary remuneration of employees when wages are paid in kind. In addition, the following indicators relate to nominal wages:

  • Minimum wage . Minimum size wages in Russia are set precisely in relation to the nominal salaries of employees, and not real ones.
  • Personal income tax and insurance fees. Taxes and mandatory fees are deducted from the nominal salary.

Compensatory payments, benefits, funds received within state support and provision, material aid are not included in the calculation of nominal wages.

Since nominal wages actually always turn out to be higher than real wages in monetary terms, employers most often strive to indicate exactly the level of nominal wages in vacancies, since taxes and fees are charged on it. And the amount of the nominal salary itself looks more attractive to employees and applicants due to its larger size.

Nominal wage index

The nominal wage index primarily refers to a separate indicator characterizing the change in nominal wages accrued to employees in a country or an individual institution. The nominal wage index itself is practically not used as an indicator, or it is used to find a similar index for real earnings.

An increase in the nominal wage index does not always mean an improvement in the well-being of the population. And vice versa - a decrease or even a fall in the nominal wage index does not always mean a deterioration in the economic situation.

The nominal wage index uses only absolute indicators of wage growth in national currency and does not take into account the growth index consumer prices. Accordingly, it cannot reflect actual improvement or deterioration in the well-being of the population on its own. For example, if the national currency has strengthened significantly and inflation was minimal or there was deflation in the market, even a decrease in average wages can lead to an increase in the welfare of the population. And on the contrary, in the case of hyperinflation, the nominal wage index can be huge and exceed tens of thousands of percent, while the well-being of the population and its purchasing power will only worsen.

Wages can be taken both nominally and in reality. With the nominal approach, they determine what amount was accrued to this employee. This is a significant indicator, but it is not sufficient on its own to determine the actual standard of living of an employee. It is necessary to make an adjustment to the price indicator and find out the real salary of the employee.

What is nominal wage

Nominal wage is an indicator that determines how much money a certain employee received for his work in a given period. This value is composite and includes:

  • payment directly for the time the employee worked, this is the basic component of the indicator;
  • additional payments accrued for overtime and night work;
  • bonuses and other incentive accruals;
  • sick leave payment;
  • vacation payments.

The value of the first point, that is, basic earnings, defined in employment contract . As a result, all the money that was actually handed over to the employee in a certain month becomes his nominal salary

At the same time, in nominal wages does not include amounts that employees receive from the state as benefits from social extra-budgetary funds

What is real wages

Real wages - the amount of benefits that a person can receive for the money accrued to him by the employer for work. A worker, entering the market as a consumer with the amount he receives, can purchase a certain total volume of goods and services, depending on the current price level.

When determining real wages, first of all, the inflation rate is taken into account, which determines the dynamics of its changes.

The following factors also influence real wages:

  • a significant number of unemployed, since in this case the employer has the opportunity to hire personnel at lower wages;
  • entry into the market of employees belonging to low-paid categories, including numerous young people of certain birth years or migrants from poorer countries;
  • decreased demand for labor due to economic crisis and a general decline in the economic activity of enterprises;
  • taxation, with increasing rates tax collections wages fall;
  • delay in payment of wages, since due to constantly observed inflation there is a continuous depreciation of funds, as a result, with the money received after a certain period it is possible to buy a smaller total amount of goods;
  • indexation of the minimum wage and payments to public sector employees, in cases where employees of state enterprises receive funds in the amount determined by decisions government agencies, the latter often react to depreciation monetary unit with a delay, this means that the real wages of public sector employees will always lag behind the wages of workers in market companies, since indexation will regularly occur with some delay.

Besides, hyperinflation- this is a factor that “eats up” a very significant part of earnings, sometimes the entire earnings. This phenomenon occurs extremely rarely, but it is not excluded; for example, in Russia this last happened in the early 90s.

In particular, it can stimulate economic activity without allowing the demand for labor to fall.

Main differences and calculations

The significant difference lies in the form of expression of these concepts. Nominal wages are expressed in current rubles and can be, for example, 50 thousand rubles. She's getting it the usual calculation of the total value of funds received by a specific employee.

Real wages are an indicator calculated in relation to the nominal wages actually received in a certain period, taking into account its real value. Index calculated for later periods, for which the nominal salary is known.

It is calculated how much goods (goods and services) can in fact be purchased with earnings at this later period, and how this volume relates to the volume of goods that could be purchased during the period that serves as the basis for the calculations. For example, if in a certain year you can purchase goods 10% more than in the previous one, in which the salary was 50 thousand rubles, then we can indicate that in a certain year the real salary was 55 thousand rubles at the prices of the previous one. At the same time, the nominal salary this year may be as follows: 53 thousand rubles, and 57 thousand rubles (and its figure will not determine the change in well-being as accurately as the real salary).

The significant difference between nominal and real indicators is that real wages automatically change due to inflation. This is due to the fact that an employee (as well as a person who has received income from any other source) by definition can purchase with his money only as many goods as the price level allows him. In the same time nominal earnings need to be indexed, this is often done late, resulting in a growing discrepancy between the two salaries.

Calculation of nominal: formula and index

The accrued real salary must be calculated taking into account the form entered for the employee.

  • with time-based payment, it is calculated on the basis of the time worked by the employee, taking into account such parameters as his salary and qualification category;
  • with the piecework form, earnings are calculated based on the number of products produced by the employee;
    • the piece-progressive option means that with a larger number of units, the employee is paid an increased (above the proportion) remuneration for additional units;
    • the piecework form is a special version of piecework payment, in this case the employee receives remuneration for all the work as a whole, and not for a separate unit, its value is established by the organization and is determined in the corresponding document - the piecework order.

The nominal salary paid is calculated by subtracting the total value of taxes and fees from the accrued salary.

The nominal wage index (that is, an indicator of its change over time) is related to other indicators according to the following formula:

The nom wage index is equal to the real wage index multiplied by 100 and divided by the price index for a basket of goods and services.

In =Ir * 100 / Itsk

If in this formula the indices of both nominal and real wages are known, then the price level index can be determined.

Wherein indices are expressed as percentages as follows: when wages increase (both nominal and real) by 6%, the number 106 (not 6!) is substituted into the formula, since this is exactly the wage index (6% is its percentage increase).

Real salary calculation

Real wages are understood precisely as the volume of goods that can be purchased for the money received in comparison with the volume in an earlier period.

Real wages are calculated using the following formula:

Zr = Zn / Itsk

It is worth noting that here we are not talking about the indices of both patches, but about their real indicators, so there is no need to multiply by one hundred. In this case, the price indicator for goods and services is still taken as an index.

Dependency between two concepts

The relationship between these two types of wages can be either direct or inverse.

Direct dependence is a situation in which both nominal wages and real wages grow along with it. A similar situation is observed in the case when the growth of nominal wages has a rate that exceeds the inflation rate.

An inverse relationship occurs when the rate of wage growth is lower than the inflation rate. In this case, nominal wages rise while real wages fall.

It is worth noting that due to the fact that inflation in a modern economy is an indispensable phenomenon, since the price level never falls, deflation is not observed anywhere, when real wages rise, nominal wages also necessarily grow.

In the video Additional Information about inflation and interest rates.

In its nominal assessment it is adequate to real prices for goods and services. Very often, its significant value does not allow a person to live with dignity.

And the point is not that he does not know how to rationally spend the income he receives, but that these incomes do not meet the actual standard of living.

What is salary?

In labor legislation, remuneration is understood as the remuneration that is accrued and paid to an employee for the performance of his official duties.

Besides, include salary and various:

  • compensation in the form of additional payments and allowances. For example, these include the northern coefficient, paid for work in special climatic conditions; payments for work in areas that are radioactively contaminated; for working overtime, etc.
  • incentive payments. For example, other rewards that are paid for the best performance in work, etc.

Salary, including all payments, depends on many factors, in particular:

  • on the qualifications of the employee;
  • on the complexity and volume of work he performs;
  • on the quality of working conditions;
  • from working in a budget or commercial enterprise.

In addition, wages depend on the remuneration system adopted by the enterprise, as well as on the availability and nature of incentive payments approved by local regulations, collective agreements, or otherwise.

In this regard, the maximum wage is not limited in any way, but it has a minimum threshold, which is established by law. This is the so-called minimum wage. The salary cannot be lower than this value (provided that the employee has worked the standard working hours established by labor legislation and has fully fulfilled the work duties assigned to him during this period).

What are real and nominal wages?

In understanding ordinary person salary is what he received in his hands at the cash desk of the enterprise.

However, in fact, wages are a more complex economic quantity:

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What is the difference between a nominal salary and its real value?

This difference is most clearly manifested in crisis conditions - during a period when, due to inflation, there is an increase in nominal wages and a decrease in its real size.

What's happened inflation? This is a devaluation of the national and foreign currency(if the crisis affects more than just one country).

However, this depreciation is the result of a systemic crisis, which affects all areas:

  • a drop in the level of production due to a decrease in demand for products due to their obsolescence, deterioration in quality, overproduction, etc.
  • this fall entails a decrease in labor demand;
  • which in turn leads to a rapid increase in nominal prices of goods and services, which become the only currency instead of banknotes and are usually exchangeable for similar assets and offers;
  • this leads to a budget deficit, which is closed by issuing a large volume of money supply;
  • and this contributes to a sharp drop in real wages and its growth in nominal values.

In such dependence it is bright there is a difference between real and nominal wages. But to see this connection and difference more clearly, you can use the following conditional example: a year ago the nominal salary was 10,000 rubles, and with this amount one could purchase 50 kg of meat at a price of 200 rubles/kg. This year the nominal value is 15,000 rubles, but the price of meat has increased to 350 rubles/kg. Then, in reality, the salary will allow a person to purchase only 43 kg of meat. Due to rising prices, real wages, despite the increase in their nominal value, fell.

What is the relationship between these quantities?

In addition to the connection discussed above between these types of remuneration, there is another relationship arising due to increased demand for labor. Under these conditions, especially if we are talking about highly qualified and experienced specialists or professions that are rare in the labor market, but very in demand, the level of wages increases, both nominal and real. Even in conditions of increased inflation, such a sought-after employee receives a high salary, which allows him to live prosperously. It all depends on the field in which the employing company operates and the products it produces.

What if the inflation rate is acceptable and there is no crisis in the country? Then, even without a growing demand for labor, workers can receive high wages. A similar phenomenon was observed in Russia until 2008.

One of its reasons was the demand for goods fueled by consumer loans and, accordingly, the growth of their production, which provided employees of such enterprises with good wages in nominal terms. And if it is possible to take out a loan, the level of real wages does not matter. But this is gradually leading to a crisis.

How is the real and nominal wage index calculated?

The index is a value that, as a percentage, reflects the change in the analyzed indicator in comparison with the previous period of time, which is taken as the base value.

Nominal value index remuneration (INOT) is considered very simple. For example, if such a salary (ZTEK) increased by 20% compared to last year (ZPG), which is taken as 100%, then this means that its index in the current year will be 120%, or:

INOT = ZTEK: ZPG x 100

And here real wage index(IROT) is calculated more complexly - as the ratio of the nominal wage index (INOT) and the consumer price index (CPI):

IROT = INOT: CPI x 100,
CPI = Current price level: Last year's price level x 100

These formulas allow you to track the dynamics of all indicators and identify the magnitude of their changes. And this, in turn, helps to find out the reason for the fall or increase in real wage estimates.

What the salary consists of is described in the following video lesson:

Wages are the most important element of life support for the majority of citizens. For Russians, it is often the only source of income. But not everyone understands the difference between the quantity and quality of money received. To understand this, you need to understand what nominal and real wages are and how they are interrelated with each other.

Nominal wages: concept and index calculation

Nominal wage reflects the amount of money received for work performed. It is a quantitative indicator. When calculating the value of the nominal salary, the following components are taken into account:

  • payment for time worked, work performed (depending on the form of remuneration);
  • additional payments for night and overtime work;
  • bonuses and incentive payments;
  • compensation;
  • sick leave;

The amount of the basic salary or rate (cost of a working day, hour, percentage of profit) is indicated in the employment contract and employment order. The monthly amount received in hand will be the nominal wage. This indicator is used by statistical authorities to compare salary levels.

To determine the quantitative increase in wages, a special indicator is used - the nominal wage index. The formula is used for calculation:

And WIP = average monthly salary fornyear/average monthly salary forkyear *100%

The total value shows by what % the salary increased or decreased. For clarity, we give an example of calculation.

Average salary

And WIP for the previous year

And WIP by 2014

45 000/35 000*100% = 128,57%

45 000/35 000*100% = 128,57%

40 000/45 000 = 88,89%

40 000/35 000 = 114,29%

Conclusion: In 2016, wages decreased by 11.11% compared to 2015, but increased by 14.29% compared to 2014.

But the calculation of this indicator does not allow us to qualitatively assess the level of salaries in different years. This is why the concept of real wages is used.

Real wages: what is it and why is it needed?

The size of real wages reflects the volume of goods and services that can be purchased with money received in the form of wages. A similar definition is given in Resolution of the State Statistics Committee of the Russian Federation No. 148 of September 12, 1995.

This type of salary is a quality indicator. It demonstrates the purchasing power of the money received from the employer. But the head of the organization does not display the real salary anywhere, so the calculation must be done independently. This will require the following indicators:

  1. And WIP;
  2. CPI – consumer price growth index or inflation rate.

The formula for calculation will be:

AND RFP = AND WIP / CPI x 100%

If in the above example we take the CPI for 2015 at 110%, then compared to the previous year the real wage index will be equal to:

And RZP = 128.57/110 x 100% = 116.88%.

This suggests that real wages increased by only 16.88%, and nominal wages by 28.57%.

To calculate your level of well-being compared to the previous year, you need to take real rather than nominal wages. This is the only way to understand whether a person actually began to receive more.

The relationship between nominal and real wages

In tax and accounting there are no concepts of nominal and real wages. They are used for general economic and statistical purposes. A comparison of indicators may also be of interest to the average person, because nominal and real wages are important criteria for assessing the level and growth/decrease of wages. The main difference between them is that the real value is calculated taking into account inflation, while the nominal value is not. The values ​​of these indicators are closely related. The following dependency can be established between them:

  1. Straight. It is typical for a situation where the size of the nominal salary grows faster than the consumer price growth index. For example, wages increased by 15% over the year, and the inflation rate for this period was 5%. Then real wages will increase by 9.52% (115/105*100% = 109.52%). This will allow a citizen to purchase 9.52% more goods and services this year than in the previous year.
  2. Reverse. Reflects a situation where nominal wages grow slower than inflation. For example, wages increased by 20% over the year, and inflation increased by 25%. In this case, real wages will decrease by 4% (120/125*100% = 96%). Even despite the increase in the quantitative indicator of wages, a person will be able to buy fewer goods and services than in the previous year, which signals a decrease in the standard of living.

Salary in statistical reporting

Nominal and real wages are also used to obtain statistical indicators. Formulas for their calculations are used not only at the state, but also at the international level. The results obtained are provided by states that are members of the Eurasian Economic Union to compare the standard of living of the population different countries.


Russia is distinguished not only by its large territory, but also by its very high wages.

What is the average salary in Russia?

If we compare the level of average monthly income in 2019 with salaries in Russia in 2020, we can note that the average salary in Russia has increased by 12% over the past year. But it is worth considering that the increase in wages in Russia in 2020 occurred exclusively in the national currency.

In foreign currency terms, salaries in Russia increased in 2020 due to a slight depreciation of foreign currency.

average salary in Russia in dollar terms in 2020 is significantly lower than in more developed countries, such as the Baltic states and.

According to statistics, the highest salaries in Russia are observed in two cities of this country: Moscow and the cultural capital of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg.

There has always been a large gap between average wages in Russia among regions. But in last years(2017-2020), the trend of widening the gap between indicators has only intensified. This is primarily due to the onset of the economic crisis, as a result of which the foreign exchange rate sharply increased.


Due to the increase, the income of the population living in provincial regions decreased. Against this background, the unemployment rate has increased significantly. Therefore, many people from provincial regions moved to large cities for the purpose of employment.

The average salary in Russia in 2019-2020 is equal to 36 thousand rubles.

Table: statistics comparing average salaries in Russia by region

Region, district, republic Average level salaries (expressed in rubles)
Belgorod 27 280
Bryansk 20 790
Vladimir 22 770
Voronezh 26 070
Ivanovo 21 120
Kaluga 27 060
Kostroma 22 550
Kursk 22 770
Lipetsk 24 640
Moscow region 42 460
Eagle 16 830
Ryazan 21 340
Smolensk 20 020
Tambov 21 450
Tver 20 130
Tula 25 520
Yaroslavl 26 620
Moscow 66 880
Karelia 32 450
Komi 39 380
Arkhangelsk 36 850
Vologda 28 820
Kaliningrad 28 820
Leningrad region 28 050
Murmansk 43 670
Novgorod 27 390
Pskov 24 310
Saint Petersburg 45 430
Adygea 20 680
Kalmykia 20 130
Krasnodar 25 850
Astrakhan 27 390
Volgograd 23 650
Rostov 23 320
Dagestan 25 160
Ingushetia 20 790
Kabardino-Balkarian 18 920
Karachay-Cherkessia 18 040
North Ossetia 18 590
Chechen 21 010
Stavropol 22 000
Bashkortostan 28 160
Mari El 21 230
Mordovia 20 900
Tatarstan 27 060
Udmurt 23 430
Chuvash 22 990
Permian 27 280
Kirov 22 880
Nizhny Novgorod 26 840
Orenburg 26 070
Penza 22 990
Samara 27 060
Saratov 23 430
Ulyanovsk 22 880
Mound 22 770
Sverdlovsk 32 780
Tyumen 50 160
Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug 61 930
70 620
Chelyabinsk 26 620
Altai 24 860
Buryatia 27 720
Tyva 30 580
Khakassia 32 010
Transbaikalia 25 300
Krasnoyarsk region 29 260
Irkutsk 32 450
Kemerovo 17 490
Novosibirsk 17 600
Omsk 28 820
Tomsk 32 230
Sakha 53 460
Kamchatka 50 600
Primorsk 33 990
Khabarovsk 35 200
Amur 34 540
Magadan 55 880
Sakhalin 51 260
Chukotka 56 100

The highest salaries in Russia are in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In dollar terms, the average salary in these cities ranges from $700 to $1,000, while the average salary in all regions is only $570.

This salary level significantly exceeded the average monthly income of residents of Ukraine ($440), Tajikistan ($140), Azerbaijan ($300) and Kyrgyzstan ($220).

Analysis of minimum income by region

The minimum wage is the minimum salary that an organization can pay to its employee. In each region, the minimum wage rate is different.

In 2020, the minimum wage in Russia was raised to 12,130 rubles.

The increase took effect on January 1, 2020. Until this moment, the smallest salary was 11,280 rubles.

But the size of the minimum wage also directly depends on the region and place of employment. The salaries of public sector employees in all regions of Russia are significantly lower than the salaries of people working in non-budgetary organizations.

Table: list of minimum wages in various regions of the Russian Federation

Region/District Established minimum wage for public sector enterprises (expressed in rubles)
Belgorod 11 280
Bryansk 11 280
Vladimir 11 280
Voronezh 11 280
Ivanovo 11 280
Kaluga 11 280
Kostroma 12 837
Kursk 11 280
Lipetsk 11 280
Moscow region 14 200
Eagle 11 280
Ryazan 11 280
Smolensk 11 280
Tambov 11 280
Tver 11 280
Tula 11 280
Yaroslavl 11 280
Moscow 18 742
Karelia 11 280
Komi 11 280
Arkhangelsk 11 280
Vologda 11 280
Kaliningrad 11 280
Leningrad 11 280
Murmansk 25 675
Novgorod 11 280
Pskov 11 280
Saint Petersburg 17 000
Adygea 11 280
Kalmykia 11 280
Krasnodar 11 280
Astrakhan 11 280
Volgograd 11 280
Rostov 11 280
Dagestan 11 280
Ingushetia 11 280
Balkarskaya 11 280
Circassian 11 280
North Ossetia 11 280
Chechen 11 280
Stavropol 11 280
Bashkortostan 11 280
Mari El 11 280
Mordovia 11 280
Tatarstan 11 280
Udmurt republic 12 837
Chuvash 11 280
Permian 11 280
Kirov 11 280
Nizhny Novgorod 11 280
Orenburg 12 838
Penza 11 280
Samara 11 280
Saratov 11 280
Ulyanovsk 11 280
Mound 11 280
Ekaterinburg 11 280
Tyumen 11 280
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug 12 430
Chelyabinsk 12 838
Altai 11 280
Buryatia 11 280
Tyva 11 280
Khakassia 14 511
Altai region 11 280
Transbaikalia 11 280
Krasnoyarsk district 11 280
Irkutsk 11 280
Kemerovo 18 313
Novosibirsk 11 280
Omsk 12 838
Tomsk 13 500
The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) 15 390
Kamchatka Krai 29 024
Primorsky Krai 11 280
Khabarovsk region 11 414
Amur 11 280
Magadan 19 500
Sakhalin 23 442
Jewish Autonomous Republic 12 000
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug 11 280

Interesting video. Minimum wage in different countries.

Analysis of minimum wages by year

The table below shows the dynamics of wage growth (minimum wage) in Russia by year.

date Amount of the minimum salary (expressed in rubles)
1.07.2003 200
1.01.2004 300
1.07.2005 450
1.06.2006 600
1.10.2007 720
1.01.2008 800
1.09.2009 1 100
1.01.2010 2 300
1.09.2011 4 330
1.01.2012 4 611
1.07.2013 5 205
1.01.2014 5 554
1.01.2015 5 965
1.07.2016 7 500
1.07.2017 7 800
1.01.2018 9 489
1.01.2019 11 280
1.01.2020 12 130

Minimum wage as of 01/01/2017 according to statistical departments of different countries

According to the draft law, wages are expected to increase in 2020.

According to Article No. 129 of the Labor Code Russian Federation a person cannot receive a salary less than the established minimum wage level. But if a Russian citizen did not work all working days or did not fulfill his duties, the manager has the right to independently regulate the amount of his salary.

Salaries of public sector employees

Since January 1, 2020, salaries for public sector employees have increased by an average of 5%.

The salaries of teachers, medical personnel, military personnel and representatives of the judicial system were mainly increased. In 2017, the average salary of a public sector employee was 31,200 rubles. After the increase, this amount increased to 33,000 rubles.

In 2020, salaries of public sector employees are expected to increase at least twice. According to the presidential decree, such an increase in salaries for public sector employees should occur through the introduction of new reforms, for which funds in the amount of 4.6 trillion rubles have been allocated.


But despite this, there is a tendency in Russia to delay wages. The delay in salaries affected primarily law enforcement officers and employees of the educational sector (teachers, pedagogues, university professors).

Employees of the Accounts Chamber receive approximately 171 thousand rubles per month. Members of the Federation Council receive 151 thousand rubles monthly. Deputies State Duma earn 123 thousand rubles. Compared to last year, their salaries increased by 29%. In 2019, Kremlin employees were awarded a 5% salary increase, so in 2020 their salary is 206 thousand rubles.

Winner all-Russian competition"Teacher of the Year"

The salaries of preschool teachers increased by 5%. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, the salary of a teacher ranges from 30 thousand to 35 thousand rubles per month. In Yekaterinburg, an employee's salary kindergarten ranges from 16 thousand to 17 thousand rubles. In Perm, for a similar position they pay from 11 thousand to 13 thousand rubles. In the Altai Territory, the salary of employees of preschool institutions ranges from 13 thousand to 15 thousand rubles per month. Teachers working in the Altai Republic receive monthly from 17 thousand to 19 thousand rubles.

In Crimea this year there is almost no debt on salaries for public sector employees. The level of average monthly wages is actively growing in this region. So in 2015, the average salary was 15 thousand rubles, in 2020 this figure increased to 29 thousand. Social workers receive the lowest salaries in the public sector. Their salary does not exceed 20 thousand per month.

The salary of doctors in this region is 21 thousand rubles, and university teachers and teachers receive approximately 28 thousand - 29 thousand rubles. Teachers of preschool institutions in Crimea earn from 10 thousand to 12 thousand rubles per month. Employees of preschool educational institutions in Sevastopol receive an average of 19 thousand rubles.


The salary of a pilot at the state company Aeroflot directly depends on the number of flight hours:

  1. If the number of hours is 85 per month, then the pilot will receive at least 290 thousand rubles per month.
  2. If the number of hours is more than 90 per month, then the pilot’s salary will be about 340 thousand rubles per month.

The salary of a janitor working in a utility company directly depends on the region. So a janitor in Moscow receives from 22 thousand to 23 thousand rubles. In Chelyabinsk, a similar position pays 15 thousand rubles. In the cultural capital of the Russian Federation, the salary of a janitor is about 20 thousand rubles. In Tula and Yekaterinburg, janitors earn from 15 thousand to 16 thousand rubles.

Analysis of public sector wage arrears

Wage arrears in 2019 in the Russian Federation amounted to 3.8 billion rubles. Over the past month it has decreased by 5%. Due to the current situation, the Russian government intends to freeze the payment of wages to index pension payments in 2020.
The state owes the largest amount of money to employees who work in areas such as:

  1. Manufacturing industry.
  2. Construction.
  3. Transport sector.
  4. Mining.
  5. Agriculture.
  6. Scientific research and development.
  7. Production of gas, water and electricity.
  8. Educational sphere.

The highest paid specialties


According to a social survey and statistical data on wage levels, Russia’s ranking of the highest paid professions includes the following specialties:


How much do specialists earn?

TOP 10 lowest paid professions in Russia:

  • Salesman. On average, a goods seller earns about 17 thousand rubles per month.
  • Secretary. The salary of an office manager is 20 thousand rubles per month.
  • Teacher. The average salary of a university teacher is 15 thousand rubles. But it is worth considering that famous professors and deans with a scientific degree receive an order of magnitude more. But even this amount cannot compare with the salary of a teacher in the USA, which is 87 thousand per year.
  • Locksmith. This specialty belongs to the middle class professions in Russia. A highly qualified specialist can receive up to 60 thousand rubles per month. And mechanics working in public utilities receive no more than 23 thousand rubles per month.
  • Nanny or governess. In 2014, representatives of this profession received about 70 thousand rubles monthly. But due to the crisis and difficult economic situation in the country, their salaries have decreased significantly. Today, the average salary of a nanny in Moscow is 30 thousand - 35 thousand rubles.
  • Sales Representative. The average monthly salary of a representative of this profession is 40 thousand rubles.
  • Hairdresser. It is worth noting that a hairdresser’s salary directly depends on the number of clients. Therefore, on average, hairdressers earn from 13 thousand rubles per month.
  • Doctor. The average salary of a doctor in Russia is 28 thousand rubles. Junior medical personnel receive from 13 thousand rubles. A nurse's salary starts from 15 thousand rubles in more developed regions.
  • Teacher. The average salary in the specialty is 30 thousand rubles.
  • Teacher in preschool children's institutions. The minimum salary for a teacher is 10 thousand rubles per month.
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