Real average salary in Ukraine: statistics for 2024.

The earnings of Ukrainians today reflect not only the real situation in the labor market but also the overall dangerous situation in the country. 

Determining the average salary in Ukraine is also not so easy under such conditions. After all, how much the average salary is determined by a whole range of factors. Therefore, real figures can vary even by regions. At the same Time, the average salary in Ukraine is still regulated by legislation, as much as possible. 

Average salary in Ukraine for 2024?

Let’s start with the paradox of the Ukrainian economy, which continues to function even under such difficult conditions. After all, the war, in addition to the real threat to the lives of citizens, has brought a severe economic crisis and a shortage of personnel. Some Ukrainians were forced to leave the country, while others were mobilized. As a result, the situation in the labor market has become critical.

The paradox of this war is that the labor market in Ukraine in 2024 continues to show positive growth dynamics against the backdrop of economic changes and staff shortages. That is, on the one hand, many enterprises have closed, but due to the mobilization and the departure of many citizens, new jobs have emerged. All these factors affect the average salary in the country in 2024. 

To understand what is happening, one can rely on the State Statistics Service and independent sources. Only by collecting this statistics can one understand how things really are. Today, the real average salary of a Ukrainian is 18,903 UAH. These figures reflect the situation at the beginning of the year. As for the second half of this year, the growth of the average salary is almost 23%. At the same time, the average figure remains an average, meaning some citizens earn much more, while others earn much less. Therefore, it is worth discussing the minimum representativeness of such figures. 

What influences the average salary in Ukraine in 2024? 

Speaking of the slight increase in the average salary, several factors have come together for this. However, there are also plenty of negative factors, and they have not gone anywhere. 

If we analyze the growth of salaries (average figure), then the following factors influenced this: 

1. Labor force shortage. After the mass migration of workers to safer countries, companies are forced to offer higher salaries to retain and attract employees. The lack of skilled personnel in strategically important sectors creates conditions for increased wages.

2. Minimum wage. In January 2024, the minimum wage was increased, which affected the overall growth of average salaries across the country. 

3. Inflation and income indexing. The growth of real incomes of the population, taking into account inflation, was 17.6%.

But even the combination of these factors cannot offset the damage that war brings. 

Where are the salaries higher in Ukraine? 

The first thing that definitely affects the salary size is the field of activity. It is indeed a very significant factor. It also affects the salary jump by region. If we talk about Ukraine in 2024, then the highest-paying professions look as follows: 

1. IT sector. This sector remains the leader in terms of income levels, where the salaries of developers reach 49,473 UAH. 

2. Financial sector. The average salary in this sector is 39,900 UAH.

3. Aviation transport. Salaries of pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, and dispatchers have risen to 43,400 UAH in 2024.

In these areas, there may be high salaries, but there are also quite high requirements for worker qualifications. Also, there are not many jobs with such salaries, so the chances of being employed are quite low. 

Where are the low salaries in Ukraine? 

For comparison, it is essential to identify the fields where Ukrainians earn less. Moreover, their salary growth in 2024 has almost not been affected. What professions are we talking about: 

1. All professions related to creativity, art, and the entertainment sector in general. The average salary for such workers is around 12,800 UAH, which is quite low for large cities.

2. Education sector. The average salary of teachers and lecturers is 15,076 UAH.

3. Healthcare sector. The salaries of nurses and orderlies range from 12,600 to 17,000 UAH, which is also low. 

Continuing the theme of paradoxes in the Ukrainian labor market, the list of professions that yield quite low earnings includes prestigious and complex specialties in terms of training. 

How does the average salary change by regions of Ukraine? 

The size of Ukraine allows us to talk about how regionality affects the level of salary. It should also be noted that each region has its specifics regarding employment. For example, in Odesa, many profitable professions are associated with ports and tourism. 

Following these regional factors, the highest average salary is in Kyiv, which is quite logical. The capital traditionally leads in income levels, especially due to the high concentration of IT companies, multinational corporations, and government institutions. Also, in the capital, rental prices are higher, which must be considered. 

There are also quite high average earnings in Lviv and Odesa. This also applies to the regions. Lviv, in turn, leads across the entire western part of Ukraine due to the average earnings of citizens. The Odesa region has a fairly large variety of professions. This ensures a significant diversity in salaries. Despite the war, average wages in Kharkiv and Dnipro remain decent. 

A few words should also be said about regions where salaries are low. We are talking about Sumy. The primary sector in this region is agriculture, which has been significantly affected by the war. Low average salaries are also observed in Kryvyi Rih. The main part of the income comes from the mining industry, where salaries remain relatively low. Additionally, the region sees significant outflow of the labor force, which cannot help but affect the labor market. Cities where citizens have low incomes also include Zaporizhia. Despite large industrial enterprises, salaries here remain below the average level​.