Minimum Wages in Bulgaria Up, Pensions - as of April

Starting January 1, 2013, the minimum wage in Bulgaria increases by BGN 20 to BGN 310.

This is envisaged by the country's state budget for 2013, which parliament approved in December last year.

The maximum social security thresholds go up from BGN 2000 to BGN 2200, while pensions will increase on a differentiated basis by an average 9% as of April 2013.

A survey conducted by the Bulgarian Industrial Chamber at the end of last year showed that the average monthly wage in the country went up by BGN 48 in the first nine months of 2012, from BGN 720 in January to BGN 768 in September.

It shows that only high salaries are going up, while the low ones, including the minimum wage, stay at the same level or register slim increases.

By sectors, the increase has been the highest in the mining industry – from BGN 1077 in January to BGN 1 463 in September – a BGN 400 increase.

The highest average monthly wage is registered in the IT sector -  BGN 2 324, which is by BGN 200 higher, compared to the beginning of the year, and nearly BGN 400 more, compared to the third quarter of 2011.

In the production of electric power and heating energy, monthly wages register a small decrease in recent months, but workers there still made BGN 1 523 a month in the third quarter, compared to BGN 1 429 in the third quarter of 2011.

There is a small reduction of wages in the financial and insurance sectors in the last months as well, however employees make BGN 100 more a month, compared to last year.

The administration registers the lowest salaries and they have increased in the January – September 2012 period only by BGN 9 – from BGN 485 to BGN 494.

Salaries in the hotel and restaurant sector register increases only in the summer, while the average monthly wage of teachers is BGN 704.

In healthcare, the average wage is BGN 740, in culture and sports – BGN 684 (a BGN 25 increase since the beginning of 2012); in retail the increase is BGN 40 – from BGN 623 to BGN 650.

312 992 Bulgarians make below BGN 600 a month; 1 635 950 – between BGN 600 and BGN 1 000 while 232 892 make over BGN 1 000. There is only a handful of people making between BGN 12 000 and BGN 15 000.