In Ukraine, the minimum wage will rise to 8688 hryvnias in 2026, as outlined in the Budget Declaration for 2026–2028. The increase will be only 8.6% compared to the current level, which is significantly lower than what is needed to fully compensate for inflation. Payments will remain below the actual subsistence minimum, which exceeded 10.6 thousand UAH in February 2025 and is over 11 thousand UAH as of July 2025.
This is reported by Finway
Dynamics of minimum wage growth for 2026–2028
According to the Budget Declaration, the minimum wage in Ukraine is expected to rise to 9374 UAH in 2027 and to 10,059 UAH in 2028. However, these figures remain significantly lower than the actual subsistence minimum, meaning they cannot provide a decent standard of living for workers. The growth of the minimum wage lags behind the real needs of the population and does not prevent the risk of falling below the poverty line.
The Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine has proposed to set the minimum wage from January 1, 2026, at no less than 50% of the projected average monthly salary at the end of 2025. This would mean raising the minimum wage to approximately 12,195 UAH, bringing payments closer to the real needs of citizens.
Average salaries of Ukrainians and leaders in growth
As of June 2025, according to work.ua, the average salary in Ukraine is 25 thousand UAH, but in small towns, this figure is significantly lower. Over the past year, the highest salary increases have been recorded for specialists in business standards development, investment analysts, and programmers.
In particular, methodologists involved in developing standards and methodologies for business processes earn an average of 35 thousand UAH per month — this is 112% more than in June of last year. High salary growth rates have also been recorded for investment analysts (50 thousand UAH, +82%), Java programmers (62,500 UAH, +79%), internal auditors (50 thousand UAH, +79%), and team leads (66,500 UAH, +66%).
“On average, a methodologist in Ukraine earns 35,000 UAH. This is 112% more compared to June of last year. The median salary is calculated based on data from 28 job postings for the title ‘Methodologist’ on work.ua over the last 3 months,” analysts note.
Other professions where significant salary increases have been recorded:
- Methodologist — 35,000 UAH (+112%)
- Investment Analyst — 50,000 UAH (+82%)
- Java Programmer — 62,500 UAH (+79%)
- Internal Auditor — 50,000 UAH (+79%)
- Team Lead — 66,500 UAH (+66%)
- Zootechnician — 27,500 UAH (+57%)
- Media Buyer — 65,000 UAH (+53%)
- Bank Branch Economist — 32,000 UAH (+52%)
- Head of Transport Department — 37,500 UAH (+50%)
- Orthodontist — 60,000 UAH (+50%)
At the same time, the number of job vacancies has decreased by 5% over the year. The highest average salary is traditionally recorded in Kyiv — 29 thousand UAH.