Varna average salary Q2 2026: €1,360 a month, third in Bulgaria

The average gross salary in Varna district was €1,360 a month in the second quarter of 2026, according to the National Statistical Institute (NSI). That is 12.7% more than a year earlier and the third-highest level of Bulgaria’s 28 districts, after Sofia city and Sofia district. The figures are gross and cover the whole district, not only the city.

How much is the average salary in Varna in 2026?

The NSI’s regional office in Varna reports €1,380 in April, €1,364 in May and €1,336 in June, an average of €1,360 for the quarter. Pay rose 4.3% on the first quarter. Over the year, the public sector average grew by 6.5% (to €1,444) and the private sector by 14.9% (to €1,332), according to the same NSI release.

Varna is third, but close to fourth: Sofia city averaged €1,943 and Sofia district €1,363, only €3 more. The national average, reported by BNR, was €1,444 in Q2 2026, so Varna is about €84 below it. The gap is shrinking: in Q4 2025 BNR reported €1,284 for Varna against €1,369 nationally.

Which jobs pay the most and the least?

Highest paid (NSI, Q2 2026)	Gross a month	Lowest paid	Gross a month
ICT and creative products	€2,597	Hotels and restaurants	€941
Professional and scientific	€1,870	Other services	€976
Energy	€1,612	Real estate	€1,090

By NSI data, an ICT job in Varna paid on average about 2.8 times as much as a job in hotels and restaurants.

Why does ICT pay most while its jobs are falling?

According to the NSI, ICT had one of the biggest pay rises of the year, yet its headcount fell 13.2%. Finance and insurance lost 31.4% of its employees and real estate 15.5%. The release does not give reasons. A likely statistical effect: when a sector cuts jobs, the average pay of the people who stay can rise, especially if lower-paid roles go first. Health and social work grew 4.4%.

Overall, the NSI counted 158,400 employees in Varna district at the end of June 2026: +7,600 (+5.0%) on March, mostly because hotels and restaurants hired 78.3% more people for the summer, but 2,500 fewer (−1.5%) than a year earlier. Trade (17.2%) and manufacturing (11.7%) are the largest employers.

What it means for Varna

For job seekers and newcomers, €1,360 is an average, not a typical salary: high ICT pay lifts it, while seasonal tourism jobs pay well below it. Compare it with real costs in our partner site’s cost of living in Varna and see remote work and jobs in Varna. For the legal floor, read about the 2027 minimum wage; for housing, see Varna property prices.

Update: Q3 2026 data

Not yet published (as of 26 October 2026). We will add the Q3 figures when the NSI releases them, usually in mid-November.