The Municipality of Devnya leads in Northeastern Bulgaria in terms of gross monthly salary for 2020, with an average of BGN 1,745. This data comes from the Institute for Market Economics, which published a ranking of average salaries in all 265 municipalities across the country.
In this respect, Razgrad surpasses Varna, with an average salary of BGN 1,289 in the town of Razgrad compared to BGN 1,275 in the coastal city of Varna.
Only 7 municipalities in Northeastern Bulgaria, four of which are from Varna, have ranked in the highest income category with salaries above BGN 1,200: Devnya with BGN 1,745, Beloslav – BGN 1,492, Razgrad – BGN 1,289, Varna – BGN 1,275, Aksakovo – BGN 1,242, Popovo – BGN 1,206, and Vetovo – BGN 1,204.
The municipalities of Aksakovo and Beloslav have seen the highest salary growth. In Aksakovo, average salaries jumped by 14.7% compared to 2019—from BGN 1,082 to BGN 1,242. Beloslav also reports a 14% increase in income—from BGN 1,307 to BGN 1,492. In Varna, gross salaries increased by 6.7% over the observed one-year period.
The municipality of Kaspichan has the highest salary in the Shumen region.
Kaspichan surpasses the regional center Shumen, offering the highest salary in the area. In 2020, the gross salary in Kaspichan was BGN 1,194, while the central municipality of Shumen, despite its large industrial park, remains in second position with BGN 1,170.
In third place is the municipality of Novi Pazar with an average gross salary of BGN 999. This is followed by several municipalities with similar salary levels: Nikola Kozlevo with BGN 931, Veliki Preslav with BGN 926, and Venets with BGN 921. In seventh place in the region is Hitrino with BGN 913, while just below the BGN 900 mark is the municipality of Smyadovo with BGN 893.
The two municipalities from Shumen, Vŭrbitsa and Kaolinovo, are at the bottom of the ranking, with their average salaries closer to the BGN 800 mark—similar to the average salary in the country back in 2016. Currently, the average gross salary in Vŭrbitsa is BGN 833, and in Kaolinovo, it is BGN 818.
Chelopech has the highest salary in the country.
The highest average gross salary in the country for 2020 is in Chelopech, home to the gold mine operated by “Dundee,” with BGN 2,628. This is followed by the municipality of Kozloduy with BGN 2,336. The Sofia Municipality ranks fifth in the classification with BGN 1,913.
In Targovishte, the average salary for 2020 is BGN 1,125, reflecting a 12% increase compared to 2019.
Almost all municipalities in the country recorded an increase in average salaries for 2020, despite it being the first year of the pandemic, according to the authors of the study. While in 2016 most municipalities had a gross salary of up to BGN 800, by 2020, incomes had generally risen to about BGN 1,000.
The leading centers of Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna have seen impressive growth of around 40-45% over the past five years, a development partially attributed to the growth of the digital sector in these cities, analysts note. The successful model of the top three relies on services and the rapidly expanding digital sector at the core, along with a strong industry in the outskirts of the municipalities, which is oriented toward higher added value and generates good income.
The highest salaries in the country are found in smaller municipalities with large employers, primarily in the extractive and energy sectors. Industrial municipalities in the peripheries of the major centers are also well represented, such as Elin Pelin and Kostinbrod near Sofia, Devnya and Beloslav in Varna, and Kuklen and Maritsa in Plovdiv.
