Average net salary in August 48,733 denars, up 7.6 percent on the year, but 21,625 denars below the union basket
Real growth is 4.8 percent, and the salary is about 69 percent of the union's minimum consumer basket for October.
The State Statistical Office reported that the average monthly net salary paid per employee in August 2026 was 48,733 denars. That is about 0.5 percent, or 234 denars, more than in July, and 7.6 percent more than in August last year. The gross salary, according to a Radio MOF headline, was 73,336 denars.
Real growth, once inflation is taken into account, is 4.8 percent on the year, according to Bloomberg Adria. That means wages are rising faster than prices, which is good news for living standards, although inflation in recent months has been under pressure from fuel and energy.
Where are wages rising fastest? The highest annual growth in net pay is in water supply, sewerage and waste management (11.9 percent), followed by administrative and support services (10.7 percent) and manufacturing (9.0 percent). On a monthly basis the biggest jump is in electricity, gas and steam supply (5.4 percent), arts, entertainment and recreation (5.0 percent) and administrative activities (4.2 percent). According to Bloomberg Adria, ten sectors pay above the average, but the source does not name them.
How does 48,733 denars compare with needs? According to the Confederation of Trade Unions of Macedonia, the minimum consumer basket for October is 70,358 denars. The average net salary is 21,625 denars lower, covering about 69 percent of the basket. Food and drinks alone in the basket cost 26,170 denars, which is close to the minimum wage of 26,046 denars, according to Trn.
It is important to know what an average is. The average salary adds up the pay of all employees, so high pay in some sectors lifts it above the pay of a typical worker. The union basket is, for its part, a minimum consumption for a household, not an individual's salary, so the comparison is illustrative, not direct.
What is not known? From the available reports it is not clear what the median salary is, that is, what a typical employee earns, or what share of employees is below the average. It is also not known how much lower pay is in the lowest-paid sectors, since the sources do not give those amounts.
What does it mean? Wages are rising faster than inflation, but the gap between the average salary and the union basket remains large. For families that means the real improvement is visible, but not enough to relieve the pressure from prices.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 24, 2026
