Tirana continues to have the greatest advantage in salary levels, especially in the technology, finance, and professional services sectors.
In other regions, public administration, education, and health workers are generally paid better than those employed in the private sector.
Regional data published by INSTAT show significant wage differences not only between regions, but also between economic activities.
In Tirana, the highest salary is recorded in the group that includes information and communication, financial and insurance activities, real estate, professional activities and administrative services. The average salary in this group exceeds 120 thousand lek per month, significantly above any other sector and above the levels recorded in the rest of the country.
Public administration, education and healthcare rank second in the capital, with an average salary of around 100 thousand lek. In other regions, this group of activities leads almost without exception, with salaries mainly fluctuating between 80 and 87 thousand lek per month.
The difference between Tirana and other regions is particularly strong in sectors with added value and higher demand for qualifications.
While in the capital, salaries in technology, finance, and professional services exceed 120,000 lek, in most other regions they remain around 45,000–60,000 lek. This shows that these activities, along with the highest-paying jobs, remain concentrated in Tirana.
Outside the capital, some regions show better results in certain activities. In Gjirokastër, salaries in trade, transport, accommodation and food service are close to the level of public administration. In Fier, the extractive and processing industries, electricity and water stand out, where the average salary reaches around 75 thousand lekë. Even in Dibër, this group of activities performs relatively better than other private sectors.
In Durrës, wages in information, finance and professional services are higher than in most regions, but remain well below Tirana. The region also exhibits a relatively good level of wages in trade, transport, accommodation and food services, also influenced by the weight of tourism and transport.
Kukes and Dibra with the lowest salaries
Data for 2024 show that the lowest salaries prevail in the regions of Kukës and Dibra, while the group with relatively low levels also includes Berat, Elbasan and Korça. In these regions, the salary in most private activities fluctuates approximately between 40 and 60 thousand lek, significantly lower than in Tirana.
Kukës presents the most unfavorable position. Wages in agriculture drop to close to 40 thousand lek, while in trade, transport, accommodation and food service they remain around 45–50 thousand lek. None of the private activities presented manage to create a significant difference, while public administration is the only sector where wages approach 80 thousand lek.
A similar structure is observed in Dibër. Agriculture and trade have the lowest salaries, around 43–48 thousand lekë, while industry and construction offer somewhat higher levels, but still below 65 thousand lekë. Here too, public administration, education and healthcare pay significantly better than the rest of the local economy.
In Berat, Elbasan and Korça, the majority of sectoral salaries are concentrated in the range of 45–60 thousand lekë. The differences between activities are relatively small, which indicates the lack of private sectors with high productivity and salaries. Public administration, with salaries of around 80–85 thousand lekë, creates a large gap compared to agriculture, trade and industry. /Monitor