Bulgaria's average net wage has overtaken Romania's from the second quarter of 2026, according to figures presented in September by Bulgarian MP Vladislav Panev. The Bulgarian average stands at about 1,120 euro net, compared with roughly 1,099 euro in Romania, a reversal that marks a negative milestone for the Romanian labour market.
Romania still leads on gross pay. The average gross wage in Romania reached 1,853 euro in July, while Bulgaria's average gross wage for the second quarter stood at 1,444 euro. The difference lies in the tax treatment of earnings: Bulgaria applies a flat 10 per cent income tax, whereas in Romania the 10 per cent income tax is paid on top of mandatory social contributions, which narrows the net figure considerably.
Iulian Lolea, an economist with the employers' confederation Concordia, points to two main causes. The first is the depreciation of the leu, which has lost about 8 per cent against the euro since 2025. The second is the removal of tax incentives for employees in the IT&C, agriculture and construction sectors, which ended on 1 January 2025. Lolea notes that the car and IT&C industries are under strain, weighing on wage growth in Romania. He also recalls that Bulgaria operated a fixed currency peg before adopting the euro in 2026, a stability that has supported its wage figures.
The shift is significant when set against the past. In 2019 the average Romanian wage was up to 31 per cent above Bulgaria's. The gap has since closed, and the regional picture has changed. Greece records about 1,007 euro net, Serbia 830 euro, North Macedonia 680 euro and Turkey around 600 euro net, placing Romania and Bulgaria at the upper end of the group.
Economic output tells a different story. Bulgaria's GDP per capita was about 17,500 euro in 2025, against roughly 19,363 euro in Romania. Romania also retains a higher minimum wage, at a net equivalent of about 505 euro, compared with around 481 euro in Bulgaria, according to a study by a trade union.
That minimum wage advantage may not last. The union study warns that the net gap between the two countries could close almost entirely by 2027 if Romania does not raise its minimum wage. Panev has cautioned that Bulgaria's own advantage may prove temporary, given risks to its public finances. Lolea, for his part, has urged the government to protect Romania's investment-grade rating, arguing that it is essential to sustaining investor confidence and the wage growth that depends on it.