Half of salaried employees receive up to 52,000 lek per month (63,456 lek gross), according to official INSTAT data on the median salary in the third quarter.
The median wage is the wage level that divides employees into two equal groups, with 50% of employees paid less than this amount and 50% paid more. Unlike the average wage, which is calculated by adding up all wages and dividing by the number of employees, the median is not affected by very high or very low wages.
The median wage is more representative of the typical salary that most employees receive, especially in an economy like ours where there are large differences between wages.
According to INSTAT data, there is a strong difference between the median salary and the average salary. The average monthly salary was around 83,300 lek in the third quarter or 31% higher than the median salary.
According to the table, the median gross monthly salary has followed a steady increase due to the increase in the minimum wage. At the beginning of 2021, it reached 40,605 lekë, reflecting the gradual increase in income, but also the effects of inflation and structural changes in the labor market.
From 2021 to 2022, the median continues to increase from 40,810 lek to over 46,233 lek, with a temporary stabilization during the quarters of 2022. The increase became noticeable in 2023, where the median goes from 49,600 lek in the first quarter, to 52,880 lek in the third quarter.
In 2024, the median increases further, from 55,200 lek to 58,000 lek, while in 2025 it reaches over 63,000–63,456 lek, indicating an acceleration in the pace of salary growth in the middle segment and especially in public administration.
If the average wage increases due to strong wage increases for a small group (e.g. managers, high-paying sectors), most employees do not benefit. While the increase in the median shows that the benefits are really affecting the middle class of employees.
While wages are rising, purchasing power, especially in cities, has been worsened by the sharp increase in rent and food prices. For the first time in 2024, Albania had average food prices higher than the European Union average./ Monitor.al
