The median salary reached 63,456 lekë in the second quarter of 2025, or about 630 euros. This means that half of all employees in Albania received a gross monthly salary less than or equal to this amount, while the other half received more.
The median salary represents a lower level than the average salary which in the same period was over 83 thousand lek gross per month (about 830 euros). According to official data, the median salary was 24% lower than the average salary in the second quarter of the current year.
Average salary and median salary are two different ways of showing how much employees earn. Average salary is calculated by adding up all salaries and dividing by the number of employees and represents an arithmetic mean of earnings.
The median salary, on the other hand, ranks all salaries from lowest to highest and takes the point in the middle. This means that half of the people earn less than that amount and the other half earn more.
Because it is not affected by extremes, the median more clearly shows what the typical salary of an average worker is. For example, if only a few employees receive very high salaries, the average may seem large, but the median remains unchanged and shows the reality of the majority.
The median wage is the most accurate indicator for measuring inequality in employee pay. Many countries often refer to the median wage to measure the standard of living.
Median wages increased by 13.3% between the second quarter of 2024 and 2025. In April-June last year, 50% of employees received up to 56 thousand lek per month.
The latest data on the median gross monthly salary show a strong growth dynamic during 2024 and 2025, marking one of the most pronounced periods of wage growth in Albania.
At the beginning of 2024, the median salary was around 55 thousand lek, while by the end of the year it rose to 58 thousand lek, reflecting a steady increase quarter after quarter.
Compared to the years 2022–2023, when annual increases fluctuated between 4–7%, the years 2024–2025 appear to be a more aggressive period in improving wages.
This development is related to fiscal policies and the increase in the minimum wage, as well as to labor market pressure, where the lack of labor has pushed companies to offer higher salaries, as well as a policy to increase salaries towards an average of 900 euros per month in the public sector./ Monitor
