To beat the salary: the gap between salaries in the regions has reached a record 182 thousand

The difference between the maximum and minimum average salaries in the regions of Russia has reached a record 182 thousand rubles, calculated by Izvestia based on Rosstat data. The gap has grown by a quarter in a year. They pay the most in Chukotka (223 thousand), and the least in Ingushetia (41 thousand). The reasons for this discrepancy are, on the one hand, a shortage of personnel, developed industry and allowances in the north, and, on the other, high unemployment, shadow employment and climate dependence in the south. Whether remote workers from different regions should be given the same salaries and how to deal with inequality is in the Izvestia article.

Where are the highest salaries in Russia

In April 2025, the average salary in Russia was 97 thousand rubles, which is 16% more than a year earlier. However, the growth rates varied markedly by region. So, in Chukotka, where the highest level of income was recorded, they increased by 20%, to 223 thousand. And in Ingushetia, which occupies the bottom line of the rating, it is only by 8%, up to 41 thousand. As a result, the gap between the average earnings in the regions increased by a quarter over the year and reached a record 182 thousand, Izvestia calculated according to Rosstat data in July. The editorial board sent a request to Rosstat and the Ministry of Labor.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Kristina Kormilitsyna

The Yamalo—Nenets and Nenets Autonomous Districts, Moscow and the Magadan Region are also among the leaders in terms of salaries. They pay an average of 145 thousand to 185 thousand rubles there. And the lowest incomes are in the republics of the North Caucasus: Chechnya, Dagestan, Kabardino—Balkaria and Ossetia, where incomes range from 44,000 to 51,000, according to Rosstat data.

The difference in salaries is almost six times due to the fact that Russia traditionally has a higher employment rate and average income in regions with developed and diverse industries. And in the southern regions, unemployment is higher due to the predominance of agriculture and trade in the economy, explained Candidate of Economics Andrei Barkhota. The seasonal nature of work and the lack of permanent jobs affect the situation there.

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— As a result, an inertial labor market model is emerging: wages are rising in industrial regions, including due to a shortage of personnel, while in less developed economies their level is consistently lagging behind the average. That's why self-employment and sole proprietorship regimes are so popular in the south," the expert added.

In addition, in the regions of the Far North and Siberia, salaries are increased due to compensation — regional coefficients (from 1.1 to 2) and allowances, said Yulia Dolzhenkova, professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation. The former compensate for the high costs of living in harsh conditions, while the latter are accrued for seniority. For example, in Chukotka and the northern regions of Kamchatka, the surcharge starts at 10% and increases every six months to 100%. In other areas, the maximum is from 30 to 80%, the expert said.

Photo: Global Look Press

In addition, defense industry enterprises are often concentrated in these regions, where salaries are increasing at a faster pace, the professor added.

At the same time, the gap between the regions and the capital is gradually narrowing, SuperJob noted. Over the past year, the indicators in Novosibirsk and Rostov-on-Don have become the closest: the difference with the Moscow level has decreased by 4 percentage points.

Should remote workers from different regions be paid the same?

Despite the different living standards in the regions, Rostrud insists that salaries of employees in the same position should not vary depending on the region. On the portal of the online inspection service.RF" asked a question about the remote call center operators from different regions - is it possible to set them different salaries, referring to the local labor market. In response, the inspectorate explained: the salary for the same positions should be the same, only differences in allowances are allowed.

However, according to the Labor Code, an employer is obliged to ensure equal pay for work of equal value, and not for the same position, said Natalia Milchakova, a leading analyst at Freedom Finance Global. At the same time, the location of an employee cannot in itself be a reason for a difference in salaries, such as gender and nationality, otherwise it will be considered discrimination. As the Supreme Court pointed out in 2017, if employees perform the same functions in branches of the same organization, even in different regions, their salaries should be equal.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Eduard Kornienko

— Of course, when setting salaries, organizations take into account both the standard of living in the region and local peculiarities, but, as a rule, this concerns the variable part of income. In the case of remote work, such issues should be regulated by agreements with trade unions or the labor collective, as well as discussed with the employee when applying for a job," explained Tamara Grinenko, head of the HR Management Strategy and Technology program at the Presidential Academy in St. Petersburg.

In practice, employers often ignore the nuances of legislation. In order not to formally violate anything with different salaries for employees in the same positions, companies resort to workarounds — for example, they use allowances or introduce different job titles.: not just an "engineer", but an "engineer of the first" and "engineer of the second category," said Lyudmila Ivanova-Shvets, Associate professor of the Department of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry "Human Resource Management" at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.

Such hidden discrimination occurs both in individual companies and at the regional level, when the difference in salaries is explained by different living standards, she continued. Sometimes this causes conflicts — employees contact the labor inspectorate or the court. However, there are few such cases: more often than not, people prefer to resolve the issue through negotiations or simply resign.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Eduard Kornienko

The biggest difference in salaries in the same positions is observed in areas with variable pay and dependence on personal results — sales, marketing, investments, IT and consulting, the press service of Avito Rabota shared. In sales departments, for example, the salary may be small, and the bulk of income is generated through bonuses and interest.

The minimum differentiation is in the public sector, the public sector and industries with clearly regulated work, such as manufacturing, logistics and administrative work, they added.

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How to reduce wage inequality in the regions

For many years now, the effects of regional wage inequality have been observed, especially in the public sector. Qualified specialists leave the regions with weak economies to where the standard of living is higher. Because of this, there is an acute shortage of doctors, teachers and workers in some areas, said Yulia Dolzhenkova from the Financial University.

— Low salaries not only reduce the standard of living now, but also lead to an increase in poverty in the future, because the amount of pensions directly depends on the level of earnings. This means that over time, the need for social support for the elderly will increase," the professor added.

The wage gap will persist and even grow, according to Natalia Milchakova from Freedom Finance Global. According to her, new enterprises and even entire industries are being actively created in the "rich" regions — capitals, cities with millions of inhabitants, and resource centers, which will attract new personnel and exacerbate inequality.

To reduce it, the authorities of agrarian and "poor" regions should think about growth points based on natural and infrastructural features, the expert added. For example, in regions with cheap electricity (especially where there are hydroelectric power plants), it is possible to develop mining of cryptocurrencies. Natalia Milchakova suggested launching solar energy projects in hot regions by cooperating with equipment suppliers, for example, from China.

— In regions with empty industrial zones, technoparks, industrial clusters or priority development areas can be created on the site of former factories — this will provide new jobs and an influx of investments. This is especially important for young people from oversupplied regions," she added.

It is also important to create conditions for business development and the emergence of new enterprises with decent wages in the regions, Yulia Dolzhenkova believes. In addition, it is necessary to combat unemployment and shadow employment.