Average monthly pay in Cyprus rises to €2,601 but 1 in 3 workers earn less than €1,500

Non-Cypriots more likely to be at extreme high and low ends of pay scale Cyprus’ average monthly earnings increased during the first quarter of 2026, according to provisional figures released by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat) on Wednesday. However, it should be noted that the average salary remains a less representative measure of workers’ earnings than the median, with most employees earning considerably less than the overall average. Specifically, the average gross monthly earnings of employees in Cyprus reached €2,601 in the first quarter of 2026, up from €2,508 in the corresponding quarter of 2025, representing an annual increase of 3.7 per cent. However, while the average salary is influenced by relatively high earners at the top end of the income scale, the earnings distribution indicates that the salary received by the typical worker is lower, with the largest share of employees falling within the €1,500 to €2,999 monthly earnings bracket. After adjusting for seasonal factors, average gross monthly earnings stood at €2,652 during the first quarter of 2026, marking an increase of 0.8 per cent compared with the fourth quarter of 2025. The unadjusted average declined from €2,932 in the fourth quarter of 2025 because that period typically includes additional payments such as year-end bonuses, making seasonal adjustment necessary to provide a clearer comparison between quarters. Male employees recorded average gross monthly earnings of €2,776 in the first quarter of 2026, while female employees earned an average of €2,378. Compared with the same period a year earlier, average earnings for men increased by 3.3 per cent, while women’s average earnings rose by 4.2 per cent. On a seasonally adjusted basis, average monthly earnings reached €2,823 for men and €2,434 for women during the first quarter. The quarterly increase in seasonally adjusted earnings amounted to 0.7 per cent for men and 1.0 per cent for women. The statistical service also published a detailed breakdown of earnings by salary band, nationality and gender, providing a clearer picture of how wages are distributed across the labour market. Overall, 33.9 per cent of employees earned less than €1,500 per month, while 40.9 per cent, the largest proportion, received between €1,500 and €2,999. Another 13.1 per cent earned between €3,000 and €4,499, while 6.4 per cent received between €4,500 and €5,999. Employees earning €6,000 or more accounted for 5.7 per cent of the workforce, the report added. The figures also highlighted notable differences between Cypriot and non-Cypriot employees. Among Cypriot employees, 45.2 per cent earned between €1,500 and €2,999, while 27.4 per cent received less than €1,500 per month. For non-Cypriot employees, the largest proportion, 46.7 per cent, earned below €1,500, while 32.6 per cent fell within the €1,500 to €2,999 salary band. At the highest end of the pay scale, 8.5 per cent of non-Cypriot employees earned €6,000 or more, compared with 4.3 per cent of Cypriot employees, indicating that non-Cypriot workers are more heavily represented at both the lowest and highest ends of the earnings distribution. Among male employees, 31.1 per cent earned less than €1,500, 42.3 per cent received between €1,500 and €2,999, 13.1 per cent earned between €3,000 and €4,499, 6.3 per cent fell within the €4,500 to €5,999 bracket, and 7.2 per cent earned at least €6,000 per month. For female employees, 37.4 per cent earned less than €1,500, 39.2 per cent received between €1,500 and €2,999, 13.1 per cent earned between €3,000 and €4,499, 6.5 per cent fell within the €4,500 to €5,999 range, and 3.8 per cent earned €6,000 or more. What is more, the nationality breakdown showed that 44.5 per cent of non-Cypriot men and 50.3 per cent of non-Cypriot women earned below €1,500, compared with 22.9 per cent and 32.3 per cent respectively among Cypriot men and women. At the upper end of the earnings scale, 10.3 per cent of non-Cypriot men earned at least €6,000, compared with 5.3 per cent of Cypriot men, while 5.5 per cent of non-Cypriot women earned at least €6,000, compared with 3.1 per cent of Cypriot women.