Average monthly wages by sector, gender, and region in Georgia. All data from the Geostat Labour Force Survey and Enterprise Survey. Updated quarterly.
Annual averages from the Geostat Enterprise Survey — monthly nominal wages for full-time employees, all sectors, 2024. Figures exclude agricultural self-employment and the informal economy.
| Economic Sector (NACE) | Avg Wage (GEL) | Avg Wage (USD) | vs National Avg | Employment (000s) | Gender gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial & Insurance Activities (K) | GEL 5,210 | ~$1,940 | +120% | ~48,000 | ~28% |
| Information & Communication (J) | GEL 4,680 | ~$1,740 | +98% | ~35,000 | ~22% |
| Mining & Quarrying (B) | GEL 3,820 | ~$1,420 | +62% | ~18,000 | ~18% |
| Electricity, Gas & Water (D/E) | GEL 3,410 | ~$1,270 | +44% | ~42,000 | ~25% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical (M) | GEL 3,180 | ~$1,184 | +35% | ~55,000 | ~30% |
| Public Administration & Defence (O) | GEL 2,950 | ~$1,098 | +25% | ~118,000 | ~20% |
| Transportation & Storage (H) | GEL 2,640 | ~$982 | +12% | ~88,000 | ~35% |
| NATIONAL AVERAGE (all sectors) | GEL 2,364 | ~$880 | — | ~760,000 | ~33% |
| Construction (F) | GEL 2,120 | ~$789 | −10% | ~95,000 | ~40% |
| Wholesale & Retail Trade (G) | GEL 1,890 | ~$703 | −20% | ~210,000 | ~32% |
| Manufacturing (C) | GEL 1,840 | ~$685 | −22% | ~155,000 | ~36% |
| Human Health & Social Work (Q) | GEL 1,780 | ~$662 | −25% | ~90,000 | ~28% |
| Education (P) | GEL 1,650 | ~$614 | −30% | ~115,000 | ~25% |
| Accommodation & Food Service (I) | GEL 1,420 | ~$529 | −40% | ~95,000 | ~38% |
| Agriculture (A) — formal only | GEL 940 | ~$350 | −60% | ~280,000 | ~45% |
| Domestic Work — formal only | GEL 720 | ~$268 | −70% | ~35,000 | ~80% |
Note: Agriculture and domestic work figures are for formally registered workers only. Informal workers (~98% of agricultural workforce) are excluded from enterprise survey data. USD conversion at 2024 average rate of GEL 2.69/USD.
Georgia has seen strong nominal wage growth over the past decade, driven by economic growth, Russian migration inflows (2022–2023), and rising demand for skilled workers. Real wage growth has been more moderate due to inflation.
| Year | Nominal Wage (GEL) | USD Equiv. | YoY Growth | Key Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | GEL 621 | ~$355 | — | Post-crisis baseline |
| 2012 | GEL 754 | ~$453 | +10.2% | Economic recovery |
| 2014 | GEL 879 | ~$497 | +8.0% | DCFTA signed |
| 2016 | GEL 956 | ~$411 | +4.2% | GEL depreciation reduces USD value |
| 2018 | GEL 1,072 | ~$405 | +5.9% | Tourism boom |
| 2019 | GEL 1,136 | ~$400 | +6.0% | Pre-COVID high |
| 2020 | GEL 1,184 | ~$380 | +4.2% | COVID — public sector wage support |
| 2021 | GEL 1,320 | ~$420 | +11.5% | Recovery + inflation |
| 2022 | GEL 1,576 | ~$590 | +19.4% | Russian/Ukrainian influx, IT sector boom |
| 2023 | GEL 1,822 | ~$680 | +15.6% | Continued growth, tight labour market |
| 2024 | GEL 2,105 | ~$784 | +15.5% | Strong services, IT, finance growth |
| Q1 2026 | GEL 2,364 | ~$880 | +12.4% | Latest data |
There is a significant urban-rural wage divide in Georgia. Tbilisi accounts for approximately 65% of formal wage employment and has wages roughly double those in rural regions.
Estimates based on Geostat LFS 2024 regional breakdown and enterprise survey data. Figures represent median formal monthly earnings in each region.
Georgia's gender pay gap of ~33% (unadjusted) is one of the highest in the Eastern Partnership. The gap is present in every sector but varies considerably — from ~18% in ICT to ~80% in domestic work. See the full analysis at Gender Pay Gap Tool →
| Sector | Male Avg (GEL) | Female Avg (GEL) | Pay Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information & Communication | GEL 5,060 | GEL 3,940 | 22% |
| Mining & Quarrying | GEL 4,020 | GEL 3,290 | 18% |
| Financial & Insurance | GEL 5,860 | GEL 4,220 | 28% |
| Education | GEL 1,900 | GEL 1,430 | 25% |
| Health & Social Work | GEL 2,240 | GEL 1,560 | 30% |
| Construction | GEL 2,280 | GEL 1,370 | 40% |
| Agriculture (formal) | GEL 1,100 | GEL 610 | 45% |
| Domestic Work (formal) | GEL 1,240 | GEL 640 | ~52% |
| National average | GEL 2,750 | GEL 1,840 | ~33% |
Georgia's statutory minimum wage of GEL 20/month has not been updated since 1999. No employer pays this amount — the effective market floor is ~GEL 600–800/month — but the absence of a meaningful legal minimum means workers below market rates have no enforceable protection. The ILO, GTUC, and EU have all called for reform. See: Working Poverty Tool →
Nominal wage growth of 12–15% in 2022–2024 looks strong, but Georgia experienced significant inflation (12% in 2022, ~9% in 2023). Real wage growth has been modest. The influx of Russian and Ukrainian nationals in 2022 drove up wages particularly in Tbilisi's IT, hospitality, and professional services sectors.
Tbilisi wages (~GEL 3,180/mo) are more than 4× higher than in Samegrelo (~GEL 780/mo) or Guria/Racha. This drives both internal migration to Tbilisi and international emigration from rural Georgia. Regional policy to support non-capital employment centres (Batumi, Kutaisi, Rustavi) remains underdeveloped.
All wage data from Geostat enterprise surveys covers formal employment only. With ~37% informal employment overall and ~98% agricultural informality, the national average wage significantly overstates typical worker earnings. A worker in informal agriculture may earn well under GEL 500/month with no benefits. See: Informal Economy →
| Country | Average Monthly Wage (national currency) | USD Equivalent | Statutory Minimum | Source / Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | GEL 2,364 | ~$880 | GEL 20 (~$7) — nominal | Geostat, Q1 2026 |
| Armenia | AMD 210,000 | ~$540 | AMD 75,000 (~$195) | Armstat, 2024 |
| Azerbaijan | AZN 905 | ~$532 | AZN 345 (~$203) | State Statistics, 2024 |
Georgia has the highest average wage in the South Caucasus but the lowest effective minimum wage. Armenia and Azerbaijan both have meaningful minimum wages that represent 35–40% of average wages — closer to ILO recommended ratios. Georgia's GEL 20 minimum represents less than 1% of the average wage.
Georgia's average monthly wage of GEL 1,821 (2023 Geostat) masks profound structural disparities. The financial sector average (GEL 4,200+) is nine times the agriculture sector average (GEL 470). Regional disparities are equally stark: Tbilisi wages average GEL 2,180 versus Racha-Lechkhumi at GEL 890 — a 2.4-fold gap driven by the concentration of formal employment and high-value-added sectors in the capital.
The headline average is further distorted by the public/private split. Public sector wages (GEL 1,650 average) are compressed but stable; private sector wages are more dispersed, with a long tail of very high earners in banking, telecom, and IT inflating the mean. The median wage — a better measure of the typical Georgian worker's experience — is approximately GEL 1,200, some 34% below the mean.
Georgia's wage data reveals two labour markets operating in parallel: a formal, documented sector with moderate growth and persistent gender disparity, and an informal agricultural and rural economy where wages fall below the subsistence minimum. Policy must address both. The GEL 20 statutory minimum wage is not a floor — it is an admission of failure. GILS recommends a phased minimum wage of GEL 500 by 2025 and GEL 700 by 2027, indexed to the Geostat subsistence minimum.
Amend the Labour Code to set a meaningful minimum wage: GEL 500/month from January 2025, GEL 650 from January 2026, GEL 750 from 2027. Link to annual Geostat subsistence minimum review. Commission a Low Pay Commission (employer/union/government tripartite) to advise on levels annually.
Germany (min wage commission) · Poland (phased increase model) · EU Minimum Wages DirectiveEmployers with 50+ employees to publish median salary by job band and gender annually. MLHSA publishes sector rankings. Drives voluntary pay equity without regulatory burden on SMEs. Aligned with EU Pay Transparency Directive 2023.
EU Pay Transparency Directive 2023 · UK Gender Pay Gap reporting · Iceland (equal pay certification)Sectors with weakest bargaining power need wage floors above the statutory minimum. Establish tripartite sectoral wage councils for: agriculture (target: GEL 650/month); domestic work (target: GEL 700/month); hospitality (target: GEL 750/month). Council recommendations enforceable via MLHSA order.
France (SMIC + sectoral minima) · Portugal (sectoral collective agreements) · South Africa (sectoral determinations)Introduce GILS-administered 'Living Wage Employer' certification for employers paying at or above GEL 900/month (2023 living wage estimate). Benefits: state contract preference; GILS kite-mark; public recognition. Target: 500 certified employers by 2026.
UK Living Wage Foundation · New Zealand Living Wage Movement · Ireland (Living Wage accreditation)Current wage data published with 6-9 month lag. MLHSA and Geostat to publish quarterly wage data within 60 days of quarter-end. Enable monitoring of: post-minimum wage increases; sectoral wage responses; gender gap trends. Critical for evidence-based policy.
Estonia (quarterly wage statistics) · Latvia (real-time earnings data) · ILO wage data standards| ILO Convention | Subject | Ratified | Compliance | Key Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C026 | Minimum Wage-Fixing Machinery | 1993 | Nominal only | GEL 20 minimum wage since 1999 — no real-terms review mechanism |
| C095 | Protection of Wages | 1993 | Partial | No mandatory payslip provision; wage theft in agriculture under-prosecuted |
| C131 | Minimum Wage Fixing | Not ratified | n/a | No obligation to consult social partners on minimum wage level |
| C100 | Equal Remuneration | 1993 | Poor | 31.5% gender pay gap; no pay equity enforcement mechanism |