A person working in Montenegro typically earns around 2,670 EUR per month. Salaries range from 680 EUR (lowest average) to 11,900 EUR (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).
This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Salaries vary drastically between different careers. If you are interested in the salary of a particular job, see below for salaries for specific job titles.
![]() 680 EUR |
![]() 2,470 EUR |
![]() 11,900 EUR |
Salaries in Montenegro range from 680 EUR per month (starting salary) to 11,900 EUR per month (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher). This is not the minimum wage as per the law, only the lowest reported number in the salary survey that had thousands of participants and professionals from all over the country.
The median salary is 2,470 EUR per month, which means that half (50%) of the population are earning less than 2,470 EUR while the other half are earning more than 2,470 EUR. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of the population are earning less than 1,780 EUR while 75% of them are earning more than 1,780 EUR. Also from the diagram, 75% of the population are earning less than 3,740 EUR while 25% are earning more than 3,740 EUR.
We grouped the most common and recurring salaries into brackets to give more insight into what salary to expect. This method is more accurate than just the average salary and gives more insights on how salaries are actually distributed. Around 65% of all reported figures are in the range 1,640 EUR to 4,210 EUR. Approximatly 20% fall under the 1,640 EUR cap. Ten percent of wages are from 4,210 EUR to 5,380 EUR. Only 5% of people grossed 5,380 EUR or more.
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher the wage.
Generally speaking, employees having experience from two to five years earn on average 32% more than freshers and juniors across all industries and disciplines.
Professionals with experience of more than five years tend to earn on average 36% more than those with five years or less of work experience.
As you hit the ten years mark, the salary increases by 21% and an additional 14% for those who have crossed the 15 years mark.
Those figures are presented as guidelines only. The numbers become more significant if you consider one job title at a time.
It is well known that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We compared the salaries of professionals at the same level but with different college degrees levels across many jobs, below are our findings.
Workers with a certificate or diploma earn on average 17% more than their peers who only reached the high school level.
Employees who earned a Bachelor's Degree earn 24% more than those who only managed to attain a cerificate or diploma.
Professionals who attained a Master's Degree are awarded salaries that are 29% more than those with a Bachelor's Degree.
Finally, PhD holders earn 23% more than Master's Degree holders on average while doing the same job.
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Montenegro costs anywhere from 13,400 Euro(s) to 40,100 Euro(s) and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch into a higher paying job. The numbers seem to support this tactic. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
The decision really depends on your situation and experience among many other factors. Putting all variables aside, if you can afford the costs of higher education then the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male employees in Montenegro earn 9% more than their female counterparts on avergae across all sectors.
Male | 2,780 EUR | |
Female | -8% | 2,560 EUR |
Employees in Montenegro are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 5% every 28 months.
The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency
Banking | 9% | |
Energy | 9% | |
Information Technology | 9% | |
Healthcare | 9% | |
Travel | 9% | |
Construction | 9% | |
Education | 9% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Montenegro for the year 2022. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.
Junoir Level | 3% - 5% | |
Mid-Career | 6% - 9% | |
Senior Level | 10% - 15% | |
Top Management | 15% - 20% |
The difference in increment rates is somehow justified because employers put more effort to retain more experienced staff since they are harder to acquire than less experienced ones.
Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.
61% of surveyed staff in Montenegro reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 39% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 2% to 7% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 39% | |
No Bonus | 61% |
The most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
Finance | High | |
Architecture | High | |
Sales | High | |
Business Development | High | |
Marketing / Advertising | High | |
Information Technology | Moderate | |
Healthcare | Moderate | |
Insurance | Moderate | |
Customer Service | Moderate | |
Human Resources | Moderate | |
Construction | Low | |
Transport | Low | |
Hospitality | Low |
The main two types of jobs | |
Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
Average Salary 2019 | 2,310 EUR | |
Average Salary 2020 | +4% | 2,400 EUR |
Average Salary 2021 | +4% | 2,490 EUR |
Average Salary 2022 | +4% | 2,580 EUR |
Salaries in Montenegro are on the rise in the year 2023 based on recent submitted salaries and reports. As displayed in the chart, salaries in 2022 are 4% higher than those of 2021. The trend suggests a slow yet continuous increase in pay in 2024 and future years. These numbers may vary from industry to another.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Accounting and Finance | |
Accountant | 1,770 EUR |
Accounting Assistant | 1,450 EUR |
Accounting Manager | 3,980 EUR |
Bookkeeper | 1,290 EUR |
Chartered Accountant | 2,410 EUR |
Corporate Treasurer | 3,690 EUR |
Financial Analyst | 3,470 EUR |
Financial Manager | 5,060 EUR |
Internal Auditor | 2,400 EUR |
Administration / Reception / Secretarial | |
Administrative Assistant | 1,430 EUR |
Office Manager | 2,310 EUR |
Receptionist | 960 EUR |
Secretary | 1,160 EUR |
Advertising / Grapic Design / Events | |
Art Director | 2,630 EUR |
Creative Director | 2,660 EUR |
Graphic Designer | 1,720 EUR |
Photographer | 1,500 EUR |
Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | |
Aerospace Engineer | 3,330 EUR |
Air Traffic Controller | 2,980 EUR |
Flight Attendant | 1,750 EUR |
Pilot | 4,460 EUR |
Architecture | |
Architect | 3,310 EUR |
CAD Drafter | 1,370 EUR |
Automotive | |
Mechanic | 1,050 EUR |
Service Advisor | 1,900 EUR |
Banking | |
Bank Branch Manager | 4,890 EUR |
Teller | 990 EUR |
Bilingual | |
Teacher | 1,960 EUR |
Translator | 2,410 EUR |
Business Planning | |
Business Analyst | 3,370 EUR |
Business Development Manager | 4,230 EUR |
Project Manager | 2,980 EUR |
Care Giving and Child Care | |
Nanny | 1,060 EUR |
Nursery Teacher | 1,040 EUR |
Construction / Building / Installation | |
Civil Engineer | 2,470 EUR |
Construction Project Manager | 4,250 EUR |
Health and Safety Officer | 1,210 EUR |
Customer Service and Call Center | |
Call Center Representative | 980 EUR |
Customer Service Manager | 3,510 EUR |
Customer Service Representative | 1,020 EUR |
Engineering | |
Electrical Engineer | 2,720 EUR |
Engineer | 2,590 EUR |
Mechanical Engineer | 2,500 EUR |
Executive and Management | |
Chief Executive Officer | 6,280 EUR |
Chief Financial Officer | 5,600 EUR |
General Manager | 4,550 EUR |
Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering | |
Chef | 1,680 EUR |
Executive Chef | 1,920 EUR |
Hotel Manager | 4,660 EUR |
Travel Agent | 1,600 EUR |
Waiter / Waitress | 840 EUR |
Health and Medical | |
Dentist | 6,370 EUR |
Dietitian | 5,420 EUR |
Laboratory Technician | 1,990 EUR |
Nurse | 2,100 EUR |
Human Resources | |
Human Resources Manager | 3,980 EUR |
Human Resources Officer | 1,550 EUR |
Information Technology | |
Computer Technician | 2,050 EUR |
Database Administrator | 2,690 EUR |
Developer / Programmer | 2,610 EUR |
Information Technology Manager | 4,410 EUR |
Network Engineer | 2,370 EUR |
Law Enforcement / Security / Fire | |
Police Officer | 1,640 EUR |
Legal | |
Attorney | 5,310 EUR |
Legal Assistant | 1,350 EUR |
Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | |
Journalist | 3,020 EUR |
Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology | |
Biomedical Engineer | 2,170 EUR |
Pharmacist | 3,540 EUR |
Sales Retail and Wholesale | |
Cashier | 990 EUR |
Sales Manager | 4,630 EUR |
Sales Representative | 1,650 EUR |
Teaching / Education | |
Elementary School Teacher | 1,790 EUR |
Secondary School Teacher | 2,260 EUR |
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fix amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
This minimum pay rate per hour for a person in Montenegro is 4 EUR. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in Montenegro earn 25% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
Private Sector | 2,380 EUR | |
Public Sector | +25% | 2,970 EUR |
It is extremely difficult to give an exact figure of a good salary when no specific job is selected, however; an estimate can be provided based purely on the cost of living. A good compensation in Montenegro would range anywhere between 2,470 EUR and 3,740 EUR.
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salart after tax for every career.
The base salary in Montenegro is ranges from 1,780 EUR to 3,740 EUR. The base salary depends on many factors including profession, experience, and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range in a grain of salt.
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary