Average salary in Moscow in 2026: how much is paid and how much the majority receives
In the first half of 2026, the average accrued salary in Moscow was about 196.6 thousand rubles per month. This is the average of six monthly Rosstat values: from 183,651 rubles in May to 219,618 in March, and 193,367 in June. For the whole of 2025, the average for Moscow was 181,777 rubles. This is 1.8 times more than for Russia, and 1.55 times more than in the Moscow Region. But half of Muscovites working in organizations receive significantly less than the average. Below we analyze where this figure comes from, how much remains after taxes, and how Moscow looks compared to its neighbors. All figures are available on interactive charts.
How much is paid in Moscow in 2026 by month
| Month | 2025, rub. | 2026, rub. | Annual growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 156,251 | 187,644 | 20.1% |
| February | 159,697 | 198,429 | 24.3% |
| March | 188,978 | 219,618 | 16.2% |
| April | 180,201 | 196,824 | 9.2% |
| May | 168,437 | 183,651 | 9.0% |
| June | 177,008 | 193,367 | 9.2% |
| Average for the half-year | 171,762 | 196,589 | 14.5% |
In winter, the Moscow salary grew by over 20% per year; by spring, the increase shrank to 9%. For comparison, across Russia for the same half-year, the average grew by 13.5%, to 109,029 rubles, and in the Moscow region by 17.3%, to 129,486 rubles. Thus, in 2026, Moscow is growing slower than the region, and this is a continuation of what was already visible in 2023–2025.
March is the most expensive in the table. In the first quarter, many companies pay annual bonuses, and in Moscow, where there are many banks, IT companies, and head offices, this is noticeably stronger than across the country.
December: why one salary weighs as much as one and a half
The biggest jump occurs not in March, but in December. In November 2025, the average salary in Moscow was 171,302 rubles, in December 288,524, which is 1.68 times more. There is also a December peak across Russia, but it is more modest. On the monthly chart, the Moscow line shoots up every year at the end of the year, while the lines for the region and the country rise much less.
From this comes a practical conclusion. If you are comparing your salary with the average for Moscow, do not take December or March, but an ordinary month such as May or June. Not everyone receives a bonus, but it raises the average for everyone.
Open the monthly salary chart for all regions →
Average salary in Moscow by year
| Year | Moscow, rub. | Moscow region, rub. | Russia, rub. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 83,801 | 51,938 | 43,724 |
| 2019 | 94,294 | 55,555 | 47,867 |
| 2020 | 100,070 | 58,066 | 51,344 |
| 2021 | 112,768 | 64,041 | 57,244 |
| 2022 | 125,638 | 70,705 | 65,338 |
| 2023 | 138,882 | 83,195 | 74,854 |
| 2024 | 162,572 | 99,205 | 89,069 |
| 2025 | 181,777 | 117,139 | 101,784 |
Over seven years, the average in Moscow grew 2.17 times. A lot, but the growth across Russia was higher, 2.33 times, and in the Moscow region 2.26 times. In 2025, Moscow added 11.8%. Prices grew by 5.59% over the same year, meaning the purchasing power of the average Moscow salary increased by approximately 6%.
View salary in Moscow on the separate region page →
Moscow and the Moscow Region: the gap is narrowing
A resident of the region who commutes to the city and a resident of the region working in Balashikha or Podolsk receive very different amounts of money. On average, in 2025, the difference between Moscow and the region was 64,638 rubles per month.
In 2018, Moscow paid 1.61 times more than the region; by 2022, the gap grew to 1.78 times. Then it went down: 1.67 in 2023, 1.64 in 2024, 1.55 in 2025. The region is catching up, and this continued in the first half of 2026: 17.3% growth compared to 14.5% for Moscow.
The same applies to Russia as a whole. In 2000, the average in Moscow was 1.45 times higher than the all-Russian average. Further, the gap grew almost every year and reached 1.97 times by 2019. Since 2022, it has been narrowing: 1.92, then 1.86, 1.83, and in 2025, 1.79.
Moscow is not first in the regional ranking
Many are sure that the highest pay is in the capital. Based on the results of 2025, this is not the case:
- Chukotka Autonomous Okrug: 217,182 rubles;
- Magadan Region: 181,790 rubles;
- Moscow: 181,777 rubles;
- Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug: 177,972 rubles.
The Magadan Region surpassed Moscow by 13 rubles. In June 2026, Moscow is even fourth: ahead are Chukotka (255,118), the Magadan Region (208,083), and Yamal (194,385). But in the North, high salaries come together with northern bonuses and a high cost of living.
Saint Petersburg received an average of 123,341 rubles in 2025, which is two thirds of the Moscow amount. At the bottom of the ranking is Ingushetia with 44,399 rubles: a Muscovite receives 4.1 times more. The full list of regions is on the salary ranking page.
What the majority earns: median salary in Moscow
The average is easily pushed up: a small group of people with very high salaries is enough. The median is structured differently. It is the amount that exactly half of the employees earn less than, and the second half earn more than.
Rosstat calculates the median once every two years based on the April survey of organizations, excluding small businesses. In April 2025, the median salary in Moscow was 128,429 rubles. The average for the same April in Moscow was 180,201 rubles. It turns out that half of the working Muscovites earned less than 128.4 thousand before tax, almost 52 thousand lower than the average. The comparison is approximate: the average is calculated for all organizations, while the median excludes small businesses.
| April | Median, Moscow | Median, Russia |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 55,434 | 28,345 |
| 2019 | 66,103 | 34,335 |
| 2021 | 75,729 | 40,245 |
| 2023 | 92,700 | 52,558 |
| 2025 | 128,429 | 73,871 |
Over two years, from 2023 to 2025, the median in Moscow grew by 38.5%. In the Moscow Region, the 2025 median was 90,768 rubles, and in St. Petersburg, 99,944. More details on how the median differs from the average can be found in the article "Median Salary in Russia".
Median salary by all regions on the chart →
How much is left take-home
All the figures above are accrued before tax. In 2025, the average Moscow salary for the year totaled approximately 2.18 million rubles. This is less than 2.4 million, above which the PIT rate rises above 13%, so 13% is withheld from it.
- Average for 2025: 181,777 rubles accrued, about 158,146 take-home.
- Average for January–June 2026: 196,589 rubles accrued, about 171,032 take-home.
- Median for April 2025: 128,429 rubles accrued, about 111,733 take-home.
Questions and Answers
What is the average salary in Moscow in 2026?
According to Rosstat monthly data for January–June 2026, it is on average 196,589 rubles per month before tax. The last published month is June: 193,367 rubles. The total for 2026 will appear only in 2027.
What is the average salary in Moscow for 2025?
181,777 rubles per month across all organizations. A year earlier it was 162,572 rubles, an increase of 11.8%.
How many times higher is the salary in Moscow than in Russia?
In 2025, 1.79 times: 181,777 versus 101,784 rubles. In the first half of 2026, approximately 1.8 times.
Is a Moscow salary enough to live on?
The subsistence minimum for a working-age person in Moscow for 2026 is 28,940 rubles, and 20,644 for Russia. The average June salary in Moscow covers it 6.7 times, and in Russia 5.6 times. The per capita monetary income of Muscovites in the first half of 2026 was 164,174 rubles per month per person, 2.3 times more than for the country (72,500). All subsistence minimum groups are on the Moscow subsistence minimum page.
How much do teachers and doctors earn in Moscow?
Recent data on the website for these categories are for January–June 2024. School teachers in Moscow earned an average of 143,820 rubles, and 71,444 in Russia. Doctors in state and municipal clinics in Moscow earned 212,633 rubles, and 121,322 in Russia.
In brief
- Average accrued salary in Moscow for January–June 2026 is about 196.6 thousand rubles, 14.5% higher than for the same months of 2025. For the whole of 2025, 181,777 rubles.
- The average in Moscow is 1.79 times higher than the all-Russian average and 1.55 times higher than in the Moscow region. Both gaps have been narrowing since 2022.
- Moscow is third among the regions based on the results of 2025, after Chukotka and the Magadan region.
- Half of the employees of organizations in Moscow in April 2025 received less than 128,429 rubles, with take-home pay about 111.7 thousand.
- In December, the average jumps 1.7 times due to bonuses, therefore it is better to compare one's salary with an ordinary month.