Kazakhstan's Salary Reality Check: The Gap Between Official Numbers and What Workers Really Earn

An analysis of open data from the Bureau of National Statistics reveals that the actual earnings of many Kazakhstanis are much lower than official figures suggest, Orda.kz reports.

Energyprom.kz examined salaries across various sectors and found that in the third quarter of last year, the average monthly salary in 9 out of 16 industries was below the national average of 390,300 tenge. 

The lowest average salaries were in art, entertainment, and recreation (267,200 tenge), education (272,000 tenge), and agriculture (283,800 tenge).

Nominal salary is more of a statistical indicator. It is the result of dividing the total salary fund by the number of employees. The modal, or most common, salary indicator is closer to reality. So, according to the BNS reports, the modal salary last year in absolutely all sectors of the economy was less than the nominal salary and amounted to 97,600 tenge, Energyprom.kz analysts note.

The lowest nominal salaries were seen in public administration (97,600 tenge), expert activities (117,500 tenge), and agriculture (148,800 tenge).

Energyprom.kz analysts also noted a stark pay gap between workers of different skill levels. According to the latest BNS report (April 2024), low-skilled workers typically earn about 44% of the average salary, service and sales workers – 51%, administrative staff – 76%, and technical specialists and other support personnel – 84%. 

In contrast, professional specialists earn above the average (111%), while managers see salaries about 63% higher than average.

It is not always the case that the lowest salaries are received only by the low-skilled workforce. In the list of 55 thousand BNS professions, we selected 10 positions with low salaries in the industrial, energy, and agriculture sectors. These data show that a laboratory engineer at a chemical industry enterprise can earn 95,000 tenge, an auto electrician - 91,900 tenge, an engineer-designer of electrical machines and devices - only 110,000 tenge,  the analysts gave an example.

In the energy sector, over 100 positions offer salaries under 100,000 tenge.

This group includes not just dispatchers and controllers but also electricians and maintenance personnel, with some positions like electrical fitters for wind turbine repair making around 96,500 tenge or electricians earning as little as 85,000 tenge.

Another point of interest for Energyprom.kz was the staff turnover rate, which measures the percentage of employees who leave compared to the total payroll over a period.

The average turnover rate across the economy stood at 17.3% from January to September last year.

The sectors with the highest turnover were trade (52.4%), accommodation and food services (44.5%), and construction (32.3%), while education (8.2%), mining (9.5%), and public administration (11.3%) had significantly lower rates.

Wage disparities continue to stir debate in Kazakhstan. Not long ago, deputies were again dissatisfied by the foreign athletes' high earnings following Antikor's inspection of the Barys hockey club.

Original Author: Anastasia Prilepskaya