The average salary of drone operators in Ukraine reached 73,000 UAH per month, making this profession the highest paid in 2026. Military personnel, aircraft technicians, and rescuers also ranked high in terms of income.
This is indicated by the results of a study by the Robota.ua platform, which is referenced by Forbes Ukraine.
Salaries in Ukraine: who earns the most in 2026
Analysts studied over 1.15 million salaries from job vacancies, resumes, and candidate profiles. The highest median salary was received by UAV operators – 73,000 UAH per month.
The top five also included:
UAV operators – 73,000 UAH.
Military personnel – 71,000 UAH.
Aircraft technicians – 70,500 UAH.
Rescuers – 70,000 UAH.
Network engineers – 70,000 UAH.
High incomes are also demonstrated by sales department heads, auto electricians, international transport drivers, and automotive painters.
Among civilian professions, the leaders included business analysts, realtors, automotive mechanics, dentists, and regional managers.
The highest salaries in Ukraine were recorded in Kyiv
Kyiv became the leader among regional centers in terms of salary levels. The median salary in the capital is 35,000 UAH per month.
Other cities with the highest salaries included:
• Dnipro – 32,000 UAH;
• Lviv – 28,500 UAH;
• Odesa – 28,000 UAH;
• Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Uzhhorod – 27,500 UAH each.
The lowest figures among regional centers were recorded in Kropyvnytskyi, where the median salary is 20,000 UAH, and in Chernihiv with a figure of 21,000 UAH.
The pay gap between men and women persists
The study also revealed a significant difference in salary expectations based on gender. On average, women rate their work 10,000 UAH lower than men.
The largest gap was recorded in the IT sector. There, the average salary expectations for women are 37,537 UAH, while men expect 49,096 UAH.
Experts note that the Ukrainian labor market continues to adapt to wartime conditions. Due to high demand for specialists in the defense sector and technical experts, these professions demonstrate the fastest income growth.
Earlier, we reported that Ukrainian employers are increasingly raising salaries and offering additional bonuses to attract qualified workers.