Who Employers are Looking for in 2026 and What Salaries They Offer
The Ukrainian labor market at the beginning of 2026 remains in a state of 'stable crisis': salaries are rising, but the shortage of staff is only increasing. Businesses are forced to compete for employees while reviewing their requirements for candidates, considering the war, power outages, and demographic challenges. This is noted by ampua.org referencing work.ua.
According to specialized services, salary continues to be a significant factor in choosing a job, but employees increasingly expect flexible conditions, loyalty, and a clear position from employers regarding support for the state.
Who Employers are Looking for in 2026
For the third year in a row, the structure of demand in the market has changed little. The majority of vacancies are concentrated in manual professions, trade, and services, which is explained by the lack of qualified personnel and high staff turnover.
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sales consultants;
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drivers;
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military personnel;
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chefs;
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administrators;
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accountants.
Traditionally, the fewest vacancies are recorded in the fields of insurance and culture. According to analysts, the biggest deficit of personnel is observed in manual and technical specialties, logistics, transport, and medicine, where the proportion of youth remains minimal.
What Salaries are Offered in 2026
The average salary of regular employees at the end of 2025 was 27.2 thousand UAH. The highest incomes were recorded in the field of information and telecommunications, while the lowest were in education.
Over the year, the average salary offers in vacancies increased by 22% and reached 27.5 thousand UAH. The highest salaries are traditionally offered in Kyiv - about 32.5 thousand UAH, followed by Lviv, Dnipro, and Uzhhorod.
The highest paid positions:
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marketing directors - about 80 thousand UAH;
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production preparation engineers - up to 72 thousand UAH;
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heads of sales departments and financial directors - about 70 thousand UAH.
Salary growth in 2025 was most felt by engineers, insurance agents, analysts, and IT professionals. At the same time, in a number of medical and narrow specialties, increases remained minimal.
It should be noted that the average salary in Ukraine increased by 22% in January.
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