The salaries of janitors in Ukraine are growing faster than those of teachers: figures

In Ukraine, over the past three years, the salaries of janitors have increased significantly faster than the pay of teachers. In several regions, hard physical work is already compensated at levels equal to or above certain professions that require special education. This is reported by “Telegraf”.

Salaries of janitors in Ukraine at the beginning of 2026

According to the job search service Work.ua, at the beginning of 2026, the average salary of a janitor in Ukraine is about 15 thousand hryvnias. Compared to 2023, when the average pay for such work was 8 thousand hryvnias, this represents an increase of 88%.

Analysts note that in some cases, the pay for janitors already exceeds the income of specialists with relevant education, creating a noticeable imbalance in the labor market.

Salaries of teachers in Ukraine and future increases

During the same period, the average salary of teachers only increased by 33% - from 9,500 to 12,500 hryvnias. As a result, a significant gap has formed between the incomes of janitors and educators.

At the same time, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has decided to significantly increase the pay for pedagogical and scientific-pedagogical employees. From January 1, 2026, salary rates will increase by 30%. During the period from January to August 2026, over 10.3 billion hryvnias are allocated for this.

Over 409 thousand educators will receive additional payments, including:

• a basic payment of 2000 hryvnias for all teachers;

• 4000 hryvnias for educators working in frontline areas.

The increase will also affect employees of kindergartens, extracurricular education institutions, vocational schools, colleges, and higher education institutions.

It is worth noting that in 2026, doctors in frontline territories will receive salaries of up to 35 thousand hryvnias.