Salaries of social workers will increase by almost 2.5 times from January 2026

In Ukraine, starting from January 1, 2026, salaries for social workers will significantly increase. The official salaries for social sector specialists will rise by almost 2.5 times. This was reported by Banker citing government resolution.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the corresponding resolution on December 26. The document envisages a change in the approach to forming salaries for employees who provide social and rehabilitation services, and will come into effect at the beginning of 2026.

Salaries of social workers in 2026: what will change

According to the resolution, the calculation of official salaries will be made using a coefficient of 2.5. In fact, this means an increase in salaries of approximately 150% compared to the current levels of remuneration.

New salaries for specific positions will look like this:

• social manager (15th tariff grade): from 8,243 UAH to 20,607 UAH;

• social work specialist (12th tariff grade): from 6,773 UAH to 16,932 UAH;

• junior nurse (4th tariff grade): from 4,058 UAH to 10,145 UAH.

Salaries of social workers and the goal of the increase

The government explains the decision by the necessity to strengthen the social sphere under the growing workload on employees and staff shortages. It is expected that the increase in salaries will help retain specialists, enhance motivation, and improve the quality of social and rehabilitation services nationwide.

Let us remind you that starting from January 1, 2026, the remuneration for employees in the housing and communal services sector in Ukraine will also be revised. In particular, the minimum tariff rate for a worker of the housing and communal services sector of the I grade will increase to 260% of the subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons.