In Russia, 58% of workers expect a pay raise in 2027
Against the backdrop of rising costs, most employed Russians are hoping for a pay raise next year. Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed expect a pay raise in 2027—the highest figure since 2020, when 36% of respondents expressed such hopes.
This is according to the results of a SuperJob survey published by the newspaper Izvestia. The survey included 1,600 adult Russian citizens who have permanent jobs and live in 383 localities.
Employees under the age of 35 are most likely to expect a raise—65% of them. Among men, 59% expect a salary increase, while among women, the figure is 56%. Employees currently earning between 100,000 and 150,000 rubles are the most hopeful about an increase in income: 64% of them expect a raise.
Experts attribute these sentiments primarily to rising living costs. Valery Tumin, a member of the expert council attached to the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, explained that employees assess their income based on the amount remaining after paying for housing, groceries, transportation, and other essential needs. Therefore, the expectation of a raise is often linked not so much to a desire to earn more as to an attempt to maintain their accustomed standard of living.
According to the “Salary Data Bank” service, more than 54% of Russian companies have already implemented salary adjustments in 2026. Another 20% of companies plan to review salaries in November and December. The average raise is 10%.
At the same time, salary offers in Russia for January–October rose by an average of 19% year-over-year—to 85,246 rubles per month, according to Roman Gubanov, Director of Development at Avito Raboty.
However, employers’ plans for next year are significantly more restrained. According to hh.ru, only 16.5% of companies currently plan to adjust salaries in the first quarter of 2027.
The ability to raise salaries depends on a company’s financial results, profitability, borrowing costs, and labor productivity, Tumin noted. If sales are not growing, while expenses for rent, materials, and loan servicing are increasing, it becomes more difficult for companies to maintain their previous pace of salary increases.
Daria Medvednikova, a representative of the Presidential Academy (RANHiGS), believes that in 2027, significant wage increases are likely to occur primarily in specific sectors of strategic importance. According to Tumin’s assessment, skilled workers and engineers at industrial enterprises, medical professionals, and experienced IT specialists in the fields of information security and infrastructure will have the best chances of receiving a raise.
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