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Salaries for cultural workers and librarians are to be increased by 40–70 per cent from 2027

Katerina Melnychenko
Katerina Melnychenko Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Salaries for cultural workers and librarians are to be increased by 40–70 per cent from 2027
This refers to librarians, museum staff, archivists and staff at other state and local cultural institutions.
From 1 January 2027, the basic salaries of staff at state and local cultural institutions in Ukraine will increase. For most staff, they will rise by 70 per cent, whilst for certain categories already receiving pay-rise coefficients, they will rise by 40 per cent.

This was announced by the Minister for Culture, Tetiana Berezhna.

The decision affects more than 118,000 employees across the country. This includes librarians, museum staff, archivists and employees of other state and local cultural institutions. The pay rise will also apply to staff at the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and the Ukrainian Book Institute.

The ministry has not yet specified which categories will receive a 40 per cent pay rise and which a 70 per cent increase. Nor have the specific amounts of future salaries for different posts and pay grades been disclosed.

It should be noted that this refers specifically to the basic salary, not the total amount an employee receives in hand. The final salary may also include allowances, supplements, bonuses and other payments, so it will not necessarily increase by exactly 40 per cent or 70 per cent.

Pay grades in the cultural sector have not been revised since 2009. As a result, employees in pay grades one to fourteen were effectively receiving salaries at the minimum wage level, regardless of their experience, education or the complexity of their work.

At the start of 2026, the salaries of many librarians did not exceed 8,000 hryvnias. In February, representatives of the profession appealed to the government, demanding a review of the pay and social status of library staff.

According to the State Statistics Service, in 2025 the average salary in libraries, archives, museums and other cultural institutions stood at 22,721 hryvnias. The average for the Ukrainian economy stood at 39,758 hryvnias — almost 17,000 more.

The Ministry of Culture attributes this disparity to staff turnover. Due to low salaries, the sector was losing experienced specialists, and institutions were finding it increasingly difficult to recruit new staff.

The pay rise from 2027 is intended to be the first stage in reforming the remuneration system. Going forward, the ministry plans to move to a model in which remuneration will depend on qualifications, responsibilities and performance.

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