Software Engineer Average Salary in Bulgaria 2024
How much money does a person working as Software Engineer make in Bulgaria?
LOW
1,730
BGN AVERAGE
3,330
BGN HIGH
5,100
BGN
A person working as Software Engineer in Bulgaria typically earns around 3,330 BGN. Salaries range from 1,730 BGN (lowest) to 5,100 BGN (highest).
Salary Variance
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Software Engineer salaries in Bulgaria vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Software Engineer Pay Scale and Salaries in Bulgaria
Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison
3,020 BGN or more
2,690 to 3,020 BGN
1,960 BGN or less
1,960 to 2,690 BGN
 1,730 BGN |
3,030 BGN |
5,100 BGN |
Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range
Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary
Salaries for the position Software Engineer in Bulgaria range from 1,730 BGN (starting salary) to 5,100 BGN (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.
Median Salary
With a median salary of 3,030 BGN, half of the professionals who work as Software Engineer in Bulgaria earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.
Percentiles and Salary Scale
The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Software Engineer in Bulgaria earn less than 2,510 BGN, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 3,440 BGN while 25% earn more.
Pay Scale Structure
To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Software Engineer in Bulgaria compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 1,960 BGN to 2,690 BGN. About 20% of salaries are below the 1,960 BGN mark, while 10% fall within the range of 2,690 BGN to 3,020 BGN. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 3,020 BGN.
Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Software Engineer / Bulgaria
How do experience and age affect pay?
| 0 - 2 Years | 1,970 BGN | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +34% | 2,640 BGN |
| 5 - 10 Years | +30% | 3,430 BGN |
| 10 - 15 Years | +21% | 4,150 BGN |
| 15 - 20 Years | +9% | 4,540 BGN |
| 20+ Years | +5% | 4,780 BGN |
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Software Engineer and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 1,970 BGN.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 2,640 BGN, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 3,430 BGN, 30% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 4,150 BGN, 21% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 4,540 BGN, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 4,780 BGN, 5% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Salary Comparison By Education / Software Engineer / Bulgaria
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Software Engineer.
| Certificate or Diploma | 2,340 BGN | |
| Bachelor's Degree | +52% | 3,550 BGN |
| Master's Degree | +42% | 5,030 BGN |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position Software Engineer in order to make a comparison.
Level 1: Certificate or Diploma
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 2,340 BGN.
Level 2: Bachelor's Degree
At this level, the average salary becomes 3,550 BGN, 52% more than the previous level.
Level 3: Master's Degree
At this level, the average salary becomes 5,030 BGN, 42% more than the previous level.
Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Bulgaria costs anywhere from 16,600 BGN to 49,700 BGN and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch to a higher-paying job. The numbers seem to support the theory. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers
Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Software Engineer / Bulgaria
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Software Engineer in Bulgaria, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 6%.
| Male | 3,440 BGN | |
| Female | -6% | 3,240 BGN |
Salary Comparison By Gender in Bulgaria for all Careers
Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Software Engineer / Bulgaria
How much are annual salary increments in Bulgaria for individuals working as Software Engineer? How often do employees get salary raises?
Individuals working as Software Engineer in Bulgaria are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 11% every 20 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 7% granted to employees every 20 months.
Bulgaria / All Professions
The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
How to calculate the salary increment percentage?
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
Salary Packages and Schemes
Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.
Bonus and Incentive Rates / Software Engineer / Bulgaria
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
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50% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 50% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 5% of their annual salary.
| Received Bonus | 50% | |
| No Bonus | 50% |
Types of Bonuses Considered
Individual Performance-Based BonusesThe most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
Bonuses Are Not Commissions!
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?
The main two types of jobs | |
| Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
Average Hourly Wage / Software Engineer / Bulgaria
19 BGN per hourThe average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Software Engineer in Bulgaria is 19 BGN.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.
About The Hourly Pay Rate
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?
The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Software Engineer in Bulgaria is 10 BGN. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Salary comparison with similar jobs
| Job Title | Average Salary |
| Information Technology |  -100% | |
| Applications Engineer | 2,760 BGN | -17% |
| Big Data Architect | 3,860 BGN |  +16% |
| BigQuery Specialist | 4,220 BGN | +27% |
| Business Intelligence Analyst | 3,380 BGN | +2% |
| Business Intelligence Consultant | 4,620 BGN | +39% |
| Business Intelligence Manager | 4,870 BGN | +46% |
| Business Systems Analyst | 2,880 BGN | -14% |
| Data Quality Analyst | 3,140 BGN | -6% |
| Data-driven Designer | 2,920 BGN | -12% |
| Director of Application Development | 4,630 BGN | +39% |
| Disaster Recovery Analyst | 3,100 BGN | -7% |
| Disaster Recovery Specialist | 3,150 BGN | -5% |
| Enterprise Infrastructure Architect | 4,340 BGN | +30% |
| ERP Analyst | 3,360 BGN | +1% |
| Functional Analyst | 3,290 BGN | -1% |
| Information Technology Systems Analyst | 3,510 BGN | +5% |
| Information Technology Training Analyst | 3,440 BGN | +3% |
| Neo4J Specialist | 3,120 BGN | -6% |
| OPS Manager | 4,490 BGN | +35% |
| Principal Data Engineer | 3,070 BGN | -8% |
| Reporting Analyst | 3,300 BGN | -1% |
| Salesforce Administrator | 3,040 BGN | -9% |
| Snowflake Specialist | 3,260 BGN | -2% |
| SOA Analyst | 3,290 BGN | -1% |
| Software Analyst | 3,170 BGN | -5% |
| Software Architect | 3,180 BGN | -5% |
| Software Engineer | 3,330 BGN | = |
| Solutions Architect | 4,520 BGN | +36% |
| Systems Analyst | 3,030 BGN | -9% |
| Systems Architect | 3,220 BGN | -3% |
| Technical Analyst | 2,880 BGN | -14% |
| Technology Business Analyst | 3,420 BGN | +3% |
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in Bulgaria is 9% on average across all career fields.
| Private Sector | 3,140 BGN | |
| Public Sector | +9% | 3,440 BGN |
Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide
What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title Software Engineer in Bulgaria?
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 3,030 BGN and 3,440 BGN. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.
Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.
Base / Basic Salary
The base salary for a careers like Software Engineer in Bulgaria ranges from 1,730 BGN to 2,510 BGN. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
