Main points
- In Russia, salaries for IT specialists have stopped growing due to inflation, which has exceeded salary growth.
- There are over 18 resumes per vacancy in the IT sector, which makes it difficult to increase salaries due to high competition.
Inflation has begun to eat away at business salaries in Russia / Depositphotos
In Russia, salaries for IT specialists have almost stopped growing. The sums are being “eaten up” by rising prices, and there are no longer any massive salary increases.
How have salaries changed in the IT business in Russia?
In the second half of 2025, the median salary in the industry was 183 thousand rubles and did not change over the year, writes the Russian media outlet Kommersant.
This was largely due to the slowdown in wage growth in the regions. At the same time, in annual terms, wages in the industry grew less than inflation, which, according to Rosstat, reached 5.6% last year.
For example, in Moscow the figure increased by only 4%, and in Nizhny Novgorod – by 1%. Thus, the increase in prices began to “eat” the salaries of IT specialists.
- In general, the current trend is related to the general economic situation – companies are reviewing and cutting IT budgets, uncertainty is growing, which is why businesses are taking a more cautious approach to hiring and reviewing salaries.
- At the same time, currently there are a little more than 18 resumes per vacancy, which is a very high figure.
Stagnation or even a slight decrease in salaries is expected in the first half of 2026. In the second half of the year, much will depend on macroeconomic indicators and the willingness of companies to increase investments in IT again.
How are business and industry declining in Russia?
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The Russian Steel Association is asking the Kremlin to review the excise tax on liquid steel, stimulate domestic metal consumption, and introduce a tariff surcharge on imports of rolled metal. Steel production in Russia has declined, while imports from Kazakhstan and China are growing, causing a crisis in the metallurgical industry.
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Russia is recording its lowest rate of new business start-ups in 14 years. Tax hikes, rising insurance premiums, a slump in the consumer sector, and tight fiscal policies have led to a decline in the number of new businesses, especially in construction, retail, and services.
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Russian industry is on the verge of its worst crisis yet due to Western sanctions, high borrowing costs and a slowing economy. Key sectors such as metallurgy, chemicals and engineering have seen significant declines in production.