The government found about 148 million lei at the November 26 meeting to increase the salaries of mayors, deputy mayors and secretaries of local councils by 50%. The amendments to the draft law on the amendment of the state budget for 2025 went along with the already adopted rectification of the budgetary characteristics by the deputies of the legislative body.
The Finance Ministry specifies that the reallocation of funds to increase the salaries of local elected officials “will strengthen their managerial potential” and at the same time will not affect “the main indicators of the state budget, approved by the government and adopted by Parliament in the first reading”.
The salaries in the first level of local authorities in Moldova are not published as a single indicator, but their level depends on many factors, such as position, seniority, district and a specific decision of the mayor or council. The average salary in the public sector as a whole is about 13,162 lei (based on data for the second quarter of 2025).
The difference in salary between a mayor, a council secretary and an ordinary employee can be significant. Salary levels can vary from region to region and even from locality to locality. Salaries can be set by local councils and administrations, so they can vary dramatically from municipality to municipality and city to city.
