The year is 2025. The digital generation has grown up, labor market has changed. Crafts are no longer popular, but earnings for such jobs are on the rise.
Traditionally the highest paid occupations in Serbia, they follow the global trend - the IT market is strong, Serbia has good experts, and salaries in this field are on average around 2.000-2.500 euros.
"Seniors earn an average in IT. The average is around 2.000-2.500 euros, but their salaries are known to go up to more than 5.000 euros on a monthly basis, depending on seniority," Miloš Turinski from the Poslovi-infostud portal, through which employers advertise vacancies, told "Vreme".
As he explains, IT is still among the highest paid professions.
"There are the highest salaries on average. There are different averages in IT and they vary from company to company and from center to center and seniority and knowledge of technology," added Turinski.
The Republic Statistical Office (RZS) published data on the highest paid occupations for January 2025.
Njio's statistics for the first month of this year show that in that month, the highest average salary of more than 440.000 dinars was in the sector of coke and petroleum derivatives production. The average salary in January compared to the previous month in this area differs by more than 230.000 dinars. The December average was 207.711 dinars.
Miloš Turinski says that it is the first time that employees in this field have come out on top in terms of average salary in Serbia.
"It must have happened because of the annual bonuses, the thirteenth salary," explains Turinski.
In second place, according to RZS data from January, is computer programming, consulting and related activities with an average of 400.234 dinars. The average above 300.000 dinars was also recorded in the fields of information and communication, and in air traffic.
"We don't have data regarding government jobs, because those jobs are not advertised here. That's the difference we see in relation to the Republic Statistical Office. The RSO sees flight control and pilots as one of the highest paid professions," explains Turinski.
Artisans side by side with the people of Ajtia
According to Infostud data, artisans and other deficit positions have seen an increase in wages in recent years and, as Turinski explains, "they are going side by side with the people of Ajtia".
"These are plumbers, electricians, carpenters, auto mechanics, hairdressers, masons, auto body workers, rebar workers, bakers, housekeepers, cooks. We had an ad on our website looking for a chef in our country with a starting salary of 3.000 euros," explains Turinski.
As he adds, when it comes to craftsmen, their salaries go above 1.000 euros, except for auxiliary workers.
"We had a case where a starting salary of 150.000 dinars was offered for an electrician. There are frequent ads for hairdressers with a starting salary of 100.000 dinars. For tinsmiths, it is around 160.000-170.000. These are salaries that are quite good for some terms that our labor market offers," says Turinski.
Earnings also vary depending on the place, so Belgrade, along with Novi Sad and Niš, lead in terms of salaries for all occupations.
Market deficit
Artisans, along with information technology experts and content creators, are the most sought-after occupations in 2025.
The main reason for the high wages in craft professions is the lack of staff in the country. That is why Serbia imports workers for these positions.
"When we talk about craftsmen, the price of their services is more expensive in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, because it is the most difficult to get their services in those places. The craftsmen know this well, and therefore the price of their work is higher," says Turinski.
As he adds, since the deficit has been recorded, it has never stopped, but has grown from year to year.
"Thus, we also see the struggle of employers to increase working conditions, pay in the first place, in order to be able to remain competitive on the market and attract the remaining staff. This is in favor of qualified workers who know that they can choose", explains the interlocutor of "Vremena".
20 or more years ago, employers treated all these workers according to the principle - if you don't want to work, there is someone who will. However, that has since changed.
"That wheel turned in favor of all these workers who know they can negotiate and ask for much better conditions than they were," says Turinski.
Statistics show a shortage of hairdressers.
"People do not agree to work for the minimum wage and with six working days a week, but are looking for better conditions, hence the numerous advertisements in hairdressing salons."
For decades, people from Serbia have been going to the countries of Western Europe for better working conditions.
"At one time, the jobs here were not valued and paid enough as they are today. On the other hand, that reflected on the market and views on this entire industry. That remained in the minds of parents and current children," explains Turinski.
On the other hand, as he adds, we live in 2025.
"The digital generation has grown up and is not interested in enrolling in these majors in order to be able to fill everything that the labor market requires. That's why we have to import workers," concludes the interlocutor of "Vremen".
What are the data of the National Employment Service?
In March 2025, according to the data of the National Employment Service, employers in Serbia were looking for 17.472 workers, and by far the most wanted were programmers, for whom 1.517 vacancies were advertised.
After programmers, the most sought-after were cleaners with 827 advertised vacancies, followed by warehouse workers with 630, loading or unloading workers – 517 and seamstresses with 488 vacancies.
Construction workers, carpenters, masons were also at the top of the sought-after professions.
Truck and bus drivers were also wanted.
When it comes to the professions that were least in demand in March, they were occupational safety and health experts, art teachers, prosecutor's assistants and internists, since only two positions were advertised for them.
