Average Chemistry Teacher Salary in Bulgaria for 2026
A chemistry teacher in Bulgaria earns about 29,160 BGN a year. That's 25% below the national average of 38,700 BGN.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Bulgaria sit around 17,020 BGN a year, while the very top stretches to 48,740 BGN. Everything on this page is in Bulgarian lev (BGN, symbol лв), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.
The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Bulgaria, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.
How much does a chemistry teacher make in Bulgaria?
A typical chemistry teacher working in Bulgaria brings home around 2,430 BGN a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 17,020 BGN, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 48,740 BGN for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.
The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior chemistry teacher working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.
How chemistry teacher pay ranges in Bulgaria
A good way to think about salary in Bulgaria is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all chemistry teachers in Bulgaria earn less than 31,960 BGN a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".
Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 21,400 BGN (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 38,780 BGN (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of chemistry teachers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 17,020 BGN. The highest stretch to 48,740 BGN, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.
Chemistry teacher pay by experience in Bulgaria
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a chemistry teacher in Bulgaria, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical chemistry teacher salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years19,200 BGN
- 2-5 Years+29% from previous24,840 BGN
- 5-10 Years+30% from previous32,200 BGN
- 10-15 Years+18% from previous37,880 BGN
- 15-20 Years+11% from previous42,040 BGN
- 20+ Years+11% from previous46,720 BGN
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 30%. That is the point at which a chemistry teacher typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.
Chemistry teacher pay by education in Bulgaria
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving chemistry teacher pay in Bulgaria. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.
Below is the average chemistry teacher salary in Bulgaria broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- Bachelor's Degree21,020 BGN
- Master's Degree+47% from previous30,840 BGN
- PhD+48% from previous45,720 BGN
Chemistry teacher gender pay gap in Bulgaria
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Bulgaria is no exception. Male chemistry teachers in Bulgaria earn an average of 32,200 BGN a year, while female chemistry teachers earn around 28,680 BGN. That works out to a 12% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.
A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.
Chemistry Teacher gender pay gap
11%
Men earn this much more than women on average in Bulgaria.
Pay raises for a chemistry teacher in Bulgaria
Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.
A typical worker doing this role in Bulgaria sees a raise of about 9% every 21 months, which works out to roughly 5% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.
Across all jobs in Bulgaria, the national average raise is around 7% every 20 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in Bulgaria:
- Banking
- Energy
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Travel
- Construction
- Education
By experience level
Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.
- Junior Level3% - 5%
- Mid-Career
- Senior Level
- Top Management
Chemistry teacher bonus rates in Bulgaria
Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.
28% of chemistry teachers in Bulgaria reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a chemistry teacher a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.
Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 72% of chemistry teachers reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in Bulgaria
Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.
- Finance
- Architecture
- Sales
- Business Development
- Marketing / Advertising
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Customer Service
- Human Resources
- Construction
- Transport
- Hospitality
Chemistry teacher: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in Bulgaria is about 2% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.
Public vs private pay gap
2%
Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Bulgaria on average.
Chemistry teacher salary by city in Bulgaria
Chemistry teacher pay is not even across Bulgaria. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.
- Plovdiv
- Sofia
- Varna
- Burgas
- Rousse
- Stara Zagora
| Location | Type | Average | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plovdiv | City | 34,160 BGN | 34,480 BGN | 17,620-50,180 BGN |
| Sofia | City | 33,980 BGN | 31,040 BGN | 17,760-51,800 BGN |
| Varna | City | 33,440 BGN | 30,800 BGN | 18,780-49,360 BGN |
| Burgas | City | 31,400 BGN | 31,400 BGN | 17,260-45,720 BGN |
| Rousse | City | 28,680 BGN | 34,080 BGN | 12,000-46,040 BGN |
| Stara Zagora | City | 26,860 BGN | 26,280 BGN | 14,840-43,340 BGN |
Chemistry Teacher in Bulgaria: FAQs
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How much does a chemistry teacher make per month in Bulgaria?
A chemistry teacher in Bulgaria earns about 2,430 BGN a month before tax, based on an annual average of 29,160 BGN.
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What's the salary range for a chemistry teacher in Bulgaria?
Entry-level chemistry teachers in Bulgaria start near 17,020 BGN. Top-end pay reaches around 48,740 BGN. The middle 50% of earners sit between 21,400 and 38,780 BGN.
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Is the median chemistry teacher salary in Bulgaria higher or lower than the average?
The median is 31,960 BGN, higher than the average of 29,160 BGN. Half of chemistry teachers in Bulgaria earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for chemistry teachers in Bulgaria?
Men working as a chemistry teacher in Bulgaria earn around 12% more than women on average (32,200 vs 28,680 BGN a year).
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Do chemistry teachers in Bulgaria get bonuses?
About 28% of chemistry teachers in Bulgaria reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.
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Do chemistry teachers earn more in the public or private sector in Bulgaria?
In Bulgaria, the public sector pays a chemistry teacher about 2% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.
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How often do chemistry teachers in Bulgaria get a pay raise?
A chemistry teacher in Bulgaria sees a raise of around 9% every 21 months, equivalent to roughly 5% a year.