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Average Molecular and Cellular Biologist Salary in Bulgaria for 2026

A molecular and cellular biologist in Bulgaria earns about 86,520 BGN a year. That's 124% above 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 42,320 BGN a year, while the very top stretches to 136,100 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 molecular and cellular biologist make in Bulgaria?

Average salary
86,520 BGN
7,210 BGN per month
Lowest reported
42,320 BGN
3,526 BGN per month
Highest reported
136,100 BGN
11,341 BGN per month

A typical molecular and cellular biologist working in Bulgaria brings home around 7,210 BGN a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 42,320 BGN, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 136,100 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 molecular and cellular biologist 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 molecular and cellular biologist 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 molecular and cellular biologists in Bulgaria earn less than 86,800 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 57,620 BGN (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 114,940 BGN (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of molecular and cellular biologists sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 42,320 BGN. The highest stretch to 136,100 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.

42,320
Low
86,800
Median
136,100
High
57,620
25th
114,940
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in BGN

Molecular and cellular biologist pay by experience in Bulgaria

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a molecular and cellular biologist 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 molecular and cellular biologist salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    50,020 BGN
  • 2-5 Years
    +32% from previous
    66,000 BGN
  • 5-10 Years
    +32% from previous
    87,040 BGN
  • 10-15 Years
    +24% from previous
    107,880 BGN
  • 15-20 Years
    +9% from previous
    117,380 BGN
  • 20+ Years
    +6% from previous
    124,400 BGN

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 32%. That is the point at which a molecular and cellular biologist 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.


Molecular and cellular biologist pay by education in Bulgaria

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving molecular and cellular biologist 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 molecular and cellular biologist salary in Bulgaria broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Bachelor's Degree
    60,480 BGN
  • Master's Degree
    +34% from previous
    80,840 BGN
  • PhD
    +61% from previous
    130,400 BGN

Molecular and cellular biologist gender pay gap in Bulgaria

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Bulgaria is no exception. Male molecular and cellular biologists in Bulgaria earn an average of 89,800 BGN a year, while female molecular and cellular biologists earn around 83,420 BGN. That works out to a 8% 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.

Molecular and Cellular Biologist gender pay gap

7%

Men earn this much more than women on average in Bulgaria.

Men 89,800 BGN
Women 83,420 BGN

Pay raises for a molecular and cellular biologist 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 11% every 22 months, which works out to roughly 6% 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 Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Molecular and cellular biologist 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.

56%

56% of molecular and cellular biologists in Bulgaria reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a molecular and cellular biologist a moderate-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 3% to 6% of base salary. The remaining 44% of molecular and cellular biologists 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

Molecular and cellular biologist: 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.

Public sector 40,040 BGN
Private sector 39,160 BGN

Molecular and cellular biologist salary by city in Bulgaria

Molecular and cellular biologist 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
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
PlovdivCity91,560 BGN89,960 BGN43,340-138,800 BGN
SofiaCity91,520 BGN95,420 BGN44,300-143,200 BGN
VarnaCity89,280 BGN88,580 BGN46,840-137,400 BGN
BurgasCity88,260 BGN80,280 BGN47,120-134,600 BGN
RousseCity77,860 BGN86,520 BGN36,800-127,700 BGN
Stara ZagoraCity77,340 BGN80,760 BGN39,160-123,400 BGN


Molecular and Cellular Biologist in Bulgaria: FAQs

  • How much does a molecular and cellular biologist make per month in Bulgaria?

    A molecular and cellular biologist in Bulgaria earns about 7,210 BGN a month before tax, based on an annual average of 86,520 BGN.

  • What's the salary range for a molecular and cellular biologist in Bulgaria?

    Entry-level molecular and cellular biologists in Bulgaria start near 42,320 BGN. Top-end pay reaches around 136,100 BGN. The middle 50% of earners sit between 57,620 and 114,940 BGN.

  • Is the median molecular and cellular biologist salary in Bulgaria higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 86,800 BGN, higher than the average of 86,520 BGN. Half of molecular and cellular biologists in Bulgaria earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for molecular and cellular biologists in Bulgaria?

    Men working as a molecular and cellular biologist in Bulgaria earn around 8% more than women on average (89,800 vs 83,420 BGN a year).

  • Do molecular and cellular biologists in Bulgaria get bonuses?

    About 56% of molecular and cellular biologists in Bulgaria reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary.

  • Do molecular and cellular biologists earn more in the public or private sector in Bulgaria?

    In Bulgaria, the public sector pays a molecular and cellular biologist about 2% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do molecular and cellular biologists in Bulgaria get a pay raise?

    A molecular and cellular biologist in Bulgaria sees a raise of around 11% every 22 months, equivalent to roughly 6% a year.