Average Surgeon - Neurology Salary in Bulgaria for 2026
A neurology surgeon in Bulgaria earns about 159,100 BGN a year. That's 311% 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 72,700 BGN a year, while the very top stretches to 249,600 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 neurology surgeon make in Bulgaria?
A typical neurology surgeon working in Bulgaria brings home around 13,258 BGN a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 72,700 BGN, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 249,600 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 neurology surgeon 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 neurology surgeon 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 neurology surgeons in Bulgaria earn less than 172,200 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 111,240 BGN (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 227,600 BGN (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of neurology surgeons sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 72,700 BGN. The highest stretch to 249,600 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.
Neurology surgeon pay by experience in Bulgaria
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a neurology surgeon 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 neurology surgeon salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years80,640 BGN
- 2-5 Years+36% from previous109,460 BGN
- 5-10 Years+48% from previous161,600 BGN
- 10-15 Years+22% from previous197,600 BGN
- 15-20 Years+9% from previous215,100 BGN
- 20+ Years+9% from previous233,600 BGN
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 48%. That is the point at which a neurology surgeon 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.
Neurology surgeon pay by education in Bulgaria
Education lifts pay across almost every role, but the size of the lift varies enormously. The biggest premiums show up in licensed professions like medicine, law and accounting, where extra years of formal study open up seniority that isn't available without the qualification. The smallest premiums show up in skilled trades and creative work, where practical experience often beats academic credentials.
As a rough cross-industry guide for Bulgaria: a post-secondary certificate or diploma adds around 17% over a high-school-only baseline. A bachelor's degree typically adds another 25% on top of that. A master's lifts pay a further 30%, and a PhD adds about 22% more in fields that value research-level qualifications. These are averages across many different professions, so the real number for your specific job could easily be twice as high or close to zero. The per-job pages below have the real numbers for individual roles.
Neurology surgeon gender pay gap in Bulgaria
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Bulgaria is no exception. Male neurology surgeons in Bulgaria earn an average of 163,800 BGN a year, while female neurology surgeons earn around 152,100 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.
Surgeon - Neurology gender pay gap
7%
Men earn this much more than women on average in Bulgaria.
Pay raises for a neurology surgeon 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 13% every 20 months, which works out to roughly 8% 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
Neurology surgeon 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.
88% of neurology surgeons in Bulgaria reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a neurology surgeon a high-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 5% to 9% of base salary. The remaining 12% of neurology surgeons 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
Neurology surgeon: 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.
Neurology surgeon salary by city in Bulgaria
Neurology surgeon pay is not even across Bulgaria. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.
- Sofia
- Plovdiv
- Varna
- Burgas
- Rousse
- Stara Zagora
| Location | Type | Average | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sofia | City | 172,200 BGN | 172,200 BGN | 82,720-265,000 BGN |
| Plovdiv | City | 161,600 BGN | 176,800 BGN | 75,500-259,100 BGN |
| Varna | City | 157,600 BGN | 151,800 BGN | 79,500-238,900 BGN |
| Burgas | City | 150,000 BGN | 152,100 BGN | 74,540-232,900 BGN |
| Rousse | City | 142,300 BGN | 157,600 BGN | 65,080-228,000 BGN |
| Stara Zagora | City | 139,100 BGN | 130,400 BGN | 72,120-209,700 BGN |
Surgeon - Neurology in Bulgaria: FAQs
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How much does a neurology surgeon make per month in Bulgaria?
A neurology surgeon in Bulgaria earns about 13,258 BGN a month before tax, based on an annual average of 159,100 BGN.
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What's the salary range for a neurology surgeon in Bulgaria?
Entry-level neurology surgeons in Bulgaria start near 72,700 BGN. Top-end pay reaches around 249,600 BGN. The middle 50% of earners sit between 111,240 and 227,600 BGN.
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Is the median neurology surgeon salary in Bulgaria higher or lower than the average?
The median is 172,200 BGN, higher than the average of 159,100 BGN. Half of neurology surgeons in Bulgaria earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for neurology surgeons in Bulgaria?
Men working as a neurology surgeon in Bulgaria earn around 8% more than women on average (163,800 vs 152,100 BGN a year).
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Do neurology surgeons in Bulgaria get bonuses?
About 88% of neurology surgeons in Bulgaria reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 5% to 9% of base salary.
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Do neurology surgeons earn more in the public or private sector in Bulgaria?
In Bulgaria, the public sector pays a neurology surgeon 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 neurology surgeons in Bulgaria get a pay raise?
A neurology surgeon in Bulgaria sees a raise of around 13% every 20 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.