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Average Youth Care Counselor Salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2026

A youth care counselor in Bosnia and Herzegovina earns about 34,480 BAM a year. That's 32% above the national average of 26,100 BAM.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Bosnia and Herzegovina sit around 14,820 BAM a year, while the very top stretches to 55,140 BAM. Everything on this page is in Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark (BAM, symbol ), 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina, 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 youth care counselor make in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Average salary
34,480 BAM
2,873 BAM per month
Lowest reported
14,820 BAM
1,235 BAM per month
Highest reported
55,140 BAM
4,595 BAM per month

A typical youth care counselor working in Bosnia and Herzegovina brings home around 2,873 BAM a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 14,820 BAM, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 55,140 BAM 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 youth care counselor 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 youth care counselor pay ranges in Bosnia and Herzegovina

A good way to think about salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all youth care counselors in Bosnia and Herzegovina earn less than 38,140 BAM 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 22,340 BAM (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 49,300 BAM (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of youth care counselors sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 14,820 BAM. The highest stretch to 55,140 BAM, 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.

14,820
Low
38,140
Median
55,140
High
22,340
25th
49,300
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in BAM

Youth care counselor pay by experience in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a youth care counselor in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 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 youth care counselor salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    17,860 BAM
  • 2-5 Years
    +32% from previous
    23,660 BAM
  • 5-10 Years
    +45% from previous
    34,360 BAM
  • 10-15 Years
    +26% from previous
    43,340 BAM
  • 15-20 Years
    +8% from previous
    46,980 BAM
  • 20+ Years
    +4% from previous
    49,020 BAM

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 45%. That is the point at which a youth care counselor 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.


Youth care counselor pay by education in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving youth care counselor pay in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 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 youth care counselor salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Bachelor's Degree
    19,380 BAM
  • Master's Degree
    +66% from previous
    32,200 BAM
  • PhD
    +61% from previous
    51,900 BAM

Youth care counselor gender pay gap in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Bosnia and Herzegovina is no exception. Male youth care counselors in Bosnia and Herzegovina earn an average of 30,700 BAM a year, while female youth care counselors earn around 36,160 BAM. That works out to a 15% gap in favour of women, 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.

Youth Care Counselor gender pay gap

15%

Men earn this much less than women on average in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Women 36,160 BAM
Men 30,700 BAM

Pay raises for a youth care counselor in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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 Bosnia and Herzegovina sees a raise of about 8% every 30 months, which works out to roughly 3% 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina, the national average raise is around 4% every 29 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in Bosnia and Herzegovina:

  • 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

Youth care counselor bonus rates in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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.

42%

42% of youth care counselors in Bosnia and Herzegovina reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a youth care counselor 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 2% to 7% of base salary. The remaining 58% of youth care counselors reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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

Youth care counselor: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in Bosnia and Herzegovina is about 27% 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

21%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Bosnia and Herzegovina on average.

Public sector 31,400 BAM
Private sector 24,800 BAM

Youth care counselor salary by city in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Youth care counselor pay is not even across Bosnia and Herzegovina. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • Banja Luka
  • Sarajevo
  • Tuzla
  • Zenica
  • Medjugorje
  • Mostar
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
Banja LukaCity37,800 BAM39,160 BAM19,860-57,440 BAM
SarajevoCity36,720 BAM40,640 BAM17,860-60,920 BAM
TuzlaCity35,340 BAM36,800 BAM16,400-52,880 BAM
ZenicaCity34,360 BAM34,540 BAM17,760-54,180 BAM
MedjugorjeCity33,440 BAM32,020 BAM16,340-48,920 BAM
MostarCity31,980 BAM29,640 BAM17,860-50,080 BAM


Youth Care Counselor in Bosnia and Herzegovina: FAQs

  • How much does a youth care counselor make per month in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

    A youth care counselor in Bosnia and Herzegovina earns about 2,873 BAM a month before tax, based on an annual average of 34,480 BAM.

  • What's the salary range for a youth care counselor in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

    Entry-level youth care counselors in Bosnia and Herzegovina start near 14,820 BAM. Top-end pay reaches around 55,140 BAM. The middle 50% of earners sit between 22,340 and 49,300 BAM.

  • Is the median youth care counselor salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 38,140 BAM, higher than the average of 34,480 BAM. Half of youth care counselors in Bosnia and Herzegovina earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for youth care counselors in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

    Men working as a youth care counselor in Bosnia and Herzegovina earn around 15% less than women on average (30,700 vs 36,160 BAM a year).

  • Do youth care counselors in Bosnia and Herzegovina get bonuses?

    About 42% of youth care counselors in Bosnia and Herzegovina reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary.

  • Do youth care counselors earn more in the public or private sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

    In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the public sector pays a youth care counselor about 27% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do youth care counselors in Bosnia and Herzegovina get a pay raise?

    A youth care counselor in Bosnia and Herzegovina sees a raise of around 8% every 30 months, equivalent to roughly 3% a year.