Average Salary in Cuba: Gap Between the Best and Worst Paid Sectors in 2026
The average monthly salary in Cuba for the business and budgeted system stood at around 7,400 pesos at the close of August, according to a publication by the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI).
However, this average figure hides a deep heterogeneity among the different sectors of the national economy, showing notable differences between the most dynamic activities and the traditional ones.
At the upper end of the scale, Construction comfortably led the remuneration ranking with an average salary of approximately 14,700 Cuban pesos, doubling the Island’s general average.
This sector was followed by the Supply of electricity, gas, and water, with 13,400 pesos, and Mining and quarrying, with 12,600. Together with Business services, real estate and rental activities (10,800 pesos) and Science and technological innovation (10,400), they were the only five sectors capable of surpassing the 10,000-peso monthly barrier.
On the contrary, the panorama for other productive and service branches is much more limited.
The sugar industry positioned itself as the activity with the lowest average salary in the country, with about 4,700 Cuban pesos. It was followed by Hotels and restaurants, with 5,100 pesos; Commerce, repair of personal effects, with 5,200; the Culture and Sports sector, with 5,600; and Communal, association, and personal service activities, with 5,700.
Strikingly, Education, fundamental for social development, ranked among the lowest with 5,800 pesos.
Finally, the data show that other strategic sectors remain in an intermediate band.
«Agriculture, livestock, hunting, and forestry» averaged about 6,900 Cuban pesos, while «Public health and social assistance» registered 7,000, and «Financial intermediation» reached 7,700 pesos.
To know exactly the evolution of these figures compared to previous years, ONEI refers to the bulletin Selected Indicators of the Business and Budgeted System of August 2026.
