Kazakhstan’s Labor Market: What Real Opportunities for Expats?

Published on April 22, 2026 and written by Cyril Jarnias

Kazakhstan is gradually establishing itself as the economic engine of Central Asia. Long seen primarily for its oil and gas deposits, the country now displays a labor market that is much more diversified, supported by a young population, a strategic geographic location between Europe and Asia, and an active policy of attracting foreign talent. For expatriates, opportunities do exist—but they come with significant salary disparities, demanding administrative procedures, and a cultural environment to adapt to.

Good to know:

This article details career possibilities in Kazakhstan for foreigners, including local contracts, positions in international subsidiaries, as well as remote work opportunities thanks to new digital nomad visas.

A Dynamic Yet Contrasted Labor Market

The Kazakhstani job market shows overall favorable indicators. In 2025, approximately 9.3 million people were employed, including nearly 7.1 million employees and 2.2 million self-employed workers. The unemployment rate, calculated using the International Labour Organization methodology, hovers around 4.6%, a low level compared to many European countries.

64.4

The employment rate for the population aged 15 and over is 64.4%.

The main components of the labor market can be summarized as follows: unemployment, salaried employment, self-employment, undeclared work, and precarious work.

Behind these generally reassuring figures, however, lie more nuanced realities: significance of informal employment, rise of default entrepreneurship, and marked regional disparities between the oil-rich West and the rural regions of the South.

For an expatriate, this means not relying solely on the low unemployment rate: the real context heavily depends on the region, sector, and skill level.

Salary Levels: A Generally Attractive Country in Central Asia

In terms of income, Kazakhstan ranks above its Central Asian neighbors. In a global ranking by CEO World Magazine, the country ranks 80th out of 196 for average gross salary, with a monthly income of approximately $673. Other national and regional statistical sources give similar orders of magnitude, in tenge (KZT) as well as dollars.

Average, Median Salaries and Dispersion

Official Kazakhstani data shows a clear progression of salaries in recent years, even if inflation has eroded part of it.

For 2023 and 2024, for example, we observe:

In 2025, the Statistics Agency indicates for the third quarter an average salary of around 429,368 KZT per month, slightly down from the historical record of the second quarter (448,620 KZT). Over the long term (2000–2025), the historical average remains much lower, at around 114,000 KZT, illustrating the extent of wage growth.

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The typical annual salary for an employee in Kazakhstan is about 4.6 million KZT, with marked inequalities between the lower and upper quartiles.

For an expatriate, it is essential to remember that the national average salary does not reflect the compensation offered by major international companies, high-tech sectors, or skilled positions in Almaty, Astana, or the oil regions. In these segments, salaries can be several times higher than the national average.

Comparison with Central Asian Neighbors

On a regional scale, Kazakhstan stands out clearly:

Kazakhstan also has the highest minimum wage in the region, even if its absolute value remains modest.

For an expatriate from Western Europe or North America, local gross salary levels remain well below those in their home country. But relative to the cost of living, they remain competitive, especially since positions targeted at qualified foreigners, particularly in finance, IT, oil, or management, are generally well above these averages.

Regional Disparities: Oil-Rich West, Major Cities, and Less Favored South

Kazakhstan exhibits significant wage gaps between regions. The highest salaries are concentrated in the West, at the heart of the oil industry:

Regional Income Disparities in Kazakhstan

An overview of regions with the highest and lowest average incomes, based on dominant economic sectors.

Atyrau & Mangystau

Record the highest average incomes in the country, primarily driven by the oil and gas industries.

Astana & Almaty

The political capital and economic capital offer salaries above the national average.

Southern and Northern Regions

Zhambyl, Zhetysu, Turkestan, and North Kazakhstan regions display the lowest salary levels.

Growth dynamics also vary greatly: in 2024, the Almaty region experienced the strongest growth in median salary (+26.6%), while the Ulytau region was at the bottom with only +3%. For a foreign candidate on a local contract, these gaps must be factored in from the initial negotiations.

High-Potential Sectors and Sought-After Profiles

The Kazakhstani job market is far from uniform. Some sectors offer very attractive compensation and suffer from a shortage of qualified profiles, creating tangible prospects for expatriates.

Oil, Gas, Mining: The Enduring Attraction of Resource Wealth

The country’s economy remains largely driven by the extraction and export of natural resources: oil, gas, uranium, metals. These sectors account for nearly one-fifth of GDP. Major employment hubs are located in the western part of the country (Atyrau, Mangystau) and in industrial cities like Karaganda or Aktobe.

Careers as petroleum or mining engineers are among the highest paid. Some estimates report annual salaries between $60,000 and $100,000 for senior petroleum engineers, with significant benefits (housing, airfare, insurance, bonuses).

In the occupational hierarchy, the “managers and officials” group shows an average salary of about 588,000 KZT per month, which is 3.7 times more than that of unskilled workers (about 159,000 KZT). Again, in international companies, actual levels can be higher.

Finance, Insurance, and Business Services

Finance and insurance professions constitute another high-compensation pole. The average salary in this sector exceeds $1,700 per month, more than double the national average. The rise of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), which operates under Anglo-Saxon law and offers tax benefits, attracts both multinationals and foreign talent.

Tip:

For an experienced expatriate in finance or financial law, the cities of Astana and Almaty are the natural entry points to Kazakhstan. Opportunities are primarily found in investment banking, asset management, audit, compliance, risk management, as well as legal services and business consulting.

Tech and Digital: A Booming Market

IT is arguably the sector most rapidly changing the country’s image. Driven by the “Digital Kazakhstan” strategy, the government aims for the digital sector to reach 4 to 5% of GDP and wants to train 100,000 IT specialists in the short term. The Astana Hub, a leading technopark, hosts over 1,500 tech companies, including 400 international ones, and has enabled the creation of more than 28,000 jobs.

The IT services market could reach about $1.8 to $2.08 billion by 2029, with annual growth close to 9–10%. The number of IT professionals has risen from about 32,000 to over 70,000 in a few years, and demand remains well above supply, particularly in the following areas:

In-Demand IT Skills

Overview of key domains and technologies in the information technology sector, highlighting the most sought-after expertise in the market.

Software Development

Proficiency in languages and frameworks like Python, JavaScript, React, Java, C++, and .NET for application development.

Data Science & Analytics

Expertise in data analysis with Python, SQL, and BI tools to extract strategic insights.

Cybersecurity

A high-pressure domain with a shortage of about 5,000 specialists to protect systems and data.

Cloud & DevOps

Skills on platforms like AWS, Azure, GCP and tools like Docker, Kubernetes, and Terraform.

AI & Machine Learning

Development and implementation of artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions.

Design & IT Project Management

Expertise in UX/UI design, product management, and IT project management.

Salaries here are significantly higher than the economy’s average: junior developers start around $25,000 per year, experienced profiles can reach $45,000–60,000, and some highly specialized positions (AI architects, cybersecurity experts) exceed $70,000, or even more. A software engineer can aim, in the global market including bonuses, for total compensation around $60,000, with seniors above $80,000.

For digital expatriates, another advantage lies in the widespread adoption of hybrid models and remote work, very common in Kazakhstani IT. This makes it possible to settle in Kazakhstan with a foreign employer, or to work for a local startup while maintaining great flexibility.

Education, Healthcare, Services: Massive Needs but More Modest Salaries

Needs for skilled labor are also very high in education, healthcare, construction, and energy. Official forecasts for 2025 anticipate more than one million job postings on the public portal Enbek.kz, with about 250,000 to 350,000 in so-called “blue collar” occupations.

Among the most sought-after professions in the medium term are:

– secondary school teachers (social sciences, general subjects);

– primary school and kindergarten teachers;

– mid-level healthcare personnel;

– cooks, plumbers, welders, electricians, industrial mechanics, bus drivers, power plant operators.

An official list of 21 in-demand professions has been published by the authorities to facilitate the issuance of residence permits. It notably includes specialist doctors (neurosurgeons, hematologists, oncologists, neonatologists, endocrinologists), process engineers (chemical, pharmaceutical, mineral processing), aerospace engineers, space systems engineers, laser experts, medical physicists, bacteriologists, as well as IT and software architects.

These professions benefit from a simplified procedure for obtaining a long-term residence permit (up to 10 years). For a foreign doctor, high-level engineer, or IT architect, this creates a true privileged access corridor to the Kazakhstani market.

On the other hand, compensation in education and healthcare remains, for standard local contracts, lower than that offered in IT or finance. But international institutions (foreign private schools, high-end clinics) can offer attractive packages, especially in Almaty and Astana.

Who Earns How Much? Effects of Age, Education, and Experience

Kazakhstani salary statistics confirm a classic pattern: the higher the degree, experience, and integration into an international structure, the higher the income.

Effect of Age and Seniority

Salaries increase significantly with age up to the forties, then stabilize or slightly decrease. National data indicates for example:

– 16–24 years old: about 250,500 KZT per month (lowest level);

– 35–44 years old: nearly 397,500 KZT per month (peak compensation);

– 45–54 years old: around 372,800 KZT.

Tip:

Professional seniority significantly influences salary level. An employee with 2 to 5 years of experience earns on average 35% more than a beginner. With over 10 years of career, the supplement reaches about an additional 20% compared to the previous bracket. Beyond 15 years of experience, a premium of about 15% is generally observed. For an expatriate, these ratios constitute useful benchmarks during a salary negotiation with a local employer.

Effect of Degree

Education level strongly influences compensation:

Employees with a higher education degree earn on average 25 to 30% more than high school graduates. Studies show that compared to a simple high school graduate, a technical degree holder earns about 17% more, a bachelor’s degree holder 25%, a master’s degree holder 30%, and a doctorate holder 22%. This differential is further amplified in foreign companies and high-tech sectors.

It is worth noting that the country invests heavily in training: the cost of a local master’s or MBA ranges from about 1.94 to 5.81 million KZT over two years. For some expatriates already working in Kazakhstan, this can represent a realistic option to strengthen their regional prospects.

Local Contract, Foreign Company, or Public Sector: Very Clear Gaps

Not all companies offer the same salary conditions. The origin of capital and the nature of the employer play a big role.

574400

This is the average monthly salary in KZT for an employee in a foreign-capital company, 1.9 times more than in the public sector.

Interestingly, national data indicates that, all else being equal, public sector employees earn about 11% more than their counterparts in the local private sector for comparable roles. But expatriates are rarely recruited on purely public statuses; they are more often hired for international projects, elite universities, or specific financial institutions, often with their own pay scales.

Bonuses, Raises, and Career Progression Prospects

Compensation practices in Kazakhstan include a variable component, but it remains modest on a macro scale. About 47% of employees report having received at least one bonus in the last 12 months, typically amounting to between 3 and 5% of annual salary.

Good to know:

The most generous industries in terms of bonuses are finance, architecture, sales, business development, and marketing/advertising. Bonuses can take various forms: individual performance bonuses, target-based bonuses, as well as year-end or holiday bonuses.

General raises average around 8% every 19 months, or about 5% per year. Again, in multinationals, salary review cycles may be closer to international standards, especially for scarce profiles.

Cost of Living: What is a Kazakhstani Salary Worth for an Expatriate?

To evaluate an opportunity, an expatriate cannot just look at the announced salary: they must compare it to the real standard of living in the country’s major cities.

Almaty and Astana: Two Central Metropolises, Two Budgets

Almaty, the major southern city and economic capital, is generally considered the most pleasant to live in, with strong cultural dynamism, nearby mountains, and a well-established expat scene. It is also more expensive than Astana: cost of living indices place it around 31.0 compared to 29.9 for the capital.

Some monthly benchmarks (averages in dollars):

Overall estimates indicate that a single expatriate in Almaty needs about $1,150–1,600 per month to live comfortably (rent included), while a family can easily exceed $2,600 per month.

598

The average net monthly salary in Astana is about 598 dollars, lower than in Almaty.

Local Salary and Purchasing Power

The figures show that on average, the net salary after tax barely covers 0.7 to 0.8 months of the average cost of living in major cities, confirming that many households supplement their income with informal work, shared housing, or highly optimized spending.

Attention:

For an expatriate, job offers are generally above the local median and in high-value-added sectors. Combined with the flat 10% income tax rate, this allows for a comfortable standard of living, provided a package is negotiated that includes costs for housing, international school, and private health insurance.

Taxation and Social Charges: A Relatively Favorable Environment

From a tax perspective, Kazakhstan presents a simplified and generally attractive system for international professionals.

Good to know:

Income tax is at a flat rate of 10%, applicable to residents and non-residents on their Kazakhstani income. Total social contributions are around 23%, shared between employer (~11%) and employee (10% for pension, 2-3% for health). For international remote workers employed by a local company, some contributions (pension, health) can be waived, thereby reducing the total cost for the employer.

Companies benefit, in certain technoparks like Astana Hub, from special regimes including exemption from corporate tax, VAT, and certain social contributions for international talent, further enhancing the country’s appeal for startups and major tech players.

Visas, Work Permits, and New Schemes for Digital Nomads

Access to the Kazakhstani labor market remains governed by a system of quotas, permits, and visas aimed at protecting local employment while targeting the foreign profiles the country needs.

Classic Work Permits for Salaried Expatriates

The traditional scheme remains as follows:

– a local employer (subsidiary, Kazakhstani company, international organization) submits a work permit application to regional authorities, within the limits of annual quotas (in 2024, the share of targeted foreign workers was about 0.24% of the workforce);

– once the permit is granted, the employee obtains a work visa (often type C3 or M1) to enter and work in the country;

– the permit is generally valid for one year and renewable, with administrative procedures where each foreign document (degree, certificates) must be translated and legalized.

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Cyril Jarnias

Cyril Jarnias is an independent expert in international wealth management with over 20 years of experience. As an expatriate himself, he is dedicated to helping individuals and business leaders build, protect, and pass on their wealth with complete peace of mind.

On his website, cyriljarnias.com, he shares his expertise on international real estate, offshore company formation, and expatriation.

Thanks to his expertise, he offers sound advice to optimize his clients' wealth management. Cyril Jarnias is also recognized for his appearances in many prestigious media outlets such as BFM Business, les Français de l’étranger, Le Figaro, Les Echos, and Mieux vivre votre argent, where he shares his knowledge and know-how in wealth management.

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