High-tech salaries soar to record highs—but a drop may be coming
March bonuses drive a 9% jump in wages, but April data expected to show sharp correction.
The average salary in Israel's high-tech sector reached an all-time high in March 2025, climbing to 36,731 shekels ($10,494), a 9% increase compared to February. As a result, the average salary across the broader economy also hit a record, rising to 14,672 shekels ($4,191), according to figures published last month.
However, a new brief estimate, released today by the Central Bureau of Statistics, indicates that the average salary in the general economy will drop by 5.2% in April 2025, falling to 13,907 shekels ($3,972).
The spike in high-tech salaries is likely seasonal and may have been influenced by annual bonuses or grants paid in March. A similar peak occurred in March 2024, when the average salary in high-tech reached 35,923 shekels. Based on this pattern, it is expected that when April 2025 data is released next month, the average high-tech salary will decline, likely contributing to the broader drop in average wages across the economy.
Within the high-tech sector, the highest average salary in March was recorded, somewhat unexpectedly, in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, at 42,400 shekels ($12,182). It was followed by programming roles at 39,100 shekels, with research and development coming in third.
Meanwhile, the number of salaried positions in the high-tech sector continues to stagnate. In March, it stood at 400,400, an increase of just 0.2% compared to February, and a modest 1.2% rise year-over-year from 395,600 in March 2024.
