MigrantoAverage salary in Vanuatu
Gross and take-home pay, by industry and against other countries
Average salary
Take-home / mo
VUV 64,900
Gross / yr
VUV 812,000
Vanuatu is a small island economy where the steadiest paid work sits with the government, schools, and the professional firms that serve them. A career here earns an average wage on the world scale, and the tax office takes almost nothing — what you earn is very close to what you keep. The pay is on the low side for the Pacific, so that light touch on tax does more to protect the take-home than to make the wage feel large.
Salaries in Vanuatu by industry
Your field shifts your pay here, though not dramatically. It moves the number somewhat rather than deciding it outright, so two people in different lines of work won't see worlds between them. Professional and scientific roles, education, and public administration tend to pay best; energy and utilities, construction, and retail come in lower. For someone with a profession, it's worth knowing your field nudges your earnings without being the whole story.
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What you could earn in Vanuatu
Tell us what you do and what you earn today — we'll estimate what someone with your background could earn in Vanuatu, what your living costs might be, and what you could save
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Take-home in Vanuatu
VUV 29,100/mo
vs VUV 143,000 in your country
Cost of living
VUV 10,400
vs VUV 95,500 in your country
Potential savings
VUV 18,700
more than in your country
Standard of living
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How salaries in Vanuatu compare
Vanuatu sits near the bottom of the Pacific for pay, below most of the islands around it. On the world scale it still reads as an average earner, which tells you how compressed wages are across this part of the world. The grounded takeaway is that you'd weigh Vanuatu for the life it offers rather than the paycheque, since the region's better-paying options are close at hand.
Data source: Mean monthly earnings 2010 (ILOSTAT), adjusted to 2026 using IMF GDP-per-capita growth
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Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Vanuatu?
The average salary in Vanuatu is VUV 67,700 a month before tax, or VUV 64,900 take-home after tax and social contributions. Over a year that's VUV 812,000 before tax and VUV 779,000 after.
What is the average salary in Vanuatu in US dollars?
The average salary in Vanuatu in US dollars is about $6,804 a year before tax, or $544 a month after tax.
What salary do you need to live comfortably in Vanuatu?
A typical person in Vanuatu spends about VUV 22,900 a month, while the average take-home pay is VUV 64,900. How much you need to live comfortably depends on the city, your family situation, and how you usually spend. See the cost of living in Vanuatu for the full picture.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Vanuatu?
The highest-paying jobs in Vanuatu are in professional, education, and public sector. Take-home pay in these industries averages around VUV 113,000 a month (about VUV 1,420,000 gross a year), roughly 74% above the national average.
What are the lowest-paying jobs in Vanuatu?
Retail is the lowest-paying industry in Vanuatu. Pay there averages around VUV 47,700 a month take-home (about VUV 597,000 gross a year). For comparison, the highest-paying industries pay about 2.4 times more.
What is a good salary in Vanuatu?
A good salary in Vanuatu is generally one above the national average — more than VUV 64,900 take-home a month, or VUV 812,000 gross a year. But a lot depends on your spending, where you live, and your financial goals.
Is Vanuatu a high-salary country?
Moderately. By average after-tax pay, Vanuatu is ahead of 43% of countries worldwide and ranks 10th out of 11 countries in Oceania.
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Living in Vanuatu
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