You don’t need a degree to earn well in Kazakhstan — but it still helps
According to entrepreneur Vyacheslav Chagay, people without a college degree can still earn good money in Kazakhstan. They often work as event organizers, repair specialists and handymen.
The highest-paying profession in Chagay’s ranking was event organizing, with earnings from $1,085 to $8,685. Apartment renovation specialists can earn between $1,300 and $6,510, while auto body repair specialists and stretch ceiling installers can earn up to $5,425.
Other occupations that can generate relatively high incomes include confectioners, who can earn between $870 and $4,340; landscape designers (up to $4,342); tattoo artists ($3,690) and drone operators ($3,256).
That said, Chagay emphasized that the ranking is based on his own estimates rather than official statistics.
«Experience, quality of work, number of clients, reputation and sales skills are key here,» he said.
Average salaries are lower
According to the Bureau of National Statistics (BNS), the average monthly salary in Kazakhstan was $1,000 in the first quarter of 2026. The median salary was significantly lower, at $720, meaning that half of employees earned less than that amount.
However, salaries in some of the sectors represented on Chagay’s list are indeed higher than the national median. For example, the average salary in construction was approximately $1,165, while the average in wholesale and retail trade and motor vehicle and motorcycle repair was $934.
A degree does play a role
Official statistics show another side of the story: on average, educational attainment remains associated with higher earnings.
According to the BNS, workers with a secondary school education earned an average of $628 per month. Those with higher education earned an average of $1,080, while workers with postgraduate education earned $1,460.
