How Will You Make a Living After Moving to Russia?

So you want to move to Russia, but you're worried: what am I going to do for a living? Many people who've wanted to move to Russia since the presidential decree of August 2024 established the Shared Values Visa have expressed this concern online, as well as to me personally.

If one was to browse one of the various Facebook or Telegram groups for expats in Russia, one quickly gets the impression that the only jobs available are for English teachers or translators, personal assistants, nannies and the like. If one digs a bit deeper though, you can add such jobs as software developers and IT managers to that list. If one watches the various Western immigrants in Russia YouTube channels then you can add to this list Video Journalist, Farmer or Consultant. But is that really all?

Photo credit above: A website in India advertising open job postings in Russia. Due to the historically high salaries the Russian armed forces and armaments industries are paying, there are labor shortages across the Russian economy, especially in some of the more remote regions of Siberia and the Far East.

There are actually quite a few jobs where people with Western qualifications can get started in Russia while improving their Russian language skills. For the purposes of this article, we used HeadHunter.ru the biggest job search website in Russia. We measured three areas: Moscow, Moscow Oblast (the surrounding region) and Nizhny Novgorod—both the city and province, approximately 5 hours' drive or 4 hours by train east of Moscow, where the Governor Gleb Sergeyevich Nikitin and the non-profit Oka Agency strongly promote skilled Western immigration.

Here is what we found:

Now, what does this mean? Converting from rubles to dollars, these may not seem all that much in terms of monthly pay. But keep in mind that the average Moscow salary is ₽124,000, while in the oblasts and secondary/ternary cities its in the ₽75k-₽80k range. Rental costs and transportation costs are much lower further away from Moscow. There is that Moscow price hike, it being the richest city in Russia, and likewise in St. Petersburg being the second richest city.

See also: So You Want To Own a Home in the Russian Suburbs or Village? and Buying a Small Business in Russia: Novosibirsk Restaurant Case Study and Basic Cost Calculator for Foreigners Retiring in Russia

However, the above table does not indicate the maximum salaries for these professions on Headhunter.ru, these are the ranges of the average job posting salary. People with high-end qualifications, such as a master auto mechanic can demand significantly higher pay. One of my friends who is from Texas and a master Ford Motor Company mechanic, believe it or not, had zero problems, even speaking almost no Russian, landing a job at one of the most prestigious Ford automotive shops in Moscow. This is a place where people spend millions of rubles on upgrades and rebuilds of classic Ford cars like Mustang GTs.

Engineers are in very high demand, as the Russian economy is growing quickly and the import substation campaign has accelerated with direct government investment. Equally, the era of hiring cheap Central Asian Gastarbeiter labor in the skilled trades such as electricians, plumbing and construction has come to an end. Firstly, labor from ex-Soviet Central Asian countries is no longer cheap. Secondly, it is usually rather low quality as the workers rarely take pride in their work and are often after making a quick buck to send back to their families.

There is also the option of starting your own business. Starting businesses in Russia is extremely cheap, compared to most Western countries. And you don't need a unique idea. Take for example, a carpentry business or a company specializing in plumbing. One of my neighbors has his landscaping done by a small outfit owned by a gentleman from Africa.

Everything is possible in Russia. But one must be ready to work and try new things, without thinking that success will be handed to him.