Romania's Unified Public Salary Law Sets 2027 Pay Increases for Doctors, Nurses and Military

Romania will implement a unified salary law for the public sector starting 1 January 2027. The law establishes a reference salary of 4,100 lei and applies coefficients from 1 to 8 across 12 salary grades.

For doctors, the base salary for a primary physician will be 16,400 lei (coefficient 4), specialists 13,120 lei and first‑year residents 7,872 lei. Simulations show a modest rise in total median monthly earnings for primary doctors from about 21,437 lei to 22,016 lei – roughly a 3 % increase, as most income still comes from overtime and allowances.

Nurses will see larger base‑salary jumps: a principal nurse’s median base will rise to 7,790 lei, up 28 % from 6,084 lei in 2026, while total median monthly earnings modestly increase to 11,788 lei. Entry‑level nurses’ base will climb from 5,530 lei to 7,011 lei, a rise of nearly 27 %.

The defence ministry also plans a new "operationalisation" allowance of up to 30 % for all uniformed personnel, intended to raise salaries for younger or lower‑paid soldiers and improve recruitment. Both the health and defence ministries say the reform aims to reduce large pay disparities across institutions and apply the principle of “equal work, equal pay”.