Mauritius Wages: Energy Workers Earn Rs 82,230 vs Rs 31,177 in Manufacturing

A new official report on employment and earnings in Mauritius has laid bare the dramatic salary divide between the country's highest- and lowest-paying industries — with workers in the energy sector earning more than two and a half times the wages of those in manufacturing. The figures come from the **Survey of Employment and Earnings in Large Establishments**, published on 29 September 2026 by **Statistics Mauritius**, the government's official statistical agency. The annual survey covers companies with 10 or more employees and tracks the labour market from March 2025 to March 2026. **Employment stays flat — but the picture is shifting** The total number of employees in large establishments across Mauritius remained broadly stable at **309,681 people**, with a net creation of just 495 jobs over the year. While the headline number looks steady, the report points to significant structural changes happening beneath the surface, with some sectors expanding while others contract. **Average wages up 6.2%, but the gap is wide** The average monthly salary at a large Mauritian company now stands at **Rs 46,229** — a 6.2% increase compared to the previous year. That is a meaningful rise in nominal terms, though it should be read alongside the rising cost of living that many Mauritians are experiencing. However, that average masks an enormous divide between sectors: - **Electricity, gas and air conditioning supply** tops the table at **Rs 82,230 per month** — the highest average salary of any sector surveyed. - **Financial and insurance services** comes in second at **Rs 74,676 per month**, reflecting the well-established premium that Mauritius's offshore finance and banking sector commands. - At the other end of the scale, **manufacturing** sits at the bottom with an average of just **Rs 31,177 per month** — the lowest of all sectors tracked. The gap between the top and bottom sectors is over **Rs 51,000 per month**, highlighting just how unequal earning potential can be depending on which industry a worker enters. **What this means** For workers and job-seekers, the data reinforces a well-known reality: Mauritius's economic transformation towards services — particularly finance and energy — is creating high-paying roles, but the manufacturing sector, which still employs a significant share of the workforce, continues to lag far behind. For policymakers, the flat job creation figure (just 495 net new posts across the entire formal large-employer sector) raises questions about whether Mauritius is generating enough employment to absorb new entrants into the labour market, particularly those not qualified for high-skill finance or tech roles. For investors, the data underlines where the premium talent market in Mauritius sits — and where wage pressures are likely to be most acute. The full **Survey of Employment and Earnings in Large Establishments** is available through Statistics Mauritius. Source: ION News