employment

Banks offer best salary

Banking and finance offer the best salaries in Panama, according to the Contraloría General. The average monthly salary for workers in these areas is $915.

The transportation, storage, and communication sectors offer the second-best wages, paying an average salary of $685 per month. They´re followed by mining and quarrying ($546).

By way of contrast, the lowest average salaries are found in the areas of fishing, which pays $294 per month, and domestic service, which pays $282.

But not all salaries have rising or falling equally in recent years. From December 2004 to December 2006, for example, salaries for workers in businesses that supply electricity, gas, and water fell 15 percent, while the salaries of workers in the commerce and trade sectors rose around 4.5 percent.