The average wage of a Sverdlovsk Region-based metallurgist went up by 19% last year compared to 2005 and reached more than 14,000 RUR; this is 24% better than the average regional salary, Sverdlovsk Region Union of Mining and Metallurgical Enterprises reports.

The total amount of social welfare expenses in the field (including the wage fund and financing the collective agreements liabilities and 2 billion RUR spend on healthcare) rose by 18 billion RUR and amounted to nearly 38 billion RUR.