Between 2011 and 2018, the average annual salary on Bonaire increased from approximately 20,900 to nearly 24,600 U.S. dollars. In 2018, the average salary was 25,580 dollars per year. This is an increase of roughly 3,700 dollars compared to 2011, but still significantly lower than the average salary in the entire Caribbean Netherlands, which amounted to roughly 26,100 dollars in 2017.

 Salaries on Sint Eustatius the highest

  Together with Sint Eustatius and Saba, Bonaire forms the Caribbean Netherlands, the three overseas territories that are special municipalities of the Netherlands (as opposed to Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten, who have an autonomous status alongside the Netherlands). Of the three islands, Sint Eustatius had the highest average salary in 2017, at just over 38,000 U.S. dollars. The average salary on Saba was significantly lower than Sint Eustatius’ average at roughly 29,300 USD. It was however still considerably higher than Bonaire’s average of 25,580 USD.  

 Comparison with the Netherlands

  The average salary on Bonaire was not just lower than on either Sint Eustatius or Saba, it was also lower than the average salary in the Netherlands. In 2017, the average annual salary in the Netherlands reached nearly 34,000 euros.