The problem of compliance of the wage level of employees with social standards of living standards, having undoubted regional features, is relevant for all subjects of the Russian Federation. When determining the wage of organizations funded from regional budgets, we believe they should proceed from the general methodological basis for determining its size. In the article is analyzed the situation with the wage level of employees in the sector of organizations, which is the main segment of Russian employment. It has been revealed that the level of wages most strongly affects its quality and is one of the main indicators of precarious employment. The peculiarities of the distribution of employees by wage level are revealed, depending on the level of qualification of employees and their working conditions, taking into account the forms of ownership and the size of organizations. Based on the author’s tools, the analysis of the impact of wage levels on the economic sustainability of households due to (not) achieving socially acceptable and higher standards of living is carried out. It is shown that for more than 80% of employees, the wage level currently does not allow to ensure such standards. A radical increase in the wage level is proposed based on the development of industry-specific social wage standards. This will improve the quality of employment: reduce the scale of precarious employment, link the level of wages with the qualifications of employees and their working conditions, taking into account the characteristics of sectors of the Russian economy, as well as significantly increase the economic sustainability of households.