Wages and salaries and labour costs

For work, people receive pay, or wages and salaries, which is agreed compensation for fulfilling work tasks. In addition to the sum that the employer pays to the employee, the employer pays labour taxes on that sum, which together with the wages constitute labour costs.

Wages are an important source of income, and their main purpose is to cover expenses on dwelling, food, transportation and other basic needs. This is why the law regulates the minimum an employee could be paid for full-time work. The minimum wage is set to protect the well-being of employees.

The statistics on wages and salaries and labour costs provide the following information:

  • what are the average monthly and hourly gross wages in different economic activities;
  • how much the wages differ in counties;
  • whether jobs with higher pay are in the private or public sector;
  • what are hourly wages of employees by occupation, economic activity, level of education, age group, length of employment or type of contract;
  • what are the components of employers’ costs on employees and what is the share of each of these in the total costs;
  • how many vacant posts there are in Estonia, and how many people have changed jobs;
  • how many labour strikes have taken place in Estonia, how long these lasted, and how many people participated;
  • how wide is the gender pay gap in different economic activities.

Statistics on wages and salaries are used to measure labour productivity, observe trends, assess changes in the labour market and make decisions on the national economy.

Median wage 1,620.0 euros
8.0%
Q3 2024
Average monthly gross wages and salaries 1,832 euros
11.4%
Number of occupied posts 594,057
-1.1%
Q3 2024
Number of job vacancies 9,905
-17.7%
Q3 2024
Average monthly gross wages | 1st quarter 2021 – 3rd quarter 2024
Unit: euros
1st quarter 2021 2nd quarter 2021 3rd quarter 2021 4th quarter 2021 1st quarter 2022 2nd quarter 2022 3rd quarter 2022 4th quarter 2022 1st quarter 2023 2nd quarter 2023 3rd quarter 2023 4th quarter 2023 1st quarter 2024 2nd quarter 2024 3rd quarter 2024
Average monthly gross wages (salaries), euros 1,406 1,476 1,463 1,548 1,536 1,666 1,641 1,735 1,741 1,872 1,812 1,904 1,894 2,007 1,959

Median wage | 1st quarter 2021 – 3rd quarter 2024
Unit: euros
1st quarter 2021 2nd quarter 2021 3rd quarter 2021 4th quarter 2021 1st quarter 2022 2nd quarter 2022 3rd quarter 2022 4th quarter 2022 1st quarter 2023 2nd quarter 2023 3rd quarter 2023 4th quarter 2023 1st quarter 2024 2nd quarter 2024 3rd quarter 2024
Total - all activities 1,158 1,199 1,200 1,270 1,240 1,354 1,349 1,429 1,424 1,524 1,500 1,578 1,553 1,641 1,620

Average monthly labour cost per employee | 4th quarter 2018 – 4th quarter 2022
Unit: euros
4th quarter 2018 1st quarter 2019 2nd quarter 2019 3rd quarter 2019 4th quarter 2019 1st quarter 2020 2nd quarter 2020 3rd quarter 2020 4th quarter 2020 1st quarter 2021 2nd quarter 2021 3rd quarter 2021 4th quarter 2021 1st quarter 2022 2nd quarter 2022 3rd quarter 2022 4th quarter 2022
Total - all activities 1,855 1,798 1,900 1,870 1,974 1,876 1,815 1,933 2,032 1,960 2,033 2,078 2,179 2,139 2,263 2,247 2,382

News

Average wages and salaries were €1,959 in Q3

According to Statistics Estonia, the average monthly gross wages and salaries in the third quarter of 2024 were €1,959, which is 8.1% higher than in the same quarter the year before. The median wages were €1,620 in the third quarter of this year and €1,500 in the same quarter of 2023. 

Read more 25. November 2024