In Finland, the median earnings for full-time workers stood at EUR 3,615 a month in 2024, whilst the preliminary average monthly earnings were EUR 4,304 in the second quarter of 2026. Finland has no minimum wage law; the floor comes from collective agreements, and where none applies, pay is whatever employer and employee agree in the contract. Your tax rate depends on your annual income, home municipality, religious affiliation and deductions, and pension and unemployment insurance contributions are withheld on top.
Median and average pay, and which figure is which
Statistics Finland publishes two different figures. These figures come from different timeframes and measure different components of pay, so they cannot be directly compared or subtracted from one another.
According to Statistics Finland's structure of earnings data, the median total earnings of full-time wage and salary earners were EUR 3,615 a month in 2024. In the structure of earnings statistics, monthly earnings refer to gross total earnings. This definition covers basic pay, regularly paid bonuses, benefits in kind, and overtime pay. However, it does not include holiday bonuses or performance-based bonuses.
By contrast, preliminary figures from the index of wage and salary earnings put the average monthly earnings of full-time wage and salary earners at EUR 4,304 in April to June 2026 (the second quarter). This index gives the average, not the median, and unlike the structure of earnings statistics it includes performance-based bonuses. Nominal earnings of wage and salary earners rose by 3.4 per cent in April to June 2026 compared with a year earlier.
How wide the spread is
In 2024 the lowest-paid tenth of full-time earners made at most EUR 2,483 a month gross. At the other end of the scale, the highest-paid tenth earned at least EUR 6,119 a month.
The earnings spread varied by sector and was widest in financial and insurance activities. Within that industry in 2024, the top tenth earned at least EUR 8,444 a month, whilst the bottom tenth earned at most EUR 2,854 a month.
Pay by industry and region
Median pay in 2024 differed by industry and by region.
Across industries, median earnings in 2024 were:
- Highest in information and communication, at EUR 4,990 a month.
- Lowest in accommodation and food service activities, at EUR 2,720 a month.
Geographically, median monthly earnings in 2024 were:
- Highest in Uusimaa (the Helsinki region), at EUR 3,967.
- Lowest in South Ostrobothnia, at EUR 3,286.
To understand how these regional income figures align with living expenses, check the cost of living in Finland.
There is no minimum wage law — collective agreements set the floor
Finland has no statutory minimum wage law. Instead, pay is agreed between employer and employee in the employment contract. However, that employment contract cannot go below the minimum wage provisions set out in an applicable collective agreement (työehtosopimus).
How a collective agreement applies depends on the employer and the sector:
- An employer that belongs to an employers' organisation that signed a collective agreement is bound by its pay provisions.
- Some collective agreements are universally binding (yleissitova) in their sector. In these cases, even employers that do not belong to any employers' organisation must follow the pay provisions. The wholesale and retail trade collective agreement, for example, is universally binding, requiring every employer in that sector to comply.
- Where no collective agreement applies, pay is simply what the employer and employee agree in the contract. In these situations, a comparable collective agreement can serve as a reference point.
- Some sectors have no valid collective agreement at all, meaning pay rests solely on what is agreed in the contract.
For a broader overview of employment rules, review the guide to employment rights in Finland. Note that pay set below the minimum wage threshold in the Unemployment Security Act does not meet the statutory work requirement. As a result, work paid below that level does not count towards earnings-related unemployment allowance, basic unemployment allowance, or labour market subsidy.
The salary a work-based residence permit requires
For a work-based residence permit, Migri (the Finnish Immigration Service) sets a minimum salary. Migri reviews these salary thresholds annually, meaning the required figures can change.
For a standard residence permit for an employed person:
- Total gross salary must be at least EUR 1,600 a month in 2026.
- The same EUR 1,600 limit applies when applying for extended permits.
- This EUR 1,600 figure must be reached without relying on supplements, such as evening or night work supplements.
- The salary must also be at least what the collective agreement for the specific job specifies.
For a specialist residence permit or an EU Blue Card:
- Gross salary must be at least EUR 3,937 a month in 2026.
- Fringe benefits and daily allowances do not count towards the EUR 3,937 threshold.
What is left after tax
Your exact tax rate depends on your overall annual income, home municipality, religious affiliation, and eligible deductions. The tax authority, Vero, issues a tax card that determines your withholding rate.
Vero provides example withholding rates for 2026. These examples are based on an individual aged 17 to 64 living in Helsinki, belonging to the Evangelical Lutheran Church, earning wages as their only source of income, and having no underage children:
- At EUR 30,000 a year, the tax rate on pay is 8.5%.
- At EUR 40,000 a year, the tax rate on pay is 14.0%.
- At EUR 50,000 a year, the tax rate on pay is 19.0%.
- At EUR 60,000 a year, the tax rate on pay is 22.5%.
On top of income tax, mandatory social contributions are withheld directly from your wages. In Vero's examples, pension and unemployment insurance contributions amount to 8.19%. Vero has a tax rate calculator for estimating your own rate.
