Survey: EUR 1,723 avg net salary expectation of employees in Estonia

TALLINN – The average net salary expectation of employees in Estonia is 1,723 euros, which means significant wage pressure, as expectations exceed the actual wage by almost 400 euros, it appears from the results of a recent labor market survey conducted by the Salary Information Agency and the job portal CVKeskus.ee.

Compared to the previous year, wage expectations have increased by 13 percent, but this is primarily a recovery from the decline in wage expectations at the beginning of the health crisis. Compared to 2019, the average salary expectation of employees in their current position has not increased, the Salary Information Agency and CVKeskus.ee said.

The survey showed that 30 percent of employees have seen their basic salary increase during the year, more than half, or 56 percent, have seen no changes in their basic salary, and only 5 percent experienced a decrease in salary. The average gross salary of the employees who participated in the survey was 1,655 euros, which is 5.7 percent more than a year ago.

"Compared to the spring of last year, when the health crisis clearly put a brake on wage growth, growth has recovered somewhat, but not to the same level as in the spring of 2019," Kadri Seeder, head of the Salary Information Agency, said. She added that in spring 2019, the basic salary had increased for over half of the employees.

By groups of gross salary, the basic salary has more often increased for employees with higher salaries. For example, almost half, or 47 percent, of employees earning 2,000 euros or more have seen their basic salary increase during the year. At the same time, only a fifth or 19 percent of employees earning less than 1,100 euros have experienced a salary increase.

By sectors, the basic salary has increased during the year for more than half, or 51 percent, of employees in the field of information and communications technology (ICT). Employees in the areas of quality control, banking and insurance, law and healthcare have also benefited more often from a salary increase.

The Salary Information Agency and CVKeskus.ee conduct a twice-yearly Estonian labor market and wage survey, in the course of which employers and employees are interviewed.

Altogether 8,963 employees and jobseekers responded to the employee survey conducted in the spring of 2021.