The median gross salary in Estonia was €1,753 a month in the first quarter of 2026, which is 6% higher than in the first quarter of 2025.
The median gross salary is the wage level at which half of employees earn less and half earn more.
Median wages stood at €1,753 in the first quarter of 2026, up 6% from the first quarter of 2025.
“The growth trend for median wages is the same as for average gross monthly wages, both regionally and by economic activity,” Krista Vaikmets, a leading analyst at Statistics Estonia, the country’s official statistics agency, said in a statement.
The highest wages in Harju and Tartu counties
The average monthly gross salary was €2,135 in the first quarter of 2026, up 6.2% from the same quarter in 2025.
“Year on year, wages increased in all counties, with the largest rises recorded in Rapla and Järva counties, where gross wages and salaries grew by about 7%. The smallest increases were recorded in Viljandi and Tartu counties, at about 5%,” Vaikmets added.
In the first quarter, average monthly gross wages and salaries were again the highest in Harju County, at €2,405, up 6.3% year on year, and in Tartu County, at €2,129, up 5.3%.
“Looking at the figures for Tallinn, average gross wages in the capital rose to €2,538, up from €2,384 a year earlier,” Vaikmets said.
The service sector pays the least
Vaikmets said there were three economic activities where average monthly gross wages and salaries exceeded €3,000.
“In the first quarter of 2026, average monthly wages and salaries were the highest in information and communication, at €3,821. This was followed by financial and insurance activities, at €3,608, and electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply, at €3,132,” she said.
The lowest average wages and salaries were recorded in accommodation and food service activities, at €1,337, and other service activities, at €1,389. “Nevertheless, wages in these activities also grew by roughly 4%,” Vaikmets added.
There were 580,099 employees in the first quarter, down by 5,000 from a year earlier. In the first quarter of 2026, the largest number of employees – 100,489 – worked in manufacturing, representing 17% of all employees.
This was followed by wholesale and retail trade, including the repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, with 84,004 employees, education with 64,203 employees and human health and social work activities with 48,265 employees.
