Earnings and Wages in Finland
According to Statistics Finland, in 2020, the median for total earnings of full-time wage and salary earners was EUR 3 217 per month. Examined by level of education, persons with doctorate level education had the highest total earnings, EUR 5 057. Total earnings include all bonuses and benefits in kind, but not one-off pay items such as performance or holiday bonuses.
The data presented in the table below displays the median and average wages and salaries.
- The MEDIAN OF TOTAL EARNINGS is the middle figure of all the salaries. It can be determined by sorting all wages and salaries in ascending order and finding the middle number in the salaries set. The value of the salary that lies exactly at the middle of all earnings is the median salary. It means that half of workers earned above the median level and half earned below.
- Average of total earnings is the mathematical mean of all wages and salaries.
- The table below shows that the median wage is less than the average wage. The median wage is the more accurate than the average one, as it is unaffected by the extremely high or low wages. In most cases, the average and median results are very close, but these extremely high or low wages can cause the average to be higher or lower than the median income.
Structure of Earnings by the level of education, average and median of total earnings, 2020:
| International Standard Classification of Education * | Average of total earnings, EUR/month | Median of total earnings, EUR/month |
|---|---|---|
| Doctoral or equivalent level, Tutkijakoulutusaste | 5 624 | 5 057 |
| Master's or equivalent level, Ylempi korkeakouluaste | 4 709 | 4 275 |
| Bachelor's or equivalent level, Alempi korkeakouluaste | 3 656 | 3 338 |
| Short-cycle tertiary education, Alin korkea-aste | 3 653 | 3 308 |
| Post-secondary non-tertiary education, Erikoisammattikoulutusaste | 3 516 | 3 291 |
| Upper secondary education, Toinen aste | 3 029 | 2 813 |
| Lower secondary education, Ylempi perusaste | 2 953 | 2 703 |
| Total earnings | 3 599 | 3 217 |
* Read more: International Standard Classification of Education
Difference in Earnings Between Women and Men
On average, a higher level of education produces higher pay. In overall, the median pay of men exceeds the median pay of women by around 10 to 30 %, depending on the level of education. The difference between women’s and men’s median earnings:
- is smallest on the doctorate level and
- biggest for those with lowest level tertiary qualifications, i.e., post-secondary level qualifications. The commonest group in this level of education is those with a diploma in business and marketing in post-secondary education (education code 531158: Merkonomi, liiketalous ja markkinointi).
| International Standard Classification of Education | Median of total earnings, EUR/month | Men, EUR/month | Women, EUR/month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctorate or equivalent level, Tutkijakoulutusaste | 5 057 | 5 283 | 4 818 |
| Master's or equivalent level, Ylempi korkeakouluaste | 4 275 | 4 785 | 3 997 |
| Bachelor's or equivalent level, Alempi korkeakouluaste | 3 338 | 3 932 | 3 003 |
| Short-cycle tertiary education, Alin korkea-aste | 3 308 | 4 068 | 3 061 |
| Post-secondary non-tertiary education, Erikoisammattikoulutusaste | 3 291 | 3 676 | 2 834 |
| Upper secondary education, Toinen aste | 2 813 | 3 120 | 2 512 |
| Lower secondary education, Ylempi perusaste | 2 703 | 2 933 | 2 401 |
| Total earnings | 3 217 | 3 555 | 2 950 |
The full information and the source text can be found at Statistics Finland website.
Published 21.10.2021, FINREPO