Estonia's average monthly wage climbs to €2,243 in second quarter

Statistics Estonia announced on Thursday that the average gross monthly wage reached €2,243 in the second quarter of 2026, a 5.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Leading analyst Krista Vaikmets said wages rose in every county, though the pace varied by region, with the sharpest increases seen in Ida-Viru County (8 percent) and Hiiu County (7 percent), while Põlva, Jõgeva and Valga counties saw more modest growth of around 4 percent.

Harju County recorded the highest average wage at €2,488, followed by Tartu County at €2,285, both up 5 percent on year. In the capital Tallinn, the average gross wage reached €2,611, up 5.3 percent from €2,479 a year earlier.

Highest- and lowest-paying sectors

Information and communication remained the best-paid sector, with average gross wages of €3,837, though growth there slowed to 3.6 percent. Meanwhile, the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply sector saw wages surge 19.6 percent to €3,783, which Vaikmets attributed partly to a low base from the previous year and to restructuring within the energy sector.

The lowest wages were again recorded in accommodation and food services (€1,389) and other service activities (€1,430), with both sectors growing about 4 percent. Among other major sectors, wages rose 6 percent in manufacturing, 5.7 percent in trade and 5.1 percent in construction.

Employment and median wage

The country had 588,710 registered employees in the second quarter, down 5,183 from a year earlier but up 8,611 from the first quarter, partly due to seasonal hiring. Manufacturing employed the most workers, 101,085 or 17 percent of the total, followed by trade, education, and health and social work.

The median gross wage rose 6.1 percent year-on-year to €1,840. Vaikmets noted that median wage trends by county and sector broadly mirrored those of the average wage.