Economy
AI
Estonia's Pay Gap Widens as Manager Salaries Jump 14%
Salary offers for middle managers and top specialists in Estonia surged by 13.6% in 2025, while service and sales roles saw a mere 0.5% increase, revealing a starkly divided labor market based on an analysis of over 33,000 job advertisements.
- —In 2025, the average gross salary range offered in Estonian job advertisements was 1729–2372 euros, marking a 5.9% increase from the previous year, based on over 33,000 listings.
- —Salary offers for middle managers and top specialists saw the most significant annual growth at 13.6%, reaching an average of 3935 euros, with some exceeding 4000 euros in the second half of the year.
- —The IT sector offered the highest average salaries in 2025, at 4118 euros, followed by the financial sector (3653 euros) and banking (3357 euros).
- —Growth in salary offers varied by region, with Eastern Estonia seeing a 7.3% increase to 2162 euros, while Harju County (including Tallinn) rose by 6.5% to 2491 euros.
- —The slowest growth in salary offers was observed in service and sales roles, with a 0.5% increase to 1163–1529 euros, while skilled labor and qualified specialists saw a 2.9% increase to 1678–2183 euros.
Recap
Analysis of 2025 Estonian salary data reveals a bifurcating labor market. While average offers are up, the growth is overwhelmingly concentrated in high-skilled management and IT roles, where competition for talent is driving wages up at an accelerated pace. Meanwhile, service and sales positions are left behind with negligible increases, indicating a structural economic shift that is widening the national pay gap.