Salaries of president and Riigikogu speaker will not reach €10,000 this year

This year, the maximum salary for senior civil servants in Estonia will increase to €9,720 per month. Starting April 1, this amount will be received by President Alar Karis, Riigikogu Speaker Lauri Hussar and Supreme Court Chief Justice Villu Kõve. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Kristjan Michal will have to settle for a smaller pay increase, with his salary rising to €9,007 per month from April onward.
The salaries of Estonia's senior civil servants are indexed similarly to pensions. Annually, 80 percent of the salary increase is derived from the previous year's growth in the pension insurance component of social tax revenue, while 20 percent is based on the consumer price index (CPI) growth. In 2024, the pension insurance portion of social tax revenue amounted to €2.94 billion, an increase of 6.19 percent from €2.77 billion in 2023. Inflation was recorded at 3.5 percent. As a result, both pensions and the salaries of top-ranking officials will increase by 5.65 percent in April.
However, some civil servant salaries were capped in December 2023 following a coalition decision. Until 2028, these salaries will grow at only half the indexed rate, with the remainder of the increase applied retroactively after that period. This group includes the prime minister, ministers, judges at all court levels and officials such as the state secretary, chief prosecutor and equality commissioner.
Alar Karis and Lauri Hussar will earn a gross monthly salary of €9,720, with Karis also receiving a representation allowance of €1,944, bringing his total monthly income to €11,664. Hussar is entitled to expense reimbursements of up to €1,580 upon submitting relevant documentation. Villu Kõve will see his salary rise by €520 to €9,720, with a 20 percent representation allowance, matching the president's total monthly earnings of €11,664. Kristen Michal's salary will increase to €9,007 per month, along with a 20 percent representation allowance of €1,801, making his total monthly earnings €10,808.
Deputy speakers, committee chairs and faction leaders will receive €8,262 per month, an increase of €442. Additionally, they are eligible for expense reimbursements of €1,580 and housing allowances of €1,264 if their registered residence is outside the Tallinn area. Cabinet ministers' salaries will rise by €210 to €7,657 per month, with a 20 percent representation allowance of €1,531, resulting in a total of €9,187 per month. Circuit court judges' salaries will increase by €186 to €6,755 per month. Salaries for judges in county and administrative courts will grow by €161, bringing their monthly earnings to €5,854. The equality commissioner and public conciliator will earn €4,954 per month after a €136 increase.
The chairman of the Bank of Estonia's supervisory board will earn €3,402 per month, up by €182, while board members' salaries will increase by €130 to €2,430. Average old-age pensions are also set to rise in April, increasing by €44 to an average of €818 per month. The new salary structure reflects Estonia's approach to aligning public servant pay with inflation and economic growth while maintaining budgetary balance for specific roles.
Salaries of top-ranking public servants from April 1, 2025:
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Editor: Huko Aaspõllu, Marcus Turovski