Speaking at the government's weekly press conference, he said rescue workers, police officers, border guards and emergency response operators at the Emergency Response Center are set to benefit from the funding boost.

"The government has allocated €7.3 million to our area of administration for pay raises. Salaries will increase in 3,764 positions from the beginning of next year," he said. In total, almost 8,000 people work in the ministry's area of administration.

"All of them deserve fair pay for their work. But the state's financial resources are limited, and this requires clear choices," Taro said.

"We are not distributing this additional money evenly as a percentage increase, but directing it primarily to lower-paid frontline employees," he explained.

Rescue workers will receive the largest pay raise, with their salaries increasing by €140 per month, Taro said. This means the minimum salary for a rescue worker will rise by nearly 9 percent and the average salary by 8 percent.

"This will bring the average salary of rescue workers to approximately 85 percent of the Estonian average. This is a necessary step forward, but it cannot be considered sufficient," the interior minister acknowledged. The average salary was €2,092 in 2025.

Taro said the minimum salary for a police officer will rise by 4.4 percent, the average salary of a patrol police officer will rise above the Estonian average, and the minimum salary of an emergency response operator at the Emergency Response Center will rise by nearly 5 percent.

He added that SMIT technicians and customer support specialists will also receive pay raises. "The pay raise will be €90 per month," Taro said.

"The pay raise also covers the immediate supervisors of frontline employees who themselves perform operational duties. Other managers' salaries will not increase. Salaries at the Ministry of the Interior will not increase," he said.

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