Prime minister not among top ten best-paid public officials
Prime Minister Jüri Ratas (Center) gets paid €5,356 gross a month, which puts him outside the top ten best-paid officials employed by the Estonian state. Ratas' salary is smaller than that of the directors of the Road Administration and the Tax and Customs Board, among others.
Of Estonia's officials, 180 earn more than €4,000 gross a month. The country's best-paid public official is the commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, Gen. Riho Terras, with €5,900 a month. Terras is followed by the Road Administration's director-general, Priit Sauk, who makes €5,800 a month, and director-general of the Tax and Customs Board Valdur Laid, who earns the same.
Outside the top three and continuing on with the top ten, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Priit Pikamäe earns €5,690.32, Supreme Court Justices Ivo Pilving, Saale Laos, and Villu Kõve each earn €5,562.29, Judge Astrid Asi of the Viru county court earns €5,548.07, director-general of the Social Insurance Board Egon Veermäe €5,400, and Judge Meelis Erik of the Harju county court €5,363.13.
Prime Minister Jüri Ratas ranks 11th on this list with a monthly salary of €5,356 a month.
2017 annual income: Road Administration director leads the top ten
Because some of Estonia's officials receive bonuses or have salaries subject to variable conditions, the ranking of their annual incomes don't necessarily follow the size of their monthly salaries. Also, 2017 annual income can't be divided by 12 to get to officials' monthly income for 2018, as some conditions have changed.
In this ranking the head of government does better, but is still outdone by several others.
The country's best-paid public official in terms of annual income is the director-general of the Road Administration, Priit Sauk, who made €74,600 in 2017.
Second and third on this list are the directors-general of the Social Insurance Board, Egon Veermäe, and of the Maritime Administration, Rene Arikas, who made €69,100 and €65,300, respectively.
Outside the top three, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas and Chief Justice Priit Pikamäe each made €63,500 in 2017, followed by EDF commander Gen. Riho Terras with €62,400, Justices Saale Laos and Villu Kõve each with €62,000, Judges Astrid Asi with €61,100 and Meelis Erik with €60,700, and Justice Ivo Pilving with €60,700.
Altogether 100 officials made more than €50,000 in 2017. Just over 400 made more than €40,000, and some 1,200 made more than €30,000.
The national average gross salary in 2017 was €1,221, the minimum gross salary for 2018 is set at €500.
Editor: Dario Cavegn
