Where the Data Comes From

The data is based on an independent survey conducted in expat groups, primarily on Facebook.

• Total responses collected: over 180

• Filtered, usable responses: 166

• Salaries counted: gross annual income before tax

• Minimum salary included: €10,000 per year

This data is self-reported and cannot be fully verified. It should be treated as directional rather than absolute. That said, the patterns are consistent with what many foreigners experience in real life in Estonia.

Who Took Part in the Survey

Understanding who answered the survey matters.

• 65 percent of respondents were men

• 35 percent were women

• 46 people worked in startups

• The rest worked in non-startup environments

Respondents came from nearly 80 different roles and industries, including IT, software, fintech, marketing, banking, finance, and other professional services.

This gives us a broad snapshot of foreign professionals working in Estonia.

Salary Distribution: What Most Foreigners Earn

The strongest signal from the data is this:

Most foreigners in Estonia earn between €20,000 and €50,000 per year.

Looking at the distribution:

• Around 92 percent of respondents earned below €60,000 annually

• Only a small minority earned more than €60,000 per year

This aligns closely with everyday reality in Estonia. High salaries exist, but they are not the norm.

For most people, life in Estonia is comfortable, stable, and predictable, but not extravagantly paid unless you are in a very specific niche.

Who Earns the Most in Estonia

The top earners in the survey overwhelmingly came from technology-driven fields.

The highest paying roles were concentrated in:

• Software development

• IT infrastructure

• Fintech

• Gaming and gambling technology

One notable outlier was the gambling industry. Tech roles connected to online gaming and gambling consistently appeared at the top of the salary range. This matches what many insiders already know. These sectors pay aggressively to secure talent.

Outside of tech, high salaries were far less common.

The Most Important Lesson About Salaries in Estonia

The most valuable insight from this data is not about industries.
It is about negotiation and replaceability.

The data clearly showed this pattern:

• Some people with 10 years of experience earned under €40,000

• Others with only 2 years of experience earned over €60,000

• Both groups often worked in the same industry

This makes one thing clear.

Your salary in Estonia is not determined primarily by experience or skill.

It is determined by:

1. How well you negotiate

2. How difficult you are to replace

If your role can be filled easily, salaries remain low.
If your role is critical and rare, salaries rise quickly.

This applies to life in Estonia just as much as anywhere else.

Why Talking About Salary Matters

Salary is still a sensitive topic for many people. But silence benefits employers, not employees.

Companies often rely on the fact that people do not share salary information. This creates large gaps between equally skilled workers and limits negotiation power.

If you want to earn closer to your potential in Estonia:

• Talk openly with trusted colleagues

• Ask people in similar roles what they earn

• Be willing to share your own salary

• Apply for jobs even when you are not desperate

• Attend interviews to understand market demand

Information is leverage.

Applying This to Life in Estonia

For foreigners, salaries shape every part of life in Estonia.

They determine:

• Where you can live

• How comfortably you travel

• Whether you save or struggle

• How secure you feel long term

Estonia offers safety, digital convenience, and stability. But financial growth depends heavily on your role and your ability to negotiate.

If you are in IT or a high demand niche, Estonia can be financially rewarding.
If you are outside those sectors, progress may be slower and require strategic moves.