Student’s salary matters

The Union of Professional Engineers in Finland publishes annual salary recommendations for newly graduated engineers and engineering summer jobs and internships. The recommendations are related to work in which a recent graduate can take advantage of his/her engineering education or which supports his/her studies.

Salary recommendations are used as a basis for salary negotiations, but cannot be considered as minimum or maximum salaries. The recommendations are based on studies of the salary levels of students and recent graduates. The level of pay depends in particular on the complexity of the job and the employee’s previous work experience. Moreover, the supply and demand situation in different sectors has an impact on salaries. In the capital region, salaries are often higher than in the rest of the country.

Starting salary for engineers graduating in 2024

Salary recommendations are meant for jobs that require engineering education and are permanent and full-time. Salary levels are primarily affected by the complexity of the tasks. If you gained a lot of work experience before graduation, you often can work in more demanding tasks than those with less experience. The sector also has an impact on salary levels. The recommended salaries are calculated on the basis of a 37.5-hour work week and do not include overtime and performance bonuses.

In fixed-term positions, the pay is often below recommendations. Limited work experience is equivalent to an engineering bachelor’s degree and related compulsory training.

Salary recommendations for students

The summer job and internship salary recommendations can be applied to tasks related to engineering studies. In some cases, salaries are determined by the collective agreement in force. The recommendations are based on the results of the student employment survey and general earnings development. Salaries do not include overtime or other allowances.