EU salaries and benefits
Basic salaries by grade, deductions, the EU tax and the main allowances, with the figures published by EU Careers.
Basic monthly salaries
The basic salary depends on the grade and the step. These are the figures published by EU Careers, in euros per month before deductions and allowances. They are updated every year.
- Administrator AD 5, first step: 6,152.64 EUR
- Administrator AD 7, first step: 7,876.27 EUR
- Administrator AD 12, first step: 14,603.92 EUR
- Assistant AST 1, first step: 3,754.39 EUR
- Assistant AST 3, first step: 4,806.17 EUR
- Secretary or clerk AST/SC 1, first step: 3,291.94 EUR
- Contract staff FG I: from 2,613.72 to 3,783.03 EUR
- Contract staff FG II: from 2,714.73 to 4,449.31 EUR
- Contract staff FG III: from 3,475.62 to 6,444.44 EUR
- Contract staff FG IV: from 4,449.31 to 9,334.57 EUR
Deductions and the EU tax
From the basic salary come a pension contribution (13.10%), health insurance (1.70%) and accident insurance (0.10%). Staff pay an EU tax instead of national income tax: it is progressive, from 8% to 45% of the taxable part of the salary, and the institutions deduct it directly.
Main allowances
- Expatriation allowance: 16% of the basic salary (plus household and child allowances), at least 714.89 EUR a month, for eligible staff who come from another country.
- Foreign residence allowance: 4% of the basic salary, for staff who are not eligible for the expatriation allowance.
- Household allowance: 241.21 EUR plus 2% of the basic salary, for married staff or those in a recognised partnership.
- Child allowance: 527.06 EUR a month for each dependent child.
- Education allowance: up to 357.62 EUR a month per child at school, 128.76 EUR for children under 5 not yet at school.
- Installation allowance: one or two months of basic salary when you start, depending on the contract, plus moving expenses and a daily allowance for a limited period.
Where you work and how pay grows
In EU agencies a correction coefficient adjusts pay so that purchasing power stays broadly similar in every country. Steps go up automatically every two years. Permanent officials can be promoted to a higher grade on merit, after at least two years in the same grade.
Local agents in EU Delegations are not paid on this scale: their pay follows the conditions set for each country.
Official sources
Checked on 27 October 2026. Rules and figures change: the official pages and each notice always prevail. Content from europa.eu reused under CC BY 4.0 and rewritten by Kandidatu.
Other guides
- Working for the European Union: where to startWho hires, the main ways in, who can apply and which path fits you, explained in plain words.
- EU contract types explainedOfficials, temporary agents, contract agents, national experts, local agents and trainees: what each contract means, how long it lasts and how you get it.
- EPSO competitions step by stepHow an open competition for permanent EU officials works, from the notice to the job offer, and what the reserve list really means.
- Contract staff: EPSO's always-open databaseThe easiest way into the EU institutions for many people: register any time, get shortlisted, pass the reasoning tests and the interview.
- EU traineeshipsThe Commission's Blue Book, the traineeships of the other institutions and agencies, and those in EU Delegations: who can apply, when, and what they pay.
- EU jobs for people who are not EU citizensMost EU posts require EU citizenship, but not all of them: local posts in EU Delegations, some traineeships and some mission posts are open to others.