Last updated on 2 November 2026.

This article details how much Assistants in grade AST 4 can expect to earn in the European Commission. The same rules and pay apply directly to the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, EU agencies, and most other EU bodies that are covered by the Staff Regulations.

Reading this guide will give you a complete remuneration breakdown, covering basic salary scales, net take-home pay scenarios, statutory allowances, and the impact of the Correction Coefficient.

Key Takeaways

• Basic Salary Range: Monthly gross basic salary for Assistants AST 4 starts at €5,437.91 (Step 1) and reaches €6,152.64 (Step 5).
• Highest Assistant Entry Grade: AST 4 is the highest standard entry grade for Assistants recruited through EPSO competitions or external Temporary Agent (Article 2(f)) selection procedures by the European Commission and most other Brussels- and Luxembourg-based EU institutions. However, EU agencies recruit assistants at higher grades as well.
• Net Take-Home Pay vs. Basic Pay: EU staff are exempt from national income taxes, however, they pay an EU Community Tax, a 6% special Solidarity Levy, and they also make compulsory social security contributions (13.10% pension, 1.70% JSIS health insurance, 0.10% accident coverage, and ~0.40% unemployment insurance).
• Geographical Correction Coefficient: Outside Brussels and Luxembourg (100.0%), monthly remuneration is multiplied by a national Correction Coefficient ranging from 66.1% in Bulgaria (€3,594.46 basic pay) to 130.7% in Ireland (€7,107.35 basic pay).

Basic salary vs. full remuneration package

The monthly basic salary for Assistants in grade AST 4 across all EU institutions ranges from €5,437.91 (Step 1) to €6,152.64 (Step 5). New recruits start at either Step 1 or Step 2 depending on the length of their prior professional experience.

Once employed, your basic salary increases through two separate statutory mechanisms:

1. Step advancement: Under Article 44 of the Staff Regulations, staff advance automatically by one step within their grade every two years.
2. Reclassification (it is called ‘promotion’ for permanent officials): Moving up to the next grade (from AST 4 to AST 5) can occur through the annual performance appraisal exercise. Advancement to AST 5 depends on sustained high performance evaluations, comparative merits, and budgetary quotas within your institution or agency.

At the same time, knowing your nominal basic salary does not tell you your final take-home pay for two reasons:

• Allowances and tax structure: Basic salary for most staff constitutes somewhere between 50% and 100% of your total net remuneration depending on whether you qualify for expatriation and family allowances.
• Geographical Correction Coefficient: Your duty station or ‘place of employment’ as it’s called in EU administrative documents, directly affects your payout. Brussels and Luxembourg serve as the baseline reference at 100.0%. If you work for an EU agency in Denmark or Ireland, your basic salary and allowances are increased by more than 30% to reflect local living costs. Conversely, if you are stationed in Bulgaria or Romania, your remuneration is adjusted downward to 66.1% or 72.9% compared to the 100% Brussels equivalent.

Required Qualifications, Work Experience, and Step Placement

Within the Assistants function group, grades AST 1, AST 2, AST 3, and AST 4 serve as entry grades for external recruitment. While the European Commission primarily recruits permanent officials at AST 1 or AST 3 via EPSO competitions, decentralized EU agencies, executive agencies, and specialized bodies regularly recruit Temporary Agents (Article 2(f) CEOS) directly at grade AST 4 for senior technical, financial, IT, human resources, and operational support roles.

Under Article 5(3)(a) of the Staff Regulations and standard EU recruitment notices, minimum eligibility across the four Assistant entry grades follows this progression:

• AST 1: Post-secondary education (or secondary education plus 3 years of relevant experience) and 0 years of additional specialist professional experience.
• AST 2: Minimum qualification plus 3 years of relevant professional experience.
• AST 3: Minimum qualification plus 6 years of relevant professional experience.
• AST 4: Minimum qualification plus 9 years of relevant professional experience (specifically: 9 years of professional experience after secondary education giving access to post-secondary education, or 6 years of professional experience after completing a relevant post-secondary diploma).

Initial Step Placement (Step 1 vs. Step 2)

Under Article 32 of the Staff Regulations and institutional General Implementing Provisions on step classification at recruitment, new AST 4 staff are placed in:

• AST 4, Step 1 (€5,437.91): When fulfilling the minimum required years of professional experience stated in the vacancy notice.
• AST 4, Step 2 (€5,666.40): Granted when the recruit possesses verifiable professional experience exceeding the minimum requirement by at least 32 months (depending on the specific EU institution’s implementing decision).

Official Basic Salary Scale for Assistants AST 4 (Compared to AST 3 and AST 5)

The table below shows the official monthly gross basic salary for Assistants in grade AST 4 alongside the adjacent grades AST 3 and AST 5.

Note that Step 5 of AST 3 equals Step 1 of AST 4 (€5,437.91), and Step 5 of AST 4 equals Step 1 of AST 5 (€6,152.64).

Source: Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union, Article 66 (applicable from July 2025 to June 2026).

AST4 Net Take-Home Pay by Family and Residence Status

Below is an indicative monthly salary and net take-home pay calculation for a Temporary Agent in grade AST 4, Step 1 employed in Brussels, Belgium (Correction Coefficient = 100.0%) across four typical household and residence profiles.

N.B. These calculations are indicative and based on current statutory rules under the Staff Regulations. Permanent Officials do not pay the Unemployment Insurance contribution (+€21.75/month net).

Only your institution’s HR department or the Paymaster Office (PMO) can calculate an exact final figure after verifying your individual supporting documents and spouse’s earned income.

On top of the monthly net pay shown above, dependent children are guaranteed either free tuition at a local European School or a statutory Education Allowance or Pre-school Allowance per child. Furthermore, an expatriate family receives an annual flat-rate Travel Grant covering each eligible family member based on kilometric distance to their official ‘place of origin’.

Impact of the Correction Coefficient AST 4 Basic Pay

The table below shows how the monthly basic salary of an Assistant in grade AST 4, Step 1 (€5,437.91) is adjusted across EU duty stations according to the applicable Correction Coefficient. You can also consult our dedicated guide on the Correction Coefficient to understand the methodology in detail.

Source: Eurostat / European Commission Correction Coefficients applicable to EU staff remuneration.

Take into account that your statutory allowances (Household, Dependent Child, Expatriation, and Education allowances) are also multiplied by the local Correction Coefficient. If you work outside Brussels or Luxembourg, multiply the final net total in the Brussels scenarios table by your place of employment coefficient to obtain an approximation of your monthly total net remuneration package.

RELATED ARTICLES:
* Salary of Assistants AST 1
* Salary of Assistants AST 2
* Salary of Assistants AST 3
* Salary of Assistants AST 5
* Salary of Assistants AST 6
* Salary of Assistants AST 7
* Salary of Assistants AST 8
* Salary of Assistants AST 9
* Salary of Assistants AST 10
* Salary of Assistants AST 11

Allowances and other benefits for EU institutions staff

Several allowances and other benefits can quite significantly boost an EU official’s income. This largely depends on whether the person is an expat and has a spouse and/or children. When considering a job at an EU institution, people too often do not take these benefits into account. Important – these benefits are available to Administrators in grades AD 5-16, Assistants in grades AST 1-11, Secretaries and Clerks in grades AST/SC 1-6, and Contract Agents in grades FG I-IV.

• Travel costs on taking up duties. Reimbursement of travel costs for the official and eligible family members from the place of recruitment to the place of employment.
• Daily subsistence allowance. Paid during your initial onboarding period if you must change your residence to take up duties at your place of employment. Staff entitled to the household allowance (staff with a spouse or/and dependents) receive €55.40 per calendar day for up to 10 months (probation period plus one month). Staff without household allowance receive €44.68 per calendar day for 120 days.
• Installation allowance and coverage of removal costs (one-time payments). A lump sum granted upon completing your probationary period when moving your domicile. Single staff receive one month’s basic salary (with a statutory floor of €1,577.18 for officials and temporary agents, and €937.77 for contract agents). Staff relocating with family receive two months’ basic salary (minimum €1,577.18).
• Expatriation allowance or Foreign Residence allowance. Paid to officials who are not nationals of their host country and have not habitually resided or carried out their main occupation there during the five years ending six months before entering the service. It equals 16% of the sum of basic salary, household allowance, and dependent child allowances (subject to a statutory minimum of €714.89 per month). Expats who are not entitled to the expatriation allowance get a foreign residence allowance that equals 4% of the basic salary amount (subject to a statutory minimum of €178.65 per month).
• Household allowance. Calculated as a flat base of €241.21 plus 2% of basic salary for married staff, registered non-marital partners, or single parents with dependent children.
• Dependent child allowance. A flat payment of €527.06 per month per child, granted automatically up to age 18, or up to age 26 while the child is in full-time educational or vocational training.
• European School enrollment for children or Education allowance. Children of EU institutions staff enjoy free tuition at local European Schools. Where no European School is available and university attendance, staff receive a statutory Education Allowance or a Pre-school Allowance. The Education Allowance amount is up to a ceiling of €357.62, and is doubled if there is no European School near the institution’s headquarters. The Pre-school Allowance amount is €128.76 per month. Both allowances are subject to the correction coefficient.
• Healthcare costs reimbursement to a level of 80-85% through the EU’s Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS) for the employee and any direct family members and dependents. 100% reimbursement of costs in case of a serious illness.
• Accident insurance.
• Annual travel grant. An annual flat-rate payment assisting expatriate staff and family members with travel to their official place of origin.
• Birth & adoption grant. A flat-rate grant of €198.31 paid upon the birth or adoption of a child.
• Parental leave allowance. Statutory leave grant of €1,289.65 per month (or €1,719.56 per month for single parents) during approved parental leave.
• Unemployment allowance.
• Removal expenses when leaving your home country and again when leaving your EU institution.
• EU pension, survivors and orphan’s pensions, invalidity allowance.
• Lump sum payments in case of permanent invalidity or death.
• Lump sum funeral expenses. Costs incurred upon the death of an official, their spouse, or dependent child are reimbursed up to a statutory ceiling of €3,365.18. If death occurs while on official mission, the costs of repatriating the body to the official’s place of origin are fully covered by the institution.
• Invalidity & Survivor Pensions: Comprehensive life, disability, and death social security/coverage. In case of accidental death related to duties, a lump sum of 5 times the annual basic salary is paid to eligible beneficiaries, with invalidity and orphan pensions ensuring partial income continuation.