How much do EU officials earn?

How much do EU officials earn?

Key Takeaways

  • ‘Basic salary’ doesn’t tell the whole story. Total take-home pay in EU institutions depends on multiple factors.
  • Employment rules are uniform across not only the European Commission, European Parliament, European Council, but all 76 EU institutions.
  • EU jobs are competitive not only because of the salaries, but the many other benefits.

Media often portray the EU institutions as if everyone working in them is drowning in money. Indeed, the top EU jobs are lucrative hovering around the 25 000 EUR per month mark with extra perks.

However, for the majority of EU employees their salaries and other benefits are significantly lower and depend on the type of contract you have and multiple other factors, e.g., employment duration and seniority of the post. Of course, they are by no means low compared to most EU countries’ average pay levels and come with additional allowances and other benefits.

This article provides an overview of what a future Administrator, Assistant (‘fonctionnaire’ in French) and a Contract Agent (‘agent contractuel’ in French) at the European Commission is entitled to – the basic salary, allowances and actual take-home pay, as well as health insurance, pension rights et cetera.

The Berlaymont building in Brussels, where the European Commission headquarters are located
The Berlaymont building in Brussels, where the European Commission headquarters are located

This article applies to the European Commission, European Parliament, European Council, EU Agencies, and other EU institutions, as these rules are applied uniformly across the “EU system”. The article also does not cover such staff groups as Seconded National Experts or SNEs, interims, nor trainees as these have their separate employment conditions and rules.

You might also want to read these articles:
* How to get a job in an EU agency?
* Types of jobs in EU institutions

Information covered in this article comes from public sources, mainly the Staff Regulations and various vacancy announcements by EU institutions. However, most people struggle with ‘legalese’ in these documents, that makes it hard to comprehend not only what is the actual basic salary, but also the actual take-home pay. Hence, I have created this guide, which is based on my experience of working for the EU institutions.

I wish I would have had something like this resource before starting out on my career in EU jobs. If you know someone who’s interested in working for the “institutions”, share the article with them to, hopefully, motivate the person to apply for their first vacancy call and not to give up after the first unsuccessful ‘concours’.

Residence Palace building in Brussels, headquarters of the Council of the European Union and European Council
Residence Palace building in Brussels, headquarters of the Council of the European Union and European Council

How much will you make in a job at an EU institution?

For people who are contemplating an EU job and even fresh recruits, it is often hard to understand what the final salary will look like.

People often focus only on the ‘basic salary’, however, the amount one gets in their bank account will depend on at least five other factors besides the advertised basic salary: 

  1. Type of contract: administrator, assistant, secretary/clerk, contract agent, seconded national expert and some more “exotic” jobs like a special adviser.
  2. Your grade and step.
  3. Relevant allowances and other payments.
  4. EU social security contributions and other deductions.
  5. Adjusting it all by the relevant Correction Coefficient.

There are a number of other advantages that make an EU job quite attractive in the long run, especially if people are thinking about their pensions or health care coverage.

Basic salary

The salaries of EU employees are strictly regulated and there are clear brackets for each category and sub-category of employees. Below is an overview of the so-called salary scales for each of the main four groups of EU institutions employees: 

Your basic salary is adjusted annually according to inflation and purchasing power in your EU country of employment, ensuring parity with living costs and the general labour market. Furthermore, if you work for an EU institution outside of Belgium or Luxembourg, your salary is subject to the Correction Coefficient, which accounts for the cost of living in your specific country.

Salaries of Administrators (AD) and Assistants (AST)

Officials – Administrators and Assistants – (in French – ‘fonctionnaire’) of the European Commission is the EU staff category that comes to most people’s minds when thinking about EU jobs. These are the people in most senior positions and are best paid employees of EU institutions (except the political appointments like the EU Commissioners and their team members).

Below is an overview of the monthly ‘basic salaries’ for Administrators and Assistants. Values in the table vary slightly from year to year, but they will give you a rather good idea of the income level.

Importantly, one has to remember that the basic salary can deviate significantly from your take-home pay amount due to the various allowances you might be entitled to, or if you are working in an EU country where the Correction Coefficient is significantly higher/lower compared to Brussels.

EPSO video about Administrators’ duties in the economics profile at the European Commission

The below table shows the monthly basic salary for Administrators (AD) in the European Commission and all other EU institutions, ranging from grade AD 5 to AD 16. Keep in mind that your actual take-home pay may vary, as it can be affected by allowances and the Correction Coefficient in your country of employment.

European Commission Salary scales for Administrators AD 5 – AD 16

GRADEStep 1Step 2Step 3Step 4Step 5
AD 1621 211,1822 102,5023 031,28  
AD 1518 747,1419 534,9320 355,7920 922,1321 211,18
AD 1416 569,3117 265,6017 991,1218 491,6518 747,14
AD 1314 644,5315 259,9015 901,1316 343,5516 569,31
AD 1212 943,3113 487,2014 053,9614 444,9514 644,53
AD 1111 439,7111 920,4212 421,3312 766,9212 943,31
AD 1010 110,8210 535,6710 978,4111 283,8311 439,71
AD 98 936,269 311,779 703,099 973,0210 110,82
AD 87 898,168 230,058 575,888 814,498 936,26
AD 76 980,667 274,007 579,657 790,547 898,16
AD 66 169,726 429,006 699,146 885,536 980,66
AD 55 453,025 682,165 920,936 085,676 169,72
European Commission basic salary scales for Administrators AD5-16 | Source: Staff Regulations, Article 66

The following table presents the monthly basic salary for Assistants (AST) in the European Commission and all other EU institutions, ranging from grade AST 1 to AST 11.

European Commission Salary scales for Assistants AST 1 – AST 11

GRADEAST 1AST 2AST 3AST 4AST 5
AST 1111 439,7111 920,4212 421,3312 766,9212 943,31
AST 1010 110,8210 535,6710 978,4111 283,8311 439,71
AST 98 936,269 311,779 703,099 973,0210 110,82
AST 87 898,168 230,058 575,888 814,498 936,26
AST 76 980,667 274,007 579,657 790,547 898,16
AST 66 169,726 429,006 699,146 885,536 980,66
AST 55 453,025 682,165 920,936 085,676 169,72
AST 44 819,565 022,075 233,115 378,715 453,02
AST 34 259,654 438,684 625,204 753,864 819,56
AST 23 764,843 923,044 087,894 201,634 259,65
AST 13 327,493 467,313 613,003 713,563 764,84
European Commission basic salary scales for Assistants AST 1-11 | Source: Staff Regulations, Article 66

Detailed overviews of salaries and other benefits of Administrators AD5-16 and Assistants AST1-11

* Salary of Administrators AD5
* Salary of Administrators AD6
* Salary of Administrators AD7
* Salary of Administrators AD8
* Salary of Administrators AD9
* Salary of Administrators AD10
* Salary of Administrators AD11
* Salary of Administrators AD12
* Salary of Administrators AD13
* Salary of Administrators AD14
* Salary of Administrators AD15
* Salary of Administrators AD16

* Salary of Assistants AST1
* Salary of Assistants AST2
* Salary of Assistants AST3
* Salary of Assistants AST4
* Salary of Assistants AST5
* Salary of Assistants AST6
* Salary of Assistants AST7
* Salary of Assistants AST8
* Salary of Assistants AST9
* Salary of Assistants AST10
* Salary of Assistants AST11

Required periods of previous work experience for Administrators and Assistants

Length of previous working period has a significant on employment in EU institutions. You may not start working in a particular grade if you do not yet have the necessary number of years worked.

For administrators grades AD5, AD6, AD7, AD8 are considered as ‘entry grades’. You have to have the following number of years of professional experience to qualify for a particular grade:

  • AD5 requires 0 years of previous professional experience.
  • AD6 requires 3 years of previous professional experience.
  • AD7 requires 6 years of previous professional experience.
  • AD8 requires 9 years of previous professional experience.
  • AD9 and AD10 requires 12 years of previous professional experience.
  • AD11 and AD12 requires 15 years of previous professional experience.

There are the following additional limitations on advancement from one grade to the next:

Director-GeneralAD 15 – AD 16
DirectorAD 14 – AD 15
Adviser or equivalentAD 13- AD 14
Head of unit or equivalentAD 9 – AD 14
AdministratorAD 5 – AD 12

For Assistants grades AST1, AST2, AST3, and AST4 are considered ‘entry grades’. Each Assistants’ grade requires the following work experience length:

  • AST1 requires 0 years of previous professional experience.
  • AST2 requires 3 years of previous professional experience.
  • AST3 requires 6 years of previous professional experience.
  • AST4 requires 9 years of previous professional experience.

It is Ok to be an ‘Assistant’!

EPSO video about positions of Assistants. You can be a Head of Administration in an EU Delegation as an Assistant AST4 or higher.

You shouldn’t shy away from AST or Assistant’s positions. Unless you are literally hired for a position of a secretary, these usually are not low-level ‘assistants’ to other EU officials. Rather, the title of AST or ‘assistant’ is reserved for jobs of a more technical nature such as linguists, building management, or ICT specialists, but can very often be similar to AD posts. As an example, as an Assistant with a salary of 8000+ euros per month, you actually might manage a large group of laywer-linguists or be a senior IT architecture specialist. Yes, sometimes EU rules and naming conventions are weird. 

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Salaries of Secretaries and clerks AST/SC 1-6

As you can already guess, people employed in this role fulfil various secretarial and clerical duties. Professionals in the top grades would already be in managerial roles, overseeing the work of others and be engaged in more strategic planning and problem solving. 

GradeStep 1Step 2Step 3Step 4Step 5
AST/SC 65 409,745 637,085 873,956 037,356 120,77
AST/SC 54 781,304 982,225 192,325 336,025 409,74
AST/SC 44 225,884 403,454 588,504 716,154 781,30
AST/SC 33 734,963 891,914 055,484 168,284 225,88
AST/SC 23 301,083 439,813 584,373 684,073 734,96
AST/SC 12 917,613 040,223 167,983 256,093 301,08
European Commission 2022 basic salary scales – AST/SC secretaries and clerks | Source: Staff Regulations, Article 66

For secretaries and clerks, grades SC1 and SC2 are considered ‘entry grades’. Each AST/SC entry grade requires the following work experience length:

  • AST/SC1 requires 0 years of previous professional experience.
  • AST/SC2 requires 4 years of previous professional experience.

Detailed overviews of salaries and other benefits of Secretaries and Clerks in grades AST/SC 1-6

* Salary of Secretaries and Clerks AST/SC 1
* Salary of Secretaries and Clerks AST/SC 2
* Salary of Secretaries and Clerks AST/SC 3
* Salary of Secretaries and Clerks AST/SC 4
* Salary of Secretaries and Clerks AST/SC 5
* Salary of Secretaries and Clerks AST/SC 6

Salaries of Contract Agents FGI-IV

Salaries of contract agents (in French – “agent contractuel”) mostly depend on which function group and grade they are in. You as a candidate cannot influence the function group as that is decided when the post is advertised, however your length of work experience affects your grade (hence – pay). The longer you have worked, the higher the grade. 

A general overview of contract agents’ starting monthly ‘basic pay’: 

The table below contains much more information on contract agents’ pay. In addition to what explained above, you’ll notice ‘steps’ in the table. Most institutions move their contract agents after two years of work. This can happen faster if you perform well and “reclassified”. This can move you faster up the salary scale and you can jump not only steps, but also grades. 

Video about a Contract Agent role at the European Commission
Function Group & GradeStep 1Step 2Step 3Step 4Step 5Step 6Step 7
FGIV 187 312,037 464,097 619,297 777,757 939,518 104,618 273,13
FGIV 176 462,576 596,946 734,146 874,197 017,147 163,067 312,03
FGIV 165 711,775 830,545 951,806 075,576 201,936 330,926 462,57
FGIV 155 048,195 153,185 260,365 369,755 481,435 595,405 711,77
FGIV 144 461,744 554,524 649,254 745,924 844,654 945,365 048,19
FGIV 133 943,394 025,414 109,114 194,584 281,794 370,844 461,74
FGIII 125 048,135 153,105 260,285 369,655 481,305 595,295 711,64
FGIII 114 461,714 554,474 649,184 745,854 844,554 945,295 048,13
FGIII 103 943,384 025,384 109,094 194,554 281,764 370,814 461,71
FGIII 93 485,293 557,763 631,753 707,293 784,383 863,053 943,38
FGIII 83 080,413 144,473 209,873 276,603 344,753 414,303 485,29
FGII 73 485,213 557,713 631,693 707,223 784,363 863,053 943,39
FGII 63 080,283 144,323 209,733 276,493 344,633 414,203 485,21
FGII 52 722,362 778,972 836,782 895,792 956,003 017,503 080,28
FGII 42 406,042 456,092 507,182 559,332 612,552 666,892 722,36
FGI 32 964,063 025,563 088,373 152,463 217,873 284,673 352,86
FGI 22 620,352 674,732 730,252 786,912 844,752 903,802 964,06
FGI 12 316,512 364,602 413,662 463,742 514,892 567,082 620,35
European Commission 2022 basic salary scales for Contract Agents in function groups FGI, FGII, FGIII, FGIV | Source: Staff Regulations, Article 93

Detailed overviews of salaries and other benefits of Contract Agents in Function Groups FG I, FG II, FG III, and FG IV

* Contract Agents FG I
* Contract Agents FG II
* Contract Agents FG III
* Contract Agents FG IV

Required periods of previous work experience for Contract Agents FGI-FGIV

Each contract agent’s grade requires the following work experience length:

  • FGIV grade 13 requires between 0 and 5 years of previous professional experience.
  • FGIV grade 14 requires between 5 and 17 years of previous professional experience.
  • FGIV grade 16 requires over 17 years of previous professional experience.
  • FGIII grade 13 requires between 0 and 5 years of previous professional experience.
  • FGIII grade 14 requires between 5 and 15 years of previous professional experience.
  • FGIII grade 16 requires over 15 years of previous professional experience.

Required education level for Contract Agents FGI-FGIV

Minimum education for Contract Agents according to function group and grades:

(a)   function group I (grades 1-3):

  • successful completion of compulsory education.

(b)   in function group II (grades 4-7):

  • a post-secondary education attested by a diploma, or
  • a secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education, and appropriate professional experience of three years. The secondary education diploma giving access to post-secondary education may be replaced by a certificate of adequate professional training of not less than three years on condition that there was no similar professional training giving access to higher education at the time it was issued or,
  • successful completion of intermediate education plus two years relevant supplementary specialised training plus five years’ appropriate professional experience.

(c)   in function group III (grades 8-12):

  • a post-secondary education attested by a diploma, or
  • a secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education and appropriate professional experience of three years.

(d)   in function group IV (grades 13-18):

  • completed university studies of at least three years attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least one year.

Only diplomas and certificates that have been awarded in EEA Member countries or that are the subject of equivalence certificates issued by the authorities in the said Member countries will be taken into consideration.

Salary Ursula von der Leyen
Salary of Ursula von der Leyen compared to the Chancellor of Germany and the US President

Salaries of European Commission President and Commissioners

Salaries of the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioners are calculated as a percentage of the highest basic salary possible for non-political posts in EU institutions, such as General Directors in DGs.

This refers to the 3rd step of grade 16 in the EU ‘salary scale’. This value as of 1 January 2023 is EUR 23,031.28.

The European Commission President is entitled to 138% of the basic salary of the highest paid non-political EU civil servant. Vice-Presidents get 125%, “regular” Commissioners get 112,5%.

Basic salary coefficients for members of the College of European Commission
Basic salary coefficients for members of the College of European Commission

If you are interested in the salary of a particular EU Commissioner, click on a link below.

Salaries of EU Commissioners 2019 – 2024

Allowances and other benefits

Several allowances and other benefits can boost your income by as much as 100% depending whether you are an expat and have a spouse and children. When considering a job at an EU institution, people too seldom take these benefits into account. The European Commission and other EU institutions do a poor job of communicating these benefits to possible employees. Important – these benefits are available to both Administrators and Assistants (AD 5-16 and AST 1-11) as well as Contract Agents (FG I to FG IV).

Read also about 16 advantages of working for the European Commission and other EU institutions

How much tax do EU officials pay?

The salaries of employees of EU institutions are are exempt from national tax. This means that you really do not have to pay any tax from your salary in your country of origin. Even if you have to or want to file an income/tax declaration with the national institutions, there is usually a separate form for EU employees that’s tailored to the special tax regime.

Social security contributions (% of basic salary)

The following social security related deductions are made from your salary:

The EU also collects a special solidarity levy of 6% which is deducted directly from the salary. The rate is 7% for officials in grade AD15, step 2, and above, but this applies to probably a few hundred persons in the whole of EU institutions. This levy is applied from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2023.

Income tax

EU employees are also paying an EU Income Tax of 8% to 45% applied progressively depending on the size of your salary. The more you earn, the larger the EU Income Tax. The EU income tax remains at 8% for annual salaries below approximately 60000 euros. 

It’s important to note that your salary as an EU official is exempt from national tax in your country of origin.

Interested in this topic? Read the in-depth article about taxes for EU officials.

What is the European Commission correction coefficient?
What is the European Commission correction coefficient?

The Correction Coefficient

One of the main factors that impacts your take-home pay in an EU job is the ‘correction coefficient’. The EU annually tracks how expensive it is to live in any particular country and assigns a coefficient with Brussels being 100%. If you end up working or an EU institution located in the East or South of the EU, be ready for a substantially lower take-home pay compared to your Brussels colleagues.

Read more about the correction coefficient.

Visuals for download or sharing

European Commission 2023 basic salary scales for Administrators AD5-16
European Commission 2023 basic salary scales for Assistants AST 1-11
European Commission 2023 basic salary scales for secretaries and clerks AST/SC
European Commission 2023 basic salary scales for CONTRACT AGENTS FGI, FGII, FGIII AND FGIV

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This article is based on the European Commission Staff Regulations and other publicly available information such as EU institutions’ vacancy announcements.

Do you have question or suggestion for this article? Please share in a comment below and let’s make this resource better for you and other readers!

Top image: Berlaymont building European Commission headquarters | (c) Fred Romero, CC BY 2.0, Flickr

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65 responses to “How much do EU officials earn?”

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  1. Hello, I’d have a question concerning the grade (=salary) negotiations at the contract signature. I am currently applying for a TA post (but I assume this would be the same for AD) where the post is advertised as AD5-8 and I was wondering if the final grade will be determined purely based on the justified work experience (like it is the case for CA recruitment) or is there any negotiation involved (my head of unit hinted to this)? In my specific case, I can justify 10 years of experience which should be enough for AD8, but I wonder if they’d try to push for a lower grade.
    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi! Such a broad range – AD 5-8 – hints that this refers to the intra/inter-agency mobility which is one of options when hiring staff. If this indeed is the case, you keep the grade you had in your previous job.

      Regarding negotiations, I have also heard stories of this, but know of only one actual case where the person managed to increase the grade he got from AD7 to AD8. The institution would really really need to want specifically you and management has to be ready to put up a fight with HR.

      As there is a real risk that if you refuse to take the offered grade then the job goes to the next best candidate, negotiate only if this is a very principled issue and you are ready to stay in your current job in case the future employer refuses to give in.

      TA stand for ‘temporary agent’. All Administrators 5-16 and Assistants 1-11 are temporary agents during the first two contracts. They become ‘permanent’ after the 2nd contract extension and are not anymore called ‘temporary agents’, but ‘officials’ from the on.

      Reply

      • Thanks for the response! In my case, I am currently working as a CA and would quit my current contract if selected for the TA job. Therefore the starying grade would have to be determined “from scratch” and that’s what I’m wondering about – on paper I could justify AD8 but I am worried about about a scenario of “take AD6-7 or leave it”

      • Please read the vacancy announcement again. The ranges are usually indicated for interagency mobility.
        For outside candidates (like in your case), there’s only one advertised grade. At best, there might be the option of step 1 or 2, depending on length of work experience.

  2. Hello, thanks for this it is very helpful. Still one point is not clear for me: are pension contribution, social security etc. already deducted from the value of basic pay salary or not? If not that would mean we should considera that the net pay of the basic salary would be around 80% of the published amounts. Additionally I didn’t see specified anyway, but understood that 12 payments apply a per year (no extra pays). Thanks a lot

    Reply

  3. hi All, question, If the job is for example AST3 how common is it to negotiate a higher salary than the one given in the ad?

    Reply

    • There’s sometimes an mention in vacancy notices that the successful applicant can be placed in either step 1 or 2. It is my understanding that this is decided both on formal grounds, e.g., work experience duration, but also there might be some leeway to negotiate if you are a desirable candidate. But I’m not completely certain about this. Your negotiation power for AST3 is probably much lower than if you’d apply for AD7/AST7 and up.

      Reply

  5. Hi dears,

    Could you tell how long does take the background check?
    And if I received from the Head of the recruitment Unit an appointment decision stating the start date of taking up of my duties does it mean that the background check is done or it can take place even after hiring?

    Reply

    • You are conditionally hired and work until the background check results arrive. If it’s negative, you will be dismissed. Most colleagues report that it takes up to six months, but there are cases when it does not arrive for years. When the delay is justified (national institution does not provide info to your EU institution), you just keep working.

      Security clearance has to be renewed every 5 years, and you are responsible for not missing the deadline. If you have to go to your home country for this, it is considered and administrative mission and your institution covers mission costs.

      Reply

    • Diego, thanks for the comment! This is a popular question and I’ve been meaning to write an article about this for a long while, but god knows when I’ll get to that.

      The best I can offer at the moment is a link to a regulation, which I believe should set you on the right road. However, you’ll anyway have to do additional calculations as the regulation doesn’t give an easy-to-understand answer.

      Reply

  7. Hi all!

    I’ve researched a lot on the subject but I haven’t come up with a clear answer on this one:

    If you are hired for a position as AST, can you be promoted to an AD or do you have to take the apply for a position that is AD and go to the recruitment process all over again?

    Reply

    • Hi! In 99.9% of cases you would have to apply to an AD position. I’ve heard of instances where people went from AST to AD, but this requires a decision of the Executive Director in an agency or similar level in the Commission. Best bet is to work hard, prove yourself + network so that when an AD position is announced, the business entity looking for a candidate already knows that you are a good fit.

      Reply

      • There is no such thing as being ‘promoted’ from a lower function group to another one or from AST/C to AST and from AST to AD. This can only be by ‘appointment’ = pass a recruitment. But let me explain some concepts here:

        There is a difference in recruitment policy and posts of (Executive) Agencies and Institutions (e.g. Commission/Parliament/…): The first recruits non-permanent positions and the officials are those moved in the intrest of the service to these entities. While the Institutions recruit mostly permanent positions where the entry grades on entry can be even lower compared to these Agencies but they are of a permanent nature and you can progress according to seniority, merit and function group promotion allocations (you stay always within the career path of your function group).

        It must be clear that non-permanent posts (Contractual & Temporary Agents) as the term speaks for itself is limited in time, even if they can be extended several times till ‘undetermined’ in (Executive) Agencies. Some might be long lasting till you acquire your retirement age (but no one can tell this beforehand). While in the Institutions these type of posts are limited in time except for Contractuel Agent FG I which can be extended the same way. People can also progress but as with officials they stay within their career path of the Function Group (FG).

        For Temporary Agent (Agent Temporaire) – non permanent post ‘upgrade’: This is possible if the Appointing Authority (French abreviation in docs used is ‘AIPN’) decides for service reasons to convert an existing post from AST to AD (and sacrifice another postion(s) or received more quota which is rare these days). In such case you could be hired (=appointed) onto that ‘new’ AD post for as much as you still comply according to the rules and conditions laid down for it.

        For Officials (‘Fonctionnaires’): There is no such thing as moving or being promoted from AST/C to AST or AST to AD. This can only be achieved by an external or internal competition or the certification track program (AST to AD). None of the aforementioned options are ‘automatic’, they all require you to be accepted in a competition with many others and to retake exams. If you pass and there is a vacant position you are appointed into that new function group (not promoted!). To be noted that you lose also seniority of your former function group (AST) only pension entitlements are kept.

      • Your welcome Ben! I get myself for over a decade regularly questions from potential candidates as from already recruited staff. Aside curiosity provoked often by biased articles created by political or sensation inspired journalism (with known reactions), many are in search for real (unbiased) information. In search for information I came across your guide and it helps in bringing such clarity. Not all questions are easy to answer with a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘NO’. However, everyone should bear in mind that any answer given here is ‘informative’ and can change over time. For a precise and legal binding answer, only the anwer/decision of the official instance given on your file counts (based on the specific implementation of rules for that organization, your personal situation and provided material at the time of decision). But being knowledgeable helps in setting correct expectations as to providing the correct info to the administration to ensure one’s entitlements.

  8. (1)Annual travel compensation.
    The information you provide is incorrect. It is calculated based on physical distance (km), geographical km not effective and longer km/road distance.
    (2) Also health insurance reimbursements: while up to 85%, there are many ceilings! These are outdated (over 15 years old and too low) and you often end up with far more than 15% of paid costs remaining at your expense.
    (3) Note: working from home has become obligatory for several days a week, so you must ensure to rent adequate lodgings (space) and have good internet connection. No financial contribution towards “home office”.
    In summary: employment conditions have worsened over the last 15 years.

    Reply

  9. 60000 euros is £52481 and paying 8% tax! In the UK if I earn over £12000 I pay 20% tax, and you lot think you are hard done by! This is only 1 perk of working for the EU! This is the reason I voted leave!

    Reply

      • Why should he vote to leave his own country? He has every right to vote for the policy he finds best for his country. Gosh, I hope you don’t work for the EU, with this attitude…

    • In Belgium I’m paying more than 40% tax and my bonuses or any extra pay from my base salary is taxed 62% (yep.. 62%) but I am happy to be in the EU. I don’t mind smart people working hard to make this work properly, but you British are way to proud to understand the value of being a member-state. Oh and.. byyye

      Reply

  10. Thanks a lot for your amazing work. It is the best and most complete explanation about EU salaries that I have been able to find. I honestly appreciate it, congratulations!

    Reply
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QUESTIONS ABOUT EU JOBS?

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  1. We (me and my heterosexual partner, also working for the EU) have recently asked the question, in order to see…

  3. First of all, thank you so much for this very clear article. It has helped me to understand the process…

  4. Thank you so much for all your work. I wish I came across your work much earlier, this is so…

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