This article shows how much Assistants in grade AST 2 step 1 can expect to earn in the European Commission. The information directly applies also to the European Parliament, European Council, EU agencies and all other EU institutions. The article presents the full remuneration package: not only the basic salary, but also allowances and other benefits. It also shows the impact of location and the Correction Coefficient on your take-home pay.

Basic salary vs. full remuneration package

The monthly ‘basic salary’ for assistants AST2 in the European Commission and other EU institutions ranges from EUR 3459 to 3914. The starting basic salary will always be the lower number, but you can get ‘reclassified’ or get promoted.

‘Reclassification‘ is the automatic advancement through the European Commission salary scales by one step every two years (see table below to assess the financial impact on your basic salary). ‘Promotion‘ based on good professional performance in the EU context means that you not only get a good evaluation in the annual ‘appraisal’ process, but are also made to skip several salary scale steps or even a grade at once. Promotion has the most significant impact on your income, if you remain in the same job.

At the same time, knowing your ‘basic salary’ in most cases does not tell you much about your final take-home pay. There are two reasons for this.

Firstly, the basic salary in most cases constitutes between 50-100% of your total remuneration package depending on whether you entitled to the various allowances. This is especially so if you have children, a spouse or/and are an expat.

Secondly, the country you are employed in has a significant impact on your total salary due to the ‘Correction Coefficient‘. Brussels is used as reference and there the Correction Coefficient is 100% of basic salary as quoted below. If you work for an EU agency in Scandinavia, your salary and allowances will upped by 18-31% to compensate for higher living costs. Conversely, if you will work for the EU in Bulgaria, you will get only 55% of what your Brussels colleague doing the same job gets.

Assistants’ remuneration by family and residence status

Below is a sample salary and take-home pay calculation of an Assistant in grade AST5 step 1 for four common scenarios in Brussels, Belgium.

Assistants AST 2
Basic Pay	3459	3459	3459	3459
Household allowance	0	265	0	265
Dependent child allowance	0	858	0	858
Expatriation allowance	0	0	733	733
Pension contribution	-349	-349	-349	-349
Health insurance contribution (JSIS coverage)	-59	-59	-59	-59
Accident insurance contribution	-3	-3	-3	-3
Tax	-69	-69	-69	-69
Special levy	0	0	0	0
Correction coefficient	100%	100%	100%	100%
TOTAL REMUNERATION if employed in Brussels	2979	4102	3712	4835

N.B. These calculations are only indicative as they are based on public sources. Only your institution’s HR department will be able to calculate a 100% accurate figure once you provide all necessary documents.

On top of the above, any children would either be guaranteed a place in the local European School, or an Education Allowance for each child. The expat family would also get around 1000 EUR annually per family member as a Travel Grant considering the distance to Rome.

European Commission 2022 salary scale for Assistants AST2

Impact of Correction Coefficient on Assistants AST2 basic pay

The below table shows you the actual Assistants AST 2 basic pay according to the correction coefficient by location of your institution. You should also read a dedicated article about the Correction Coefficient to understand the details.

Take into account that your allowances will also be adjusted by the Correction Coefficient. If you will work not in Brussels, but in another EU location, you should multiply the grand total values in the “scenarios table” to get the actual approximate figure.

Required work experience

RELATED ARTICLES:
* Salary of Assistants AST 1
* Salary of Assistants AST 3
* Salary of Assistants AST 4
* 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.