Suomen Ekonomit’s salary recommendations help you ensure that your skills are valued appropriately at the beginning of your career.
Why should you check the salary recommendations?
They help you assess an appropriate salary level when you
- apply for a summer job
- apply for an internship
- plan to write your thesis as a commissioned assignment
- are a recent business graduate at the beginning of your career
- recruit a summer employee, intern, thesis student or recent business graduate
The salary recommendations are designed especially to support business students and recent business graduates, as well as employers recruiting them. The recommended salaries are not absolute minimum salary levels.
The recommendations include information on starting salaries for business graduates in the private sector, salaries for summer jobs and internships at different stages of study, and compensation for commissioned theses.
The recommendations also include a template agreement for a commissioned thesis.
If you are already further along in your career, you can explore up-to-date salary data in Suomen Ekonomit’s Salary Radar, available to our members in eLounge.
What are the salary recommendations based on?
The salary recommendations are based on the salary survey conducted in the autumn of the current year, trends in general earnings levels, and forecasts for the following year. Suomen Ekonomit’s Working Life Committee updates the recommendations annually.
Salary Recommendations 2026
Our salary and fee recommendations are based on a 2025 survey, general earnings development and forecasts for 2026. Recommendations can support you in your salary negotiations. Recommended salaries are not absolute lower limits.
Business school graduates’ starting salary recommendations
In 2026, the starting salary recommendation for private sector was 3 950 to 4 350 euros a month, in permanent and non-managerial positions corresponding education, without long-term relevant work experience acquired during studies. Recommendation applies to total earnings without bonuses.
Recommendations for summer job and training period pay
Summer job pay recommendations apply to business school students who can use their skills acquired during business school studies in their summer job. Please note that in some industries employees’ pay is determined under the terms of collective agreement, its remuneration tables or established training period pay.
Recommendations for 2026
| Study credits | Recommendation EUR / month |
|---|---|
| Under 120 | 2 700 € |
| 120−180 | 2 750 € |
| 181−220 | 2 800 € |
| Over 220 | 2 900 € |
Recommendations for thesis pay and remuneration
- When a student is commissioned to do a Bachelor’s thesis to an organisation the latter should pay an appropriate remuneration for it.
- When a student completes a Master’s thesis as an employee, the recommendation for a monthly salary is 2 900 euros during the thesis work.
- When remuneration for a commissioned Master’s thesis is not paid as a monthly salary, the recommendation for such remuneration is 6 500 euros.
In addition, if the thesis involves a large or fairly large study project, which in itself benefits the contractor, the additional work conducted for the study part should be taken into account in the lump
50% discount for new graduate members
Are you about to graduate or have you recently graduated? When you join as a graduate member immediately after graduation, you’ll receive a 50% discount on your membership fee for the first two years.
It’s worth joining as soon as you graduate to ensure that your membership continues without interruption and that you don’t lose the working-life protection you have built up during your student membership.