Working for the EU institutions comes with a competitive pay package made up of a base salary, allowances and specific deductions. Find out how your salary is structured and what affects your take-home pay.
Base salary
Your base salary is the fixed monthly amount you receive before allowances, deductions and tax. It is based on your role, job level and experience at the time you are recruited.
Find out what makes up your base salary and how it will increase over time on the Salary levels and progression page.
Salary deductions
Your base salary is subject to certain mandatory deductions.
- Pension contribution: 13.10%
- Health insurance: 1.70%
- Accident insurance: 0.10%
Taxation
As a staff member of the EU institutions, you pay an EU tax (levied progressively at a rate of between 8% and 45% of the taxable portion of the salary), which is collected directly by the institutions. As a result, your salary is not subject to national income tax.
Allowances
Expatriation allowance
If eligible, this adds 16% to your base salary, including to any household and child allowances you receive. The minimum monthly amount is €714.89.
Foreign residence allowance
If you are not eligible for the expatriation allowance, you may receive a foreign residence allowance equal to 4% of your base salary.
Relocation allowances
You may receive one or more one-off payments if you have to move for your new job.
- Installation allowance: A one-off payment equal to 1–2 months of your base salary, depending on your contract type.
- Resettlement allowance: This is equal to 2 months of the base salary if you are receiving the household allowance or 1 month of the base salary if you are not. To be eligible, you must have completed 4 years of service and be moving to a new location at least 70 km from your place of employment.
Moving expenses
Your moving costs are covered both when you relocate to start your new job and when you move at the end of your service, subject to a maximum amount based on your personal situation.
Daily expenses allowance
This allowance covers food and accommodation costs during your relocation period.
- If you receive the household allowance: €55.40 a day.
- If you do not receive the household allowance: €44.68 a day.
Family allowance
This allowance is based on your marital or family status.
- Household allowance: The basic amount is €241.21, plus 2% of your base salary. This allowance is for staff who are married or in a registered partnership recognised as equivalent to marriage in an EU country.
- Child allowance: You’ll receive €527.06 a month for each dependent child under 18 or 18–26 in full-time education. The allowance may be doubled if your child has a disability or long-term illness that results in significant additional expenses.
- Education allowance: You’ll receive up to €357.62 a month for each dependent child attending school and €128.76 a month for children under 5 who aren’t yet in school.
Annual travel payment
This yearly fixed payment is based on the distance between your place of employment and your place of origin.
Correction coefficient for EU agencies
The correction coefficient is used to adjust salaries for staff in EU agencies so that purchasing power remains broadly the same regardless of where they are posted. In practice, it ensures that your salary has a similar value in Warsaw or Copenhagen as it does in Brussels.