What an electrician is paid on a Finnish data-centre site

Pay in the Finnish electrical contracting sector is set by a collective agreement, not by whoever hires you. The agreement gives a table of hourly rates by pay group. Your employer may pay more; less is not lawful. The figures below are the table for time work, column B, valid from 1 August 2026.

Shift supplements

Evening work adds 1.49 € an hour and night work 2.72 € an hour to the rate, under the same agreement and the same dates. On a data-centre site with two or three shifts this is the difference between a plain month and a good one: a full month of night shifts at group 2 is about 435 € more before deductions.

What comes off the top

Two employee contributions are deducted from gross pay in 2026: the earnings-related pension contribution (TyEL) at 7.30 % and the unemployment insurance contribution at 0.89 %. Tax follows the percentage on your Finnish tax card. If you have no tax card yet, the employer must withhold 60 % — so get the card before your first payday, not after it.

If you stay in Finland for six months or less, tax at source of 35 % with a monthly deduction may apply instead, and a progressive option exists. Which one is better depends on your own figures, and it is worth asking the Tax Administration before you choose.

What actually decides your group

Not years served. The agreement compares the work you can do independently with the classification of work in the agreement. A person with fifteen years of assisting work can sit below a person with four years of independent installation from drawings. Special entry rules also exist for newcomers and for a recognised Finnish vocational qualification.

The preliminary group is set when the employment contract is signed, and the exact group must be determined within three months. It can move up or down after that check.