Wages of young people and summer workers

How much pay should under 18-year-old high school students get for summer job in retail? What about a 19-year-old chef with vocational qualifications? What are schoolgoer’s wages? Read more here!

Summer jobs and short employment contracts are subject to the collective agreement applicable in the sector and the general sectoral employment terms in it. These terms and conditions are minimums, that have to be respected.

Collective agreements contain rules stating that the total wages of young people doing summer jobs are based on their experience and the training relevant to the job.

Is a summer job a reason to pay lower wages?

A summer job or other seasonal work are not a reason to pay employees lower wages just because an employee is young or is on a short contract. If, despite being young, an employee has occupational experience and previously acquired skills, this must also be taken into account even for short employment contracts during the summer.

Several collective agreements contain various rules on pay for young people, schoolgoers or trainees. You can find them below by sector.

Remember to check the pay

Whenever you take up employment and sign an employment contract, you must check the wage-setting conditions: Which collective agreement is applied, what are the working hours, length of the contract etc.

Below you can check out the most typical minimum wages for young people and summer workers as agreed in the sectoral collective agreements. You can find more details on the employment terms in force in the sector in the collective agreement.

Always remember to check your payslip to see that your wage and supplements have been paid correctly in accordance with the shifts you have worked. PAM recommends keeping a record of the shifts you have worked and keeping the shift list in case you need to check it.

Commerce

Hotel, restaurant and leisure

Property services

Amusement parks

Earn as you learn 

Commerce sector

In the commerce sector, employees’ wages are affected by many factors, such as whether an employee has relevant training for the job or previous experience in the sector, or if the work is part of the Earn as you learn summer internship programme. 

• Schoolgoers’ wages are at least 70% of the 1st-year wages of the lowest wage group in the occupation. Schoolgoers’ wages can be paid to students in basic education, upper secondary school or vocational training establishments. An employer can pay schoolgoers’ wages for a maximum of 2 months. After this at least trainees’ wages must be paid.
• Trainees’ wages are at least 85% of the 1st-year wages of the lowest wage group in the occupation. Trainees’ wages can be paid for a maximum of one year. After this at least the 1st-year wages of the relevant pay group must be paid.
• If you have completed a relevant vocational qualification, you are always a 3rd-year employee in the pay scale. 

Typical jobs for youth and summer work

Often youth entering the industry are offered work in pay groups A and B, such as clerical assistant (A), messenger (A), bottle and cart handling (A), sales assistant I (B1) or logistics/warehouse worker (B2).

 

Summer worker's wages

Minimum wages in Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen, Vantaa according to the pay scales until 31 May 2023:

Pay group	schoolgoer monthly wages	schoolgoer hourly wages	trainee monthly wages	trainee hourly wages	1st-year worker monthly wages	1st-year worker hourly wages
A	1 289,40	8,06	1 565,70	9,78	1 842	11,51
B1	1 354,50	8,46	1 644,75	10,28	1 935	12,09
B2	1 367,10	8,55	1 660,05	10,38	1 953	12,21

 

Minimum wages in the rest of Finland according to the pay scales until 31 May 2023:

Pay group	schoolgoer monthly wages	schoolgoer hourly wages	trainee monthly wages	trainee hourly wages	1st-year worker monthly wages	1st-year worker hourly wages
A	1 283,30	7,74	1 503,65	9,40	1 769	11,06
B1	1 299,20	8,12	1 577,60	9,86	1 856	11,60
B2	1 313,90	8,21	1 595,45	9,97	1 877	11,73

 

Minimum wages according to the pay scales from 1 June 2023 in Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen, Vantaa:

Palkkaryhmä	koululainen* kuukausipalkka	koululainen* tuntipalkka	harjoittelija** kuukausipalkka	harjoittelija** tuntipalkka	1.vuoden työntekijä kuukausipalkka	1.vuoden työntekijä tuntipalkka
A	1 339,10	8,37	1 626,05	10,17	1 913	11,96
B1	1 413,30	8,83	1 716,15	10,73	2 019	12,62
B2	1 420,30	8,88	1 724,65	10,78	2 029	12,68

 

Minimum wages according to the pay scales from 1 June 2023 in the rest of Finland:

Palkkaryhmä	koululainen* kuukausipalkka	koululainen* tuntipalkka	harjoittelija** kuukausipalkka	harjoittelija** tuntipalkka	1.vuoden työntekijä kuukausipalkka	1.vuoden työntekijä tuntipalkka
A	1 286,60	8,04	1 562,30	9,77	1 838	11,49
B1	1 357,30	8,48	1 648,15	10,30	1 939	12,12
B2	1 365,00	8,53	1 657,50	10,36	1 950	12,19

 

Working hours supplements

You can find how much working hours supplements for evening and weekend work are in the collective agreement.

Sunday work payment
Double wages are paid for regular work done on Sundays or religious holidays, Independence Day or May Day. Working hours supplements are not paid double, however.

 

Hotel, restaurant and leisure industry

The collective agreement contains rules on pay for young people, schoolgoers and trainees. Wages are calculated based on years of experience and/or relevant training. Employers must also take into account summer workers’ education and previous work experience.

• Schoolgoers’ wages  are 70% of the wages in the wage group in the collective agreement. These can be paid to students in basic education and upper secondary school. Schoolgoers’ wages can be paid for a maximum of 2 months.
• Trainees’ wages are at least 80% of the 0-2 year wage group for the job function concerned. Trainees’ wages can only be paid for the period of a traineeship, which is at the start of an employment relationship and can last a maximum of 6 months.
• If you have vocational training in the sector, the traineeship period is a maximum of 2 months. Possible work experience reduces the  traineeship period.

Wages equivalent to trainees’  wages can also be paid to employees under the age of 18 years if they do not have professional skills or qualifications in the sector.

 

Typical tasks for youth

Often youth entering the industry are offered jobs in pay groups 1-4. These include busser (pay group 1), assisting worker (1), café worker (2), fast food worker (2), waiter (2 or 4), chef (2 or 4), service station worker (2 or 4).

Sales of alcoholic beverages affects the pay group

Waiters, chefs and service station workers' minimum pay is determined according to pay group 2 if the café, fast food restaurant and restaurants is serving no alcohol or serving alcoholic beverages containing maximum 5.5% ethyl alcohol by volume. If alcoholic beverages containing more than 5.5% ethyl alcohol by volume is served, the pay is at least according to pay group 4.

Summer worker's wages

Minimum wages until 31 May 2023 according to the pay scales:

pay group	schoolgoer hourly wages	schoolgoer monthly wages	trainee hourly wages	trainee monthly wages	0-2 year worker  hourly wages	0-2 year  worker monthly wages
1.	7,39	1 175	8,44	1 342	10,55	1 678
2.	7,54	1 198	8,62	1 370	10,77	1 712
3.	8,01	1 273	9,15	1 455	11,44	1 819
4.	8,46	1 345	9,66	1 537	12,08	1 921

 

Minimum wages from 1.6.2023  according to the pay scales in force:

pay group	schoolgoer hourly wages	schoolgoer monthly wages	trainee hourly wages	trainee monthly wages	0-2 year worker  hourly wages	0-2 year  worker monthly wages
1.	7,81	1 242	8,92	1 419	11,16	1 774
2.	7,97	1 267	9,11	1 448	11,38	1 810
3.	8,47	1 346	9,67	1 538	12,09	1 923
4.	8,94	1 422	10,22	1 625	12,77	2 031

 

Working hours supplements from 1.7.2022

• Evening work (6 pm to midnight) €1,33 per hour
• Night work (midnight to 6 am) €2,25 per hour

Sunday work compensation

Basic wages and evening and night work supplements are paid increased by 100% for hours worked on a Sunday, other religious holiday, May Day or Independence Day.

 

Property services sector

Young people or summer workers entering the property services sector are often offered work tasks in job complexity groups 2-4 in the pay scales. These jobs are typically cleaner, caretaker, or lawnmowing.

The pay group is determined in each company based on an evaluation of how demanding the task is.

What is paid and to whom?

Trainees’ wages are calculated based on wage group 1. Trainees’ wages can be paid to schoolgoers and students working during school holidays.

Summer worker's wages

Minimum wages according to the pay scales  in effect from 1.5.2023 to 31.7.2024 :

pay group	hourly wage	montly wage
1 trainee	10,56	1700
2	11,73	1889
3	12,32	1984
4	12,94	2083

 

Amusement parks

There is a separate collective agreement for employees working in amusement, theme and adventure parks that applies to employees covered by the Working Hours Act.

What pay and to whom?

Workers under the age of 18 years in wage groups A and B can be paid 90% of the wages in the relevant wage group for the first 2 months of the employment relationship. After this wages are calculated at least based on the 0-6 months experience level.

When calculating length of experience in the pay scale, length of time worked for the same employer is taken into account. Length of experience is calculated in months. Experience is accrued for calendar months during which an employee has worked at least  10 working days or 76 hours.

Minimum wages as of 1 September 2022:

Pay group A (basic tasks) 

A-group	under 18-year-old	0-6 months	6-12 months	over  1 year
	6,98	7,75	8,52	9,52

 

Pay group B: vocational tasks (and not serving alcoholic drinks over 5,5 %-vol.).

B-group	under 18-year-old	0-6 months	6-12 months	over  1 year
	7,97	8,86	9,68	10,94

 

Pay group C: vocational tasks with more independence and responsibility (serving alcoholic drinks over 5,5 %-vol.).

C-group	0-12 months	over 1 year
	10,57	11,94

 

Working hours supplements

• Evening work (6 pm to midnight) €1,33 per hour
• Night work (midnight to 6 am) €2,25 per hour

You can find how much supplements for evening and weekend work are in the collective agreement.

Sunday work payment
Wages are paid increased by 100% for work done on a Sunday, other religious holiday, May Day or Independence Day. Evening and night work supplements are paid double.

 

Earn as you learn summer traineeship programme

The Earn as you learn traineeship programme only applies to the sectors where there is an agreement.  Find out more details here.