Estonia allocates €7.3 million for rescue workers’ and police salaries — ERR News

The Estonian government has allocated €7.3 million to raise the salaries of police officers, rescue service workers, border guards and Emergency Response Centre operators. The funds will primarily be directed toward the pay of lower-paid employees who directly carry out official duties, ERR News reports.

Increase from the beginning of 2027

According to Interior Minister Igor Taro, salaries will rise for 3,764 positions from the beginning of next year. Nearly 8,000 people work in total in the administrative area of Estonia’s Ministry of the Interior.

The minister noted that the additional funding will not be distributed as an equal percentage increase for all employees. The bulk of the funds will be directed to those with lower salaries who perform operational tasks.

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The largest increase for rescue workers

Rescue service workers will receive the largest increase — €140 per month. The minimum salary of a rescue worker will rise by nearly 9%, while the average salary will increase by 8%. The average salary of rescue workers is expected to amount to approximately 85% of Estonia’s average salary, which stood at €2,092 in 2025.

The minimum salary of police officers will increase by 4.4%, while the average pay of a patrol police officer will exceed the national average. The minimum salary of Emergency Response Centre operators will rise by nearly 5%.

Technical workers and SMIT customer support specialists will receive a €90 monthly increase. Salary growth will also apply to employees’ direct supervisors if they themselves perform operational tasks. The salaries of other managers and employees of the Ministry of the Interior will not be increased.