Employment opportunities in Finland
In Finland, the majority of the population work in the service sector. Services are provided by both private companies and the public sector. Public sector services include, for example, education, health care, social services and other services provided by municipalities, the state and wellbeing services counties to the residents.
The sectors with the highest employment are trade, transport, accommodation and food services, education and social and health services. The share of jobs in the service sector will increase in the future.
The sector with the highest number of job vacancies in Finland is currently social work and care. Other sectors employing Finns are agriculture and industry. Foreign trade is also important for Finland. Finland exports, for example, food, forestry and metal products, paper and cardboard as well as machinery and equipment.
What sectors have job vacancies?
There is a need for employees all over Finland. The largest number of job vacancies is available in large cities, southern Finland and the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.
In Finland, the public sector is also a major employer in addition to businesses, and for example, the City of Helsinki is the largest employer in Finland.
According to the Labour Force Barometer (Työvoimabarometri), the following were the sectors with the highest number of vacancies in September 2023:
- Social and health services (e.g. nurses, practical nurses, general practitioners)
- Education (e.g. kindergarten teachers, special education teachers)
- Specialist work and consultancy (e.g. application designers, IT specialists)
- Installation, maintenance and cleaning (e.g. office and institutional cleaners, home carers)
- Hospitality and tourism (e.g. waiters and restaurant workers)
- Industry and technology (e.g. welders and gas cutters).
You can find vacancies on employment websites. However, please note that many sectors have requirements in terms of education and language skills.
You can find more information about looking for work on the InfoFinland page Find a job in Finland.
Wage and salary levels in Finland
The average salary varies from sector to sector. In many sectors, pay is determined by collective agreements (työehtosopimukset). In many cases, different types of allowances are paid on top of the basic salary, such as premium pay (työaikalisät) and experience allowance (kokemuslisät).
According to Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus), the average salary in Finland at the end of 2022 was around €3,800. However, this figure varies considerably between different sectors.
According to Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus), the median wage of a Finnish employee was €3,400 per month in 2022.
Examples of median wages:
- Doctors: €7,800 per month
- Managers: €7,100 per month
- Upper and lower secondary school teachers: €4,200 per month
- Primary school teachers and kindergarten teachers: €3,200 per month
- Specialists: €4,400 per month
- Experts: €3,500 per month
- Drivers: €3,300 per month
- Construction workers: €3,100 per month
- Practical nurses: €2,900 per month
- Salespersons: €2,700 per month
- Restaurant and catering workers: €2,600 per month
- Cleaners: €2,200 per month
(Statistics Finland 2022)
The amount of the salary is often influenced by the degree of difficulty of the job and the education and skills required for the job. Salaries also vary depending on whether the employer is a municipality, the state or a company.
In Finland, the wages, taxes and cost of living are slightly higher than the EU average.
You can find more information on prices and taxation in Finland on InfoFinland’s pages Cost of living in Finland and Taxation.
Qualification requirements
Some professions, such as doctor, nurse or class teacher, are regulated in Finland. This means that the education and training required for them is specified in law.
If you have completed a degree or qualification in another country, you may need a decision of recognition or equivalence to be able to work in Finland.
Read more on the InfoFinland page: Foreign diploma or degree in Finland.
Finnish and Swedish language skills
Once you can speak some Finnish or Swedish, it will be easier for you to find work and take care of your affairs in the Finnish society. In working life, some jobs also require Finnish or Swedish language skills by law. Such professions are, for example, teacher, doctor or speech therapist.
Read more on the InfoFinland page Language skills and qualification requirements.
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health
Language skills in job search and workLink redirects to another websiteRight to work and residence permit
Find out in advance whether you need a separate residence permit for work. It depends on, for example, the country from which you are moving. Some residence permits include the right to work without restrictions in any sector. There may also be restrictions on the right to work.
Read more on InfoFinland’s page Right to work in Finland.