Convert an hourly rate into monthly pay, gross and net. Useful for comparing an hourly contract against a salaried offer, or working out what a freelance rate is actually worth once tax is out.
Hourly rate to monthly net
Full time is 40 hours a week, which is 173.3 hours a month — 52 weeks a year, not four weeks a month.
The minimum from 1 April 2026 is €5.67 an hour and €946.00 a month at full time. Before 1 April it was €5.31 and €886.00.
Full time is 173.3 hours a month, not 160
A month is not four weeks. Forty hours a week over 52 weeks a year is 173.3 hours a month, and the flat-four shortcut understates your pay by 7.7% — on the minimum wage that is most of a month's money over a year. Every figure on this page uses 52/12.
What you keep, at each rate
| Hourly rate | Gross per month | Net per month | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| €6.00 | €1,040 | €936 | 90% |
| €8.00 | €1,387 | €1,197 | 86.3% |
| €10.00 | €1,733 | €1,457 | 84.08% |
| €15.00 | €2,600 | €2,109 | 81.12% |
| €20.00 | €3,467 | €2,761 | 79.63% |
| €30.00 | €5,200 | €4,064 | 78.15% |
The share you keep falls as the rate rises, from 90% at €6.00 an hour to 78.15% at €30.00. That is not a progressive tax — Estonia's income tax is flat at 22%. It is the €700 basic exemption, which is a fixed sum rather than a percentage, so it shelters a shrinking fraction of a growing salary. All these figures assume a 40-hour week.
The minimum wage changed on 1 April 2026, so there is no single 2026 figure
January to March 2026 carried €5.31 an hour and €886 a month. From 1 April 2026 it is €5.67 and €946. A rate of €5.50 was lawful in February and is not now. Any calculator quoting one 2026 minimum wage is wrong for a quarter of the year, which is why ours takes a date.
What comes out, and in what order
| Step | Rate | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment insurance | 1.6% | Deducted from gross, and deductible before income tax |
| Second pillar pension | 2%, 4% or 6% | Only if you joined. Also deductible before income tax |
| Basic exemption | €700 | Applied only if you have asked your employer to apply it |
| Income tax | 22% | On what is left. Flat — there are no bands |
| Social tax | 33% | Paid by the employer on top of your gross. Not deducted from your pay |
The ordering is the thing people get wrong
Unemployment insurance and the pension contribution come out before income tax is calculated, not after. Treating them as post-tax deductions overstates the tax on every salary. And the basic exemption is not automatic — you have to ask your employer to apply it, and a new arrival who never does quietly overpays about €154 a month.
Hourly against salaried
| Hourly | Salaried | |
|---|---|---|
| Tax treatment | Identical | Identical |
| Paid when you do not work | No | Yes |
| Public holidays | Estonia has 12, and an hourly worker is not paid for them unless rostered | Paid |
| The shortened-day rule | § 53 shortens the day before four holidays by 3 hours — for hourly pay that is 3 hours less money | Same pay, less work |
| Comparing an offer | Multiply by 173.3, then compare | Compare directly |
FAQ
How many working hours are in a month in Estonia?
About 173.3 at full time — 40 hours a week times 52 weeks, divided by 12. Not 160. The "four weeks a month" shortcut understates the year by 7.7%, which on a minimum-wage job is well over a month's pay across a year. Full time is 40 hours a week under the Employment Contracts Act.
What is the minimum hourly wage in Estonia?
There is no single 2026 answer, which is the trap. From 1 April 2026 it is €5.67 an hour and €946 a month at full time. From January to March 2026 it was €5.31 and €886. A rate that was lawful in February may not be lawful now.
Why do I keep a smaller share as my rate goes up?
Not because of progressive tax — Estonian income tax is flat at 22% with no bands. It is the €700 monthly basic exemption, which is a fixed sum rather than a percentage. It shelters the same number of euros whatever you earn, so it covers a shrinking share of a growing salary. At €6 an hour you keep about 90%; at €30 an hour, about 78%.
Do I pay social tax on hourly work?
No. Social tax at 33% is paid by your employer on top of your gross pay, not deducted from it. What comes out of your pay is unemployment insurance at 1.6%, the second pillar pension contribution if you have joined, and income tax. This is one of the bigger structural differences between Estonian and most other European payslips.
Is hourly pay taxed differently from a salary in Estonia?
No. Identically. There is no hourly rate of income tax, no separate treatment and no threshold that only applies to one. The difference is entirely in what you are paid for — an hourly worker is not paid for public holidays unless rostered, and under § 53 of the Employment Contracts Act the shortened day before four holidays means three hours less pay rather than three hours less work.