How we calculate these figures
Two sources: Statistics Finland's wage statistics and the sector's collective agreement. This page says what they measure, and what they do not tell you.
Statistics Finland's statistics
The wage figures come from Statistics Finland's wage structure statistics, table 15az. The statistics cover the whole country, not one city or region, because no more detailed figure exists. The figures lag by about a year or two: the newest published data is always from the year before.
Which pay we compare
We use regular-hours earnings without supplements — no evening, night or other extra pay included. That is the closest match to the collective agreement's table wage, which is what we compare it against.
The minimum wage and what people are actually paid are two different things
The minimum wage is the collective agreement's floor: the least that may be paid. Statistics Finland's figures show what the trade actually paid — many earn more than the minimum.
Women's and men's pay
The figures are the median hourly earnings of every woman and every man in this occupation code, across all sectors, in the same year. They do not compare the same work, the same hours or the same employer against each other — only women and men across the whole occupation, generally.
When a figure is missing
Statistics Finland does not publish a figure when a group has too few workers, to protect their privacy. When that happens, the page says Statistics Finland does not publish that figure — never a zero or a dash.
The alcohol licence and the pay group
In the hospitality sector's collective agreement, a cook's pay group depends on the workplace's alcohol licence: a café or a restaurant with no licence sits in a different group than one that serves alcohol. This page shows the lowest group a cook appears in.
Agency and temporary work
We do not yet break out agency or temporary work as its own figure. We are looking for a source for this.
Tips and service charges
Restaurant tips and service charges do not appear in these figures. We are looking for a source for this.
We read Statistics Finland's figures on 2.10.2026.
Statistics Finland publishes the wage structure statistics once a year, in June.