Tradenomiliitto

The median salary of BBA degree holders increased to EUR 4,325

Key Takeaways

  • The median salary of BBA graduates increased by 4.2 per cent and is now EUR 4,325 per month.
  • The salary of 81 per cent of BBA graduates increased, and the main reason was salary increases based on collective agreements.
  • The average salary of female BBA graduates is 12 per cent lower than that of male BBA graduates, which is related to their positions.
  • The unexplained gender pay gap is 8.4 per cent in favour of male BBA graduates, which is a notable gender equality problem.
  • Confidence in the labour market is declining for the third year in a row, especially in the ICT sector, and unemployment is high.

The median salary of BBA degree holders increased by 4.2 per cent compared to the previous year. The most common reason for the increase in the earnings level was once again salary increases based on collective agreements. At the same time, real income finally exceeded the level preceding the decline in salaries in 2022.

The median salary of BBA degree holders is now EUR 4,325 per month.

The salary of 81 per cent of Professionals of Business and Technology members increased from the previous year. For 74 per cent of them, earnings increased due to a salary increase based on the collective agreement, and for 20 per cent of them, earnings increased due to a salary increase related to personal performance, also known as a merit increase.

“The general increase negotiated by unions is the most common reason for the increase in the earnings of our members, and the number of recipients increased from last year,” says Labour Market Researcher Joonas Miettinen. “With general increases, we ensure that the earnings of our members increase throughout their careers, even when they can’t increase their salary by changing jobs or moving to more demanding positions.”

The average median salary of female BBA graduates is 12 per cent lower than that of male BBA graduates. The main reason behind the pay gap is gender differences in industries and positions. Among female BBA graduates, 57 per cent work in expert positions, while the corresponding figure for male BBA graduates is 64 per cent. Even though reasons for the pay gap can be identified based on the member survey, a significant part of the gender pay gap still remains unexplained.

“According to our survey, the unexplained gender pay gap is 8.4 per cent in favour of male BBA degree holders. The unexplained pay gap cannot be explained by, for example, education, experience, or the demands of the job, and this is one of the key gender equality problems in working life,” says Miettinen.

“Many tools are needed to correct the unexplained gender pay gap. The current Equality Act requires employers to promote equal pay, but this has clearly not contributed to reducing the gender pay gap,” says Director of Advocacy Ville-Veikko Rantamaula. “The unexplained pay gap underlines the need for the Pay Transparency Directive, which aims to increase pay transparency.”

The median real income of BBA degree holders finally exceeded the level preceding the decline in salaries in 2022. The recovery of purchasing power was affected by a low inflation rate as well as salary increases negotiated by unions.

“The purchasing power of Finns has mainly improved due to the long-term negotiation work of unions, although many other operators like to take the credit for it,” says Rantamaula. “Salary increases based on collective agreements will increase the earnings of BBA degree holders by approximately EUR 1,600 this year. In this situation, not many people would be able to agree on similar increases individually. Our negotiations have been proven to produce financial predictability and stability, even if it is constantly challenged,” says Rantamaula.

Confidence declining for the third year in a row

Despite the positive signals, the confidence of BBA graduates in their own situation and the situation in their workplace is declining for the third year in a row. Persons working in the financial sector and in accounting firms considered the situation in their workplace the most stable. Confidence is being tested especially in industry and, in particular, in the ICT sector, where half of the members of the Professionals of Business and Technology considered redundancies or layoffs at least possible. At the same time, the unemployment rate among those with higher education degrees is still at an all-time high. In December, there were nearly 10,190 more unemployed people with higher education degrees than nine years ago in December 2016, during the previous high unemployment period. 

“Rising unemployment erodes confidence in one’s own work situation, even if there is no immediate threat of redundancy. At the same time, many workplaces in the private and public sector are undergoing change negotiations, which create uncertainty about the future. The legislative amendment to facilitate redundancies that entered into force at the turn of the year has most likely also had an effect. It is safe to say that confidence is now being tested from many different directions,” says Miettinen.

“Finding employment is difficult, and the authorities suffering from a resource shortage are unable to fully perform their duties. Even in this situation, unions take responsibility by offering their members services that promote employment,” says Rantamaula. “Political decision-makers should finally understand that a wrong diagnosis has fatal consequences. Right now, the labour market needs confidence which has not been achieved through legislative reform.”

We have studied the remuneration and working conditions of BBA degree holders in Finland for nearly 30 years, and we are the only union to do so. The data collection for our annual member survey was carried out in October-November 2025, and 2,625 members of the Professionals of Business and Technology responded to the survey.

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