In Estonia, the average gross salary among employees increased by 11.2% to €1,815 in 2025, as reported by Merit Palk, the country's leading payroll accounting software company. Despite this growth, the gender pay gap remains a significant issue, with women earning an average of €500 less per month than men. The data highlights that while salaries are rising, the differences between male and female earnings are still pronounced and troubling.

The statistics show that in 2024, the average gross salary for women was €1,355 and for men was €1,855, resulting in a gender pay gap of 26.9%. By 2025, these figures improved slightly to €1,542 for women and €2,042 for men, narrowing the gap to 24.5%. This reduction of approximately 2.5 percentage points has been acknowledged as a positive trend by industry experts, although the overall disparity remains concerning.

Maarja-Liisa Maasik, head of development at Merit Palk, emphasizes the importance of recognizing the slow progression towards lowering the wage gap. While the decreasing gap is a step in the right direction, further efforts are needed to address the underlying issues that contribute to gender-based wage disparities. The persistence of this gap calls for continued dialogue and action to ensure equitable pay for all employees, regardless of gender.