In Finland, published rates for start at €3,146 a month on staff, with €67–€77 an hour as a freelance.
On staff
€3,146 a month
Freelance
€67–€77 an hour
Sources
4 documents
Pay rates for journalists in Finland, as published by unions, governments and surveys, each quoted as printed and turned into a day's pay to compare. How the pay guide works →
Each published rate as a day's pay
On staff · 4 figures
€2,587 a month
€3,838 a month
Freelance · 10 figures
€383 a 7.5-hour day
€833 a 7.5-hour day
US$ a day at the ECB rate for the month. A month is 12 payments over 260 working days, or 13 or 14 where the agreement says so; a year is 260 days; a shift counts as a day.
| Type of work | What | As printed | US$ a day | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On staff | Pay group 1 (editorial support), from 1 Oct 2026 | €2,587 a month | $133.81 | SJL · Collective agreement · 1 Oct 2026 |
| On staff | Pay group 2a, from 1 Oct 2026 | €3,146 a month | $162.73 | SJL · Collective agreement · 1 Oct 2026 |
| On staff | Pay group 2c (independent demanding work), from 1 Oct 2026 | €3,601 a month | $186.26 | SJL · Collective agreement · 1 Oct 2026 |
| On staff | Pay group 3a (journalistic responsibility), from 1 Oct 2026 | €3,838 a month | $198.52 | SJL · Collective agreement · 1 Oct 2026 |
| Freelance | Literary editor, per day | €383 a 7.5-hour day | $429.24 | SJL · Recommended rates · 18 Feb 2019 |
| Freelance | Journalist, per day | €502 a 7.5-hour day | $562.61 | SJL · Recommended rates · 18 Feb 2019 |
| Freelance | Journalist, per week | €2,512 a week | $563.05 | SJL · Recommended rates · 18 Feb 2019 |
| Freelance | Journalist, per hour | €67 an hour | $600.71 | SJL · Recommended rates · 18 Feb 2019 |
| Freelance | Journalist, working day (7.5 h) | €578 a 7.5-hour day | $647.78 | SJL · Recommended rates · 1 Oct 2025 |
| Freelance | Journalist, one hour | €77 an hour | $690.37 | SJL · Recommended rates · 1 Oct 2025 |
| Freelance | Graphic designer or illustrator, per day | €660 a 7.5-hour day | $739.68 | SJL · Recommended rates · 18 Feb 2019 |
| Freelance | Photographer or videographer, per day | €727 a 7.5-hour day | $814.77 | SJL · Recommended rates · 18 Feb 2019 |
| Freelance | Photographer or videographer, per hour | €97 an hour | $869.69 | SJL · Recommended rates · 18 Feb 2019 |
| Freelance | Photographer or videographer, working day (7.5 h) | €833 a 7.5-hour day | $933.57 | SJL · Recommended rates · 1 Oct 2025 |
Journalism in Finland
Leading news outlets
Ilta-Sanomat
Yle
Helsingin Sanomat
mtvuutiset.fi
Tärkeimmät talousuutiset
Aamulehti
Kaleva
Tekniikkatalous
Satakunnan Kansa
Keskisuomalainen
Maaseudun Tulevaisuus
Ilkka-Pohjalainen
The highest-ranked news sites based in Finland in EventRegistry's news-source ranking, most important first. Updated monthly.
Press freedom
6
/ 180
Good
In the 2026 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Finland ranks 6 of 180, with a score of 86.2 out of 100. Down 1 place on the year before.
RSF World Press Freedom Index ↗By job type
SJL · Pay group 2a, from 1 Oct 2026€3,146 Month
SJL · Pay group 2c (independent demanding work), from 1 Oct 2026€3,601 Month
SJL · Raportti 102Y€102.07–€125.70 Piece or item
SJL · Uutisjuttu 274Y€384.15–€468.69 Piece or item
Reporter in Finland, every figure →
SJL · Photographer or videographer, one hour€111 Hour
SJL · Photographer or videographer, working day (7.5 h)€833 Day of 7.5 hours
SJL · Photographer or videographer, per hour€97 Hour
SJL · Photographer or videographer, per day€727 Day of 7.5 hours
Photographer in Finland, every figure →
SJL · Literary editor, per day€383 Day of 7.5 hours
Copy editor in Finland, every figure →
SJL · Graphic designer, layout editor or illustrator, one hour€126 Hour
SJL · Graphic designer, layout editor or illustrator, working day (7.5 h)€945 Day of 7.5 hours
SJL · Graphic designer or illustrator, per day€660 Day of 7.5 hours
Illustrator in Finland, every figure →
SJL · Feature/mobiilitarina 706Y€493.84–€1,175.82 Article
Fewer than 3 figures, so this job stays as a row here.
SJL · Pay group 3a (journalistic responsibility), from 1 Oct 2026€3,838 Month
Fewer than 3 figures, so this job stays as a row here.
SJL · Pay group 1 (editorial support), from 1 Oct 2026€2,587 Month
Fewer than 3 figures, so this job stays as a row here.
SJL · Book translation, per 1,000 characters incl. spaces€16–€22 1,000 characters
Fewer than 3 figures, so this job stays as a row here.
Rates documents 7
Finnish freelance journalists' fee recommendation, 1 Oct 2025 · SJL1 Oct 2025 · 6
Finnish press collective agreement minimum salaries 2025-2028 · SJL1 May 2025 · 6
Freelance book editors fee survey, Jan-Jun 2025 · SJL · 3
Freelance journalists association pricing guidelines, Feb 2019 · SJL18 Feb 2019 · 8
Reitti magazine freelance fee increases 2025-2027 · SJL · 3
Yle freelance fees under the Yhtyneet agreement, from 1 Sep 2026 · SJL1 Mar 2025 · 5
Unions and bodies in Finland
Nearby
Lowest staff minimum in each country's agreements, as US$ a day.
About this data. These rates are compiled from publicly available sources and quoted as printed, with their date. We do not guarantee the accuracy of any figure. For information only: Journalist.net does not recommend or set rates. How we count