EU Civil Servant Salary 2026: How Much Does an EPSO AD5 Administrator Earn?
AD5 basic salary starts at €6,152.64 a month. Allowances, EU tax, net pay, career progression and what really happens after the reserve list.
If you are preparing the EPSO AD5 2026 competition, you have probably wondered what is waiting at the end: how much does an EU civil servant earn? Here is a clear overview of the AD5 salary, the allowances, the deductions and the career that follows — based on the official EU salary grid.
The AD5 basic salary
AD5 is the entry grade for graduate administrators in the EU institutions. Since the annual update of 1 July 2025, the basic monthly salary is:
- AD5, step 1: €6,152.64 gross per month
- AD5, step 2: €6,411.17 gross per month
Salaries are updated every year in line with civil-service pay and the cost of living in Belgium and Luxembourg, so the figures change slightly each year. For posts outside Brussels and Luxembourg, a correction coefficient adjusts pay to local living costs.
Allowances on top of the basic salary
Depending on your situation, you may receive:
- Expatriation allowance: 16% of basic salary (plus household and child allowances) if you are recruited to a country that is not your own and meet the residence conditions.
- Household allowance: a fixed amount (€241.21 in 2025) plus 2% of basic salary, for married staff or those with dependent children.
- Dependent child allowance: €527.06 per child per month (2025).
- Education allowance and help with installation and travel costs when you take up your post.
Deductions and net salary
EU officials pay an EU tax on their salary instead of national income tax, with progressive rates from 8% to 45%. Contributions to the pension scheme and to the sickness insurance (JSIS), plus a solidarity levy, are also deducted.
As a rough idea, indicative calculations published by euemployment.eu estimate the take-home pay of an AD5 step 1 in Brussels at around €5,800 a month for a single expatriate, and around €7,400 for a married expatriate with two children. Only the recruiting institution can calculate your exact salary.
Career progression
- You move up one step every two years within your grade.
- Promotion to the next grade (AD6, AD7…) depends on merit and is decided through annual promotion exercises. The AD scale goes up to AD16.
- New officials complete a nine-month probationary period.
The reserve list: what happens after you pass
Passing the competition does not give you a job automatically. Successful candidates are placed on a reserve list — in AD5 2026, 1,490 names, listed alphabetically. EU institutions and agencies then recruit from this list according to their needs. Being on the list makes you eligible, but you still need to be selected for a post, which often involves an interview.
First step: get on the list
With 174,922 applicants for 1,490 places, the AD5 2026 competition is one of the most selective ever. The salary above is only within reach if you pass every test: verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning, EU knowledge, digital skills and the written essay.
Measure your level with our free timed test, then train every test with full access: 500 questions with explained answers and final exams in the official EPSO format.
Full roadmap: how to pass the EPSO AD5 — the step-by-step guide for 2026.