Pipe welding · building-services systems · EN ISO 9606 · Finland (EU)
Pipe welder pay on data-centre sites in Finland
Explore a base-pay scenario for pipe welding under the Finnish building-services agreement, Talotekniikka. We check the actual work and employer context before confirming the applicable agreement.
Scope: this calculator covers pipe welding for building-services systems. Other welding work may fall under a different collective agreement.
What could my pay look like?
Three short steps, about three minutes. The result stays in your browser — nothing is sent until you press "Send my profile". No registration or contact details are needed to see the result.
Collective agreement for the building services sector (HVAC and piping, LVI) 2025–2028, rates valid from 1 June 2026; rates and agreement checked 26 September 2026. Next scheduled rate change: 1 June 2027.
On what basis is this figure calculated?
On the pay table of the Collective agreement for the building services sector (HVAC and piping, LVI) 2025–2028. The parties to the agreement are Rakennusliitto ry, LVI-Tekniset Urakoitsijat LVI-TU ry. We read the agreement text itself and checked the figures on 26 September 2026; the source and the date are repeated next to every rate below.
The monthly figure is one scenario: the table rate of a pay group times 160 hours in one shift pattern, minus the employee contributions and the tax percentage you enter. It does not contain the personal pay component, which is always paid on top of the table rate; overtime, Saturday, Sunday and public-holiday pay; the holiday bonus; daily allowance, accommodation and travel.
Two things stay preliminary until we have your documents. Which agreement applies is decided by the employer and the subject of the contracting work, not by the name of the trade. And the pay group is set by a description of the work you carry out independently: the result is a pair of adjacent groups for checking, never a single figure presented as final.
We show gross pay. Take-home depends on your tax card, the length of your stay, your tax residence and the country of your social insurance. A valid A1 certificate from another EU country excludes the corresponding Finnish employee contributions (7.30 % pension and 0.89 % unemployment in 2026) — but not income tax and not the contributions of the A1 country, so it is not simply 8.19 % more in hand. For a stay of six months or less, tax at source of 35 % with the deduction your tax card allows (510 € a month or 17 € a day in 2026) or progressive taxation on application may apply; a stay longer than six months is taxed progressively from its start. Sources: Vero and the Finnish Centre for Pensions, checked 26 September 2026.
This is a scenario calculation based on the details you entered and the rates valid from 1 June 2026. The pay group shown is preliminary and will be confirmed after we check your documents and skills. The applicable collective agreement, hourly rate, agreed minimum hours, housing and expense reimbursements are confirmed only in a written offer. Tax depends on your status and Finnish tax card. This is not a job offer, not a term of employment and not a guarantee of a residence permit.
Which rates are used for pipe welding?
The calculator compares two adjacent groups of the Talotekniikka scale; certified pipe welders are normally placed in groups 2–4. The table shows base rates. A mandatory personal pay component is agreed separately and is not included in the estimate — the result is an estimated take-home amount from the base-pay scenario, not a calculation of your complete contractual pay.
Talotekniikka TES · base rates valid from 1 June 2026 to 31 May 2027
Talotekniikka TES · base rates valid from 1 June 2026 to 31 May 2027
Pay group
Base hourly rate (€/h)
S
13.00
1
15.66
2
18.52
3
19.48
4
20.55
Source: agreement text 10.4 (Rakennusliitto / LVI-TU, 2025–2028) and the Rakennusliitto 2026 rate summary, checked 26 September 2026; the 1 June 2026 rise was 2.9 %, the next rise (2.4 %) is scheduled for 1 June 2027. Supplements from 1 June 2026: evening 1.21 €/h, night 2.47 €/h; qualification supplements 0.60 / 1.11 €/h for Finnish further or specialist vocational qualifications matching the work (section 14.1) — a foreign diploma does not add them automatically. Foreman supplement at least 0.68 €/h.
Which agreement and pay group apply to a pipe welder?
Most welding on a data-centre build is pipework — chilled-water, glycol and process lines installed by building-services (LVI) contractors. A pipe welder employed for that work is paid under the Talotekniikka agreement 2025–2028, pay groups S and 1–4. If the user company is an industrial or mechanical contractor, a different agreement (technology industries) may apply — your written offer names the agreement, the group and the rate.
Section 11.8 of the agreement concerns installers arriving from abroad while keeping their permanent home in another country: group 2 for the first three months, a higher group allowed from day one. After three months the group can be lowered only if the employer names the qualification gaps and the training period back to group 2 level. We check your circumstances before confirming the starting group.
Nationality and language may not be used to set a pay group (Non-discrimination Act 1325/2014, section 8). What sets it: the work you carry out independently from isometrics and weld maps, your EN ISO 9606 qualifications in the ordered scope, and your experience.
What is deducted from gross pay in 2026?
Employee pension contribution 7.30 % and employee unemployment insurance 0.89 % (ETK, Työllisyysrahasto and Vero decisions for 2026), plus tax according to your Finnish tax card — or an illustrative 20 % if you have none yet. If you stay in Finland six months or less, tax at source is usually 35 % with a possible deduction; a progressive option exists. The calculator shows gross pay for 160 hours and a take-home range; overtime, weekend rates and the personal pay component are not calculated.
What is not included?
Daily allowance, accommodation and travel are checked separately for the assignment. Two questions must be answered: is a payment due under the agreement, and does it meet the conditions for tax exemption? A site is a temporary special place of work for at most three years; travel from accommodation to the site does not by itself create a daily allowance.
2026 domestic full daily-allowance maximum: 54 €/day
Partial daily-allowance maximum: 25 €/day
Meal allowance: 13.50 €
Own-car business-travel maximum: 0.55 €/km, plus 0.04 €/km per passenger
These are conditional tax-free limits (Vero decision of 7 November 2025; the same tiers 54 / 25 / 13.50 € appear in the Talotekniikka 2026 summary), not automatic additions to your pay. Meal provision may reduce the tax-free amount. The written offer states what applies to your assignment.
Working-time reduction: on a 40-hour week the agreement pays a compensation (työajan lyhennysraha) of 5.5 % of the pay for time worked (section 9.4) against up to 96 hours a year of reduction leave (section 9.2). It is not in the monthly figure, because the leave reduces paid hours over the year.
What do we check in a welding qualification?
We check that the certificate covers the process, material, joint and other conditions required for the job. A certificate title alone does not establish that it covers the assignment.
Questions welders ask before an assignment
Should I book a new welding test now?
First, let us check the required scope against your existing qualification. If another test is needed, the scope and arrangements are agreed before booking. Provider example: Taitotalo, an 8-hour qualification day costs 650 € + VAT for one qualification, an additional qualification 250 € + VAT (checked 26 September 2026). See welding-test examples and document guidance.
Is my EN ISO 9606 certificate from home valid in Finland?
A certificate issued by an accepted body under EN ISO 9606 is recognised; what matters is the scope — welding process, material group, diameter, thickness and position must match the order. We tell you the required scope before you travel, so that you can extend the qualification if needed rather than repeat a test in Finland.
What if my experience is outside building-services pipework?
You can still apply. We will review the applicable agreement and pay with you before anything is confirmed.
Do I need Finnish?
The working language on the sites we staff is English. The requirement of the work is English at B1 level for site instructions, weld maps and safety briefings. Finnish is not required.
I am from outside the EU. Is a work permit realistic for a welder?
A residence permit for an employed person (TTOL) is needed — at least 1 600 €/month gross in 2026, state fee 750 € online. The regional labour-permit policy for Kainuu and North Ostrobothnia (dated 22 May 2026, valid 1 June – 30 November 2026) exempts welders (ISCO 7212) from the labour-market test. We consider mobilisation only against a confirmed order. Your profile can stay in our talent pool.
What could improve your pay or access to assignments?
A safety card does not raise the rate by itself. Some steps enable site access; others support a more demanding role or a supplement under the applicable agreement.
Needed for access — Check the required welding qualification scope and site safety documents (Occupational Safety Card, Hot Work Certificate).
Opens more qualified work — Provide evidence of the processes, materials and joint conditions needed for the assignment.
May affect TES pay — More demanding verified work can support assessment of a higher group and personal pay component.
Useful preparation — Have your certificate details ready for review before booking another test.
Practical skills: cost and timing are assessed individually; no standard course price or completion time is available.
What you need to work in Finland as a pipe welder
Before you travel
EN ISO 9606 qualification in the process, material and position the order requires — test 1–3 days, certificate 1–3 weeks, revalidation every 2 years; take it at an accepted body in your country or in Finland. Occupational Safety Card (Työturvallisuuskortti) online in English, 4–8 hours. Hot Work Certificate (Tulityökortti) theory; the extinguishing exercise is practical.
On arrival
Tax Administration (Vero) visit by appointment: personal identity code, tax number (veronumero) and entry in the public register — 1–10 working days, free. Tax card. Valtti photo-ID card: activation 1–2 days, delivery 1–5 days. Hot Work Certificate practical part if not done.
First weeks
Site induction, welder registration in the site's quality system (your EN ISO 9606 certificate and welder ID), WPS briefing. With an accepted certificate a welder starts on the same timeline as a pipefitter — typically 1–2 weeks after arrival.
Cards and documents for a pipe welder — time, cost, before arrival?
Cards and documents for a pipe welder — time, cost, before arrival?
Document
Why
Time
Cost (provider prices, checked 25–26 September 2026)
Before arrival?
Welder qualification EN ISO 9606-1
Required for every production weld — in the ordered scope
Test 1–3 days + certificate 1–3 weeks; revalidation every 2 years
Provider example Taitotalo: 650 € + VAT per qualification day, +250 € + VAT per additional qualification; inspection for butt-weld qualifications charged separately
Yes — at an accepted body
Hot Work Certificate (Tulityökortti)
Required for welding, grinding and cutting on site
1 day; valid 5 years
119–239 € + VAT; confirm with the provider
Partly — theory yes, extinguishing exercise is practical
Occupational Safety Card (Työturvallisuuskortti)
Required on practically every site
Course 4–8 h; valid 5 years
Depends on the provider, roughly 54–127 € + VAT; replacement card 20 €
Yes — online in English
Tax number (veronumero) in the public register
Required by law on construction sites
Vero visit by appointment; 1–10 working days
Free
No — in person in Finland
Valtti card (photo ID with tax number)
Site access in practice
Activation 1–2 days, delivery 1–5 days
32 € on Starter or 29 € on a paid service plan, plus 8.20 € per order and VAT (Vastuu Group)
Provider prices as published, VAT as stated by each provider. We tell you in writing before you travel which tests and cards we arrange and pay for on a given assignment; onboarding is charged to the hiring company, never to the worker. Full guide with the order, timelines and typical mistakes: Documents and cards.
Talotekniikka TES: base rates valid from 1 June 2026. Next scheduled rate change: 1 June 2027. Rates and agreement checked: 26 September 2026. Scenario rules: GW-CALC-1.0. Sources: Talotekniikka TES and the 2026 rate summary — see below.
Would you like us to review your profile?
Send your experience and contact details. Tell us your EN ISO 9606 processes in the call — we do not ask for certificates until a site needs you. We review profiles within one working day.
Thank you. Your profile has been submitted.
What happens next
We review your profile within one working day.
We arrange a short call in English.
When there is a suitable assignment, you receive a written offer.
A confirmation email has been sent to the address you gave. Please also check your spam folder.
If it does not arrive within a few minutes, keep your application ID and write to [email protected].
Free for workers — always. Finnish law (Act 380/2023) and Google's Supplier Code of Conduct prohibit charging workers any recruitment fee. We never ask for money, deposits or your passport before a signed contract.
If you print or save this page: Gene-Works Oy, Business ID 2198820-6, Tommolankatu 9, c/o Prismakeskus, 45130 Kouvola. The disclaimer above stays on the printout: this is a scenario, not an offer of employment, not a term of a contract and not a guarantee of a residence permit. Figures on this page and their sources were checked on 26 September 2026; questions to [email protected].
