Yle highlights unusual job titles in salary comparison report for Finland

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Yesterday, Yle published a salary calculator comparing wage differences between the Helsinki metropolitan area and the rest of Finland. Some keen observers may have noticed a peculiar job title: “tribal and village chief.” According to Statistics Finland, this job title is not officially used in Finland as there are no practitioners of the profession. However, Yle managed to identify a few individuals who hold the title of village chief, including one tribal chief, Marko Kämäräinen, who was appointed to the role for the Tankkaamo project in 2023.

Kämäräinen described his position using contemporary terminology, stating, “I could say I’m a community manager in the business services unit of Laukaa municipality. We organize training sessions, coaching, various events, and even leisure activities for local entrepreneurs.”

While the salary calculator could not provide exact earnings for this job title, the nearest related professional group, which includes senior officials and organization leaders, reportedly earns over €7,000 per month. “A tribal chief receives quite a good salary, somewhat above the average median income for Finns,” Kämäräinen noted.

Other unusual job titles exist on the list, including deep-sea fishermen and operators of hand-pulled vehicles. Tribal and village chiefs are classified under the leader category and are said to fulfill various legislative, administrative, and ceremonial duties based on ancient traditions. Their responsibilities include resolving disputes among community members and performing ceremonial obligations for important life events like births and marriages. Kämäräinen’s role resembles that of a project manager rather than fitting the official description of a tribal chief.

The salary calculator allows users to compare median salaries by profession across different regions, illustrating that some professions, such as class teachers, earn more outside of the metropolitan area. Data statistics are from 2022, and the information is based on random sampling from the private sector.