AST1 EU Jobs 2026 - 14 Open Positions

Salary band

EUR 2823-3196 /month

Basic gross salary band, before allowances (expatriation, household, dependent-child) and the country correction coefficient. Use the salary calculator to estimate net pay.

Current vacancies

14 open at AST1

Live vacancies refreshed daily from every EU institution and agency we track. Jump to AST1 vacancies.

Career path: AD vs AST vs FG

AST1 is an Assistant (AST) grade, covering technical and administrative support across the EU institutions. By contrast, AD grades (AD5-AD16) cover Administrator policy and management work, AST/SC grades (AST/SC1-AST/SC6) cover secretarial and clerical roles, and FG grades (FG I-IV) are Contract Agent fixed-term posts. AST careers progress from AST1 to AST11 through merit-based promotion every three to five years.

AST1 Salary in 2026: Step by Step

Basic monthly salary for AST1 under Annex I of the EU Staff Regulations. Every two years of service moves you up one step automatically (Article 44). The net estimate deducts EU community tax, pension, sickness insurance and the solidarity levy at a flat ~25%; actual net varies with allowances and family situation.

Step	Gross salary (EUR/month)	Est. net (~75%)
Step 1	€3,754	€2,816
Step 2	€3,912	€2,934
Step 3	€4,077	€3,057
Step 4	€4,190	€3,143
Step 5	€4,248	€3,186

On top of basic salary, staff may receive the 16% expatriation allowance, household and dependent-child allowances, and the country correction coefficient adjusts pay outside Brussels. See the full EU salary tables or estimate your own net pay with the salary calculator.

About AST1 positions, requirements, and career path

What is a AST1 Position?

AST1 is the entry-level Assistant grade in the EU institutions. AST officials handle administrative and technical support tasks across the full range of EU activities, including financial circuit management, human resources administration, IT user support, document management, and project coordination. AST1 is the first rung of the assistant career stream, distinct from the AST/SC (Secretary/Clerk) stream introduced in 2014 and from the AD (Administrator) stream that requires a university degree. The current AST1 basic monthly salary ranges from approximately EUR 3,418 to EUR 3,883 gross per month, before the expatriation allowance and dependent allowances.

How to Get a AST1 Position

AST1 positions are filled through EPSO open competitions for Assistants, typically held with specific profiles (financial assistants, audit assistants, IT assistants, statistical assistants). The selection process includes computer-based reasoning tests (verbal, numerical, abstract), a field-specific test, and an assessment centre. EU agencies also recruit AST1 temporary agents directly through agency-run procedures. The CAST Permanent process recruits contract agents at FG II and FG III for similar tasks, but contract agents are not on the AST official career track.

AST1 Career Progression

From AST1, officials progress through AST2, AST3, and so on up to AST11 via the annual Article 45 promotion exercise. Typical promotion timelines are three to four years per grade in the lower AST range, slowing somewhat at the senior levels. Some AST officials successfully pass internal competitions to move into the AD function group, particularly if they hold a university degree and accumulate strong appraisals. See /grades/ast4/ and /grades/ast6/ for typical mid-career and senior AST levels.

Requirements

A post-secondary education diploma (at least one year of post-secondary study) or a secondary diploma plus three years of relevant professional experience. Knowledge of two EU official languages (one at C1, one at B2) is required. Specific technical qualifications may be required for specialist AST1 competitions (e.g., accountancy certification for financial assistant profiles).

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