Salaries in Sweden by Industries and Professions

Sweden ranks sixth in the United Nations' rating of living standards. In this country, a high level of healthcare, education, social welfare, coupled with developed trade unions, reflects a commitment to ensuring a decent life for every worker.

Let’s discuss the average salary in Sweden, the highest and lowest paying professions, and also explore whether there is a minimum wage in the country.

Previously, we discussed how to find a job in Norway.

According to the Statistical Office of Sweden (Statistikmyndigheten) for the year 2022, the average gross salary in the country was 38,300 Swedish kronor. In 2021, Swedes earned 36,400 SEK on average. The net average figures are not provided by the statistical service since tax rates vary significantly by municipality, affecting the net salary.

From 2020 to 2021, the average salary in Sweden increased by 4.9 percent overall: wage earners received an increase of 3.9 percent, while civil servants received a 5.5 percent increase. In kronor, this translates to 1,080 and 2,260 respectively.

The average salary in Sweden per month in euros is 3,419.43. This keeps the country in a strong position within the “middle range” of the European Union in terms of wage levels.

For a more accurate representation of earnings, median figures are used. The median salary often provides a more objective picture of the situation than the mean. The mean can be significantly influenced by the highest and lowest figures, even if they are singular.

The median is the number that is in the middle of a set of numbers. When calculating the median wage, all values are arranged in order, and the one in the middle is taken: 1,000, 2,000, 2,500, 3,000, 3,500. The median would be 2,500.

In Sweden, the average earnings consist of:

Statistics do not account for individuals whose working day constitutes less than 5% of the total, nor do they include positions with monthly wages below 12,000 Swedish kronor.

Data on the average salary in Sweden for 2023 at the time of the article’s publication were not yet available.

According to a study by the trade union organization Akavias löneenkät, 7 out of 10 people with the highest pay work in the information technology sector. Alongside them, the list traditionally includes bank managers and industry directors. If a specialist works in one of the major cities, their remuneration can be very high.

The most common position among high earners is CEO. In 2021, there were about 6,000 of them. Doctors also earn well, along with managers, IT specialists, and civil engineers.

There is a noticeable gender disparity in wages: men earn 40,200 Swedish kronor, while women earn only 36,200. The wage gap amounts to about 10 percent.

Partially, this disproportion can be explained by the fact that men and women are employed in different sectors. When conducting standard weighing to determine if both genders receive equal pay for the same position, the indicator adjusted to 5%.

In some parts of Sweden, income levels can vary significantly. Municipalities with high average incomes are typically large cities.

However, in 2022, the highest earnings were in Danderyd, a small town near Stockholm. However, this may be explained by the fact that historically, many wealthy residents of the capital live in this municipality.

Competition for skilled labor is also strongest in large cities. International companies' headquarters and the main branches of local network businesses are located here.

Beyond the major municipalities, small companies are based, which cannot compete with market giants in terms of payout levels.

Thus, in Sweden, the salary of a programmer, teacher, nurse, or doctor will vary from region to region.

The lowest remuneration is received by young people aged 18 to 24, earning 23,650 Swedish kronor per year. Salaries increase from ages 20 to 30 and peak between the ages of 40 and 60.

Education level significantly influences the level of remuneration in Sweden. For example, workers with a 9th-grade education earn half as much as those who have completed a master’s degree. A bachelor’s degree graduate earns an average of 59,000 Swedish kronor per year, whereas someone with only a high school diploma can expect no more than 27,300 kronor.

Sweden has a relatively high tax burden. In 2020, according to the taxpayers' report, the tax burden in the country was 10 percentage points higher than the world average.

The report states that the total revenue to the treasury amounts to 2,150 billion Swedish kronor per year. Of these, about 700 billion goes to municipalities, and 370 to regions. Primarily, these funds consist of municipal tax (Kommunalskatt), which employed individuals in Sweden pay monthly from their salaries.

Deductions from the employee’s salary go to the municipality where the person is registered as of November 1 of the previous year. When moving, the registration shifts to the new location on November 1, and payments at the changed rate start on January 1.

The tax rate is determined by the municipality, which depends on the political party that governs it. Therefore, when comparing, the indicator may differ by several percentage points in different regions of the country.

In 2024, the average tax rate will be 32.37%. This marks an increase of 0.14% compared to the previous year, representing the largest growth in nine years.

The highest taxes are in northern Sweden, with the municipality of Degerfors in the Orebro district having the highest tax rate.

The lowest tax rates are found in the Stockholm and Skåne districts.

Apart from municipal tax, residents of Sweden also pay other taxes. Approximately 100 kronor per month is allocated for municipal services. Additionally, 1% of income is paid for membership in the Swedish Church. Even non-parishioners must contribute 26.1 öre for every 100 kronor earned as a burial fee (begravningsavgift). This tax is not tied to individual funerals; instead, the funds are used for maintaining burial sites, cremation, and burial services.

Furthermore, high-income earners in Sweden contribute 20% of their income directly to the state (from 540,700 kronor per year / 45,000 per month).

Social benefits and employer contributions are not deducted from the net salary; instead, the employer covers these expenses.

At the national level, there is no legislatively established minimum wage in Sweden. Instead, the minimum wage is determined through collective agreements between employers and trade unions. Since such agreements are not mandatory, the lowest wage threshold is determined by the minimum salary set within a specific company that has joined a collective agreement.

When considering applying for a job in Sweden, it is important to inquire whether a potential employer has signed any agreements with a trade union, and if so, what minimum wage is specified in it.

As an example, let’s consider the indicators of a popular collective agreement in the service sector — the Green National Agreement for the 1st pay group (work requiring average education or extensive practical experience).

Minimum Wage Without Professional Experience, SEK:

Minimum Wage with Work Experience of 6 Years, SEK:

Additionally, let’s provide the values of minimum wages that Kommunal (a Swedish trade union with over 500,000 members) has negotiated with the Employers' Alliance. The agreement is valid until September 30, 2025.

Effective from October 1, 2023, Minimum Wage, SEK:

Effective from October 1, 2024, Minimum Wage, SEK:

The difference is quite small, but it does exist. Collective agreements also specify the sizes of payments, contributions to pension funds, the amount by which wages will be increased, and general terms of employment, such as maternity benefits, voluntary resignation, etc.

The average income of individuals born abroad and coming to work in the country in 2022 was SEK 301,700. This is approximately 77% of the total wages among the native population.

The lowest earnings are noted among immigrants from Africa and Asia — 63 and 68% respectively. On the other hand, those who immigrated from neighboring Scandinavian countries have incomes roughly at the same level as Swedes.

The indicator increases with the length of stay in the country. Those who have been in Sweden for more than 20 years earn on average 93 percent of the income of those born in the country.

According to the news publication Arbetet, a 25-year-old unmarried individual living in Stockholm needs a minimum of 16,718 kronor per month (20,147 before tax deductions). This amount consists of:

To ensure that the salary matches these expenses, an employee needs to choose a company where the collective agreement on minimum wages exceeds the resulting amount. Not every agreement crosses the 20,000 Swedish kronor gross threshold.

Despite the fact that migrant wages are lower than those of native-born individuals, the level of pay in Sweden is sufficiently high. The income earned allows foreigners not only to support themselves but also to help their relatives who remain in their home countries.

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