The Swedish 2026 industry survey is now complete, and we can present the data. It is the first survey since 2021. Naturally, many people are wondering how salaries have developed, and the truth is that salaries have only increased by 6.7 percent in Sweden since 2021, when comparing groups by years in the industry.
Salary growth has been weakest among the more experienced professionals. Those with more than 8 years in the industry have only seen salaries rise by 3 percent over the past five years, while entry level salaries have increased by 10 percent.
Twice the salary after 11 years
If you have worked in the industry for 11 years or more, you can expect to earn roughly twice as much as someone who is new to the field.
| Years in the industry | Average monthly salary | Compared with 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year or less | SEK 30,600 or $3,173 | +10% |
| 2-4 years | SEK 36,400 or $3,775 | +13% |
| 5-7 years | SEK 43,200 or $4,480 | +1% |
| 8-10 years | SEK 51,200 or $5,309 | +3% |
| 11 years or more | SEK 59,600 or $6,180 |
There is no 2021 data for the category 11 years or more. The comparison is instead based on 8 years or more, which was a combined group in the most recent previous survey. The highest reported salary is SEK 120,000 per month, while the lowest is SEK 24,100.
Education pays off
People with a university degree earn SEK 13,710 more per month than those without one. Vocational higher education also appears to pay off, with salaries SEK 5,763 higher per month compared with those who do not have that level of education.
Management responsibility
Management responsibility also pays off. You can earn SEK 13,608 more per month if you lead the work of others. The average salary for someone with management responsibility is SEK 58,798 per month, while those without it average SEK 45,190.
Where is the best place to work?
| Region | Average salary |
|---|---|
| Götaland | SEK 44,641 |
| Norrland | SEK 50,867 |
| Stockholm | SEK 51,554 |
| Svealand excluding Stockholm | SEK 43,000 |
| Remote | SEK 57,500 |
Norrland is catching up with Stockholm, while Svealand excluding Stockholm and Götaland are falling behind. In 2021, remote work was not included as an option, but this year it tops the list with SEK 57,500 per month. The data appears to suggest that people with more experience simply have greater opportunities to work remotely. 8 percent of respondents work remotely.
How mobile is the industry?
67 percent have considered changing jobs.
48 percent have received an offer to change jobs.
A full 27 percent have changed jobs in the past year.
No less than 27 percent of respondents say they have changed jobs during the past year. That is 4 percentage points higher than in 2021. Fewer people have received job offers compared with 2021, when 70 percent of all respondents had received an offer. In 2026, the figure is 48 percent. This is despite the fact that many more people are now considering changing jobs. There seems to be a desire to find a new job, but it is harder than it was five years ago.
A closer look at the data
I chose not to provide an overall average salary this year, even though I have done so previously. The reason is that this year’s respondents are more senior on average. A large share have worked for 11 years or more, while a relatively small share are in their first year. That would create a significant increase in the overall average salary, even though that increase does not really exist. It is simply that the people who responded this year have progressed further in their careers than those who responded previously.
I also wanted to show which job responsibilities have the biggest impact on salary, but there simply were not enough responses to do that reliably. The only responsibility I was able to break out in a satisfactory way was management responsibility.
If you have not yet had time to fill in the survey, there is still a chance to do so. I will update this article when new data comes in.