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How much do chefs and sous-chefs earn in Sweden?

Chefs and sous-chefs. 4,000 people employed in Sweden.

39,900SEK

per month is the median salary for chefs and sous-chefs in Sweden in 2025. That is 4% higher than the median across all jobs in the country, 38,300 SEK.

≈ €3,550 / $4,100 at September 2026 exchange rates, before tax.

That is roughly 31,730 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

Chefs and sous-chefs earn 40,400 SEK per month on average in Sweden (2025). The median salary is 39,900 SEK. The lowest-paid 10% earn under 34,900 SEK and the highest-paid 10% over 47,000 SEK.

Figures are gross monthly salary before tax, converted to full time. Income tax in Sweden is roughly 30–34% for most earners, plus a national surtax on income above about 51,000 SEK a month.

Average pay
40,400 SEK
Mean gross monthly salary
Lowest 10%
34,900 SEK
Earn less than this
Highest 10%
47,000 SEK
Earn more than this
People employed
4,000
Statistics Sweden's occupational register 2024

The pay range

How monthly salaries are distributed among chefs and sous-chefs in Sweden. The same scale is used in the tables further down.

34,900 SEKLowest 10%39,900 SEKMedian47,000 SEKHighest 10%
Light band: the middle 80 per cent. Dark band: the middle half, earning 37,500–43,500 SEK. The red line is the median salary across all jobs in Sweden.

Pay in the private and public sector

What chefs and sous-chefs earn depends a great deal on who the employer is.

Monthly salary by sector and gender
Sector Average pay Median pay Men Women
All sectors 40,400 SEK 39,900 SEK 40,000 SEK 38,400 SEK
Private sector 40,400 SEK 39,900 SEK 40,000 SEK 38,400 SEK

Salary after tax

What chefs and sous-chefs actually take home depends on which municipality they live in. Between the cheapest and the most expensive one the difference is several hundred kronor a month.

That is roughly 31,730 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

  • The youngest in the job, aged 25–34 years, earn 39,600 SEK before tax — roughly 31,508 SEK after.
  • The best paid 10% earn more than 47,000 SEK, which is roughly 36,510 SEK after tax.

Calculate the salary after tax for chefs and sous-chefs

The figures assume an average municipality, no church fee and an age under 66. The calculator takes your own municipality into account.

And if the job goes? Work out unemployment benefit for chefs and sous-chefs

Pay for men and women

Median salary for men and women
Gender 35,000 45,000 Median pay Number
Men 40,000 SEK 3,100
Women 38,400 SEK 910

Women's average salary is 96% of men's average salary in this job.

Statistics Sweden calculates the ratio on average monthly salary, while the table above shows median salaries, so the two do not line up exactly. The figure is also unadjusted: it does not account for differences in age, sector or position.

Pay by age

Pay for chefs and sous-chefs normally rises with years in the job.

Monthly salary by age
Age 35,000 45,000 Average pay Men Women Number
25–34 years 39,600 SEK – – –
35–44 years 41,100 SEK 41,300 SEK – –
45–54 years 39,900 SEK 40,600 SEK – –

Pay by level of education

Monthly salary by level of education
Level of education 35,000 45,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Upper secondary education, 2 years or less (ISCED97 3C) 39,900 SEK 40,000 SEK – –
Upper secondary education 3 years (ISCED97 3A) 40,000 SEK 40,200 SEK – –

Pay by region

Statistics Sweden reports pay by job at the level of national areas (NUTS 2), not by county.

Monthly salary by region
Region 35,000 45,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Stockholm 40,900 SEK 41,600 SEK – –
West Sweden 39,700 SEK 40,600 SEK – 330

Pay growth 2014–2025

Median salary per year. Years with no reported median are skipped. The dashed line marks the break between the older and the newer series at Statistics Sweden; comparisons across it should be made with care.

From 29,900 SEK in 2014 to 39,900 SEK in 2025, +33% in total. Nominal figures, not adjusted for inflation. The lighter part of the line, the years before 2023, comes from an older set of statistics at Statistics Sweden and is not fully comparable with the later years.

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Swedish job titles in this occupation

Statistics Sweden files the following Swedish job titles under SSYK 3451, “köksmästare och souschefer”. These are the titles you will actually meet in Swedish job ads.

  • Cateringchef
  • Chefskock
  • Köksmästare
  • Souschef

Frequently asked questions

What is the median salary for chefs and sous-chefs in Sweden?

The median salary for chefs and sous-chefs in Sweden is 39,900 SEK per month before tax (2025). That means half earn less and half earn more. The median across all jobs in Sweden is 38,300 SEK, so chefs and sous-chefs sit 4% higher than the typical job.

How much do chefs and sous-chefs earn after tax?

The median salary for chefs and sous-chefs is 39,900 SEK a month before tax. In an average Swedish municipality, without the church fee and for someone under 66, that works out at roughly 31,730 SEK after tax. The exact figure depends on which municipality you live in — our salary-after-tax calculator works it out.

What is the difference between average and median pay for chefs and sous-chefs?

The average (40,400 SEK) is the mean of every salary and is pulled upwards by the highest earners. The median (39,900 SEK) is the salary in the middle of the scale and usually gives a better picture of what chefs and sous-chefs typically earn.

What is the starting salary for chefs and sous-chefs in Sweden?

Statistics Sweden does not publish starting salaries as such. The closest figure is the youngest people in the job: chefs and sous-chefs aged 25–34 years earn 39,600 SEK per month on average. The lowest-paid 10% in the job earn less than 34,900 SEK.

How high can the salary go for chefs and sous-chefs?

The highest-paid 10% in the job earn more than 47,000 SEK per month. Pay is shaped by sector, experience, level of education and where in the country you work.

Is there a gender pay gap among chefs and sous-chefs in Sweden?

Women's average salary is 96% of men's in this job. The median salary is 40,000 SEK for men and 38,400 SEK for women. The figure is not adjusted for differences in age, sector or working hours.

Where in Sweden do chefs and sous-chefs earn the most?

Pay is highest in Stockholm, where chefs and sous-chefs earn 40,900 SEK per month on average.

Jobs with similar pay

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