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How much does a construction worker earn in Sweden?

Construction labourers. 7,500 people employed in Sweden.

39,400SEK

per month is the median salary for a construction worker in Sweden in 2025. That is 3% higher than the median across all jobs in the country, 38,300 SEK.

+8.8% since 2024

≈ €3,500 / $4,050 at September 2026 exchange rates, before tax.

That is roughly 31,357 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

≈ 227 SEK an hour · 472,800 SEK a year

The hourly figure is the monthly salary divided by 173.3 hours (40 hours a week × 52 weeks / 12 months); the yearly figure is twelve times the monthly salary.

A construction worker earns 37,800 SEK per month on average in Sweden (2025). The median salary is 39,400 SEK. The lowest-paid 10% earn under 29,900 SEK and the highest-paid 10% over 45,000 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
37,800 SEK
Mean gross monthly salary
Lowest 10%
29,900 SEK
Earn less than this
Highest 10%
45,000 SEK
Earn more than this
People employed
7,500
Statistics Sweden's occupational register 2024

The pay range

How monthly salaries are distributed among construction labourers in Sweden. The same scale is used in the tables further down.

29,900 SEKLowest 10%39,400 SEKMedian45,000 SEKHighest 10%
Light band: the middle 80 per cent. Dark band: the middle half, earning 34,900–39,800 SEK. The red line is the median salary across all jobs in Sweden.

Construction worker starting salary

Statistics Sweden publishes no starting-salary figures. The closest proxies are what the youngest people in the job earn and where the lower end of the pay distribution sits.

The youngest in the job, aged 18–24, earn 31,300 SEK a month on average — roughly 25,200 SEK after tax in an average municipality.

Starting-salary proxies, before and after tax
Before tax After tax
Average, aged 18–24 31,300 SEK 25,248 SEK
Average, aged 25–34 37,100 SEK 29,622 SEK
Lowest 10% earn less than 29,900 SEK 24,192 SEK
Lowest 25% earn less than 34,900 SEK 27,963 SEK

These are proxies, not starting salaries. An age band holds both people who have just started and people ten years into the job, and the lowest paid are not always newcomers. The collective-agreement minimum and an individual offer can sit above or below.

Construction worker pay in the private and public sector

What construction labourers 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 37,800 SEK 39,400 SEK 39,400 SEK –
Private sector 37,800 SEK 39,400 SEK 39,400 SEK –

Construction worker salary after tax in Sweden

What construction labourers actually take home depends on which municipality they live in. The table shows what 39,400 SEK a month comes to after tax in a few of them.

That is roughly 31,357 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

39,400 SEK a month after tax, by municipality
Municipality Municipal and regional tax After tax
Average municipality 32.38% 31,357 SEK
Stockholm 30.55% 31,891 SEK
Göteborg 32.60% 31,303 SEK
Malmö 32.42% 31,347 SEK
Österåker (lowest tax) 28.93% 32,205 SEK
Dorotea (highest tax) 35.65% 30,553 SEK
  • The youngest in the job, aged 18–24 years, earn 31,300 SEK before tax — roughly 25,248 SEK after.
  • The best paid 10% earn more than 45,000 SEK, which is roughly 35,164 SEK after tax.

Calculate the salary after tax for a construction worker

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 a construction worker

Construction worker salary by age

Pay for construction labourers normally rises with years in the job.

Monthly salary by age
Age 30,000 45,000 Average pay Men Women Number
18–24 years 31,300 SEK 31,200 SEK – –
25–34 years 37,100 SEK 37,100 SEK – –
35–44 years 39,800 SEK 39,700 SEK – –
45–54 years 38,300 SEK 38,300 SEK – –
55–64 years 38,500 SEK 38,500 SEK – –

Pay by level of education

Monthly salary by level of education
Level of education 30,000 45,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Primary and secondary education 9-10 years (ISCED97 2) 36,100 SEK 36,200 SEK – –
Upper secondary education, 2 years or less (ISCED97 3C) 36,200 SEK 36,200 SEK – –
Upper secondary education 3 years (ISCED97 3A) 37,700 SEK 37,600 SEK – –

Construction worker salary by region

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

Monthly salary by region
Region 30,000 45,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Stockholm 37,600 SEK 37,700 SEK – –
East-Central Sweden 37,300 SEK 36,100 SEK – –
South Sweden 36,900 SEK 37,100 SEK – –
West Sweden 38,400 SEK 38,400 SEK – –
Upper Norrland 37,600 SEK 37,600 SEK – –

Construction worker 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 26,900 SEK in 2014 to 39,400 SEK in 2025, +46% 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 9310, “grovarbetare inom bygg och anläggning”. These are the titles you will actually meet in Swedish job ads.

  • Byggnadsgrovarbetare
  • Förrådsarbetare, bygg
  • Grovarbetare, anläggning
  • Grovarbetare, bygg
  • Mätbiträde, anläggning
  • Pinnpojke
  • Servicearbetare, måleri
  • Stängselmontör
  • Torvarbetare
  • Torvförädlingsarbetare
  • Torvströarbetare
  • Utsättarbiträde

Frequently asked questions

How much does a construction worker earn in 2026?

The latest figures are Statistics Sweden's salary structure statistics for 2025, published on 16 June 2026. The median salary was then 39,400 SEK a month before tax, against 36,200 SEK the year before (2024) — +8.8%. Figures for 2026 are normally published in June 2027; until then the 2025 figures are the latest there are, and we do not project our own.

What is the median salary for a construction worker in Sweden?

The median salary for a construction worker in Sweden is 39,400 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 construction labourers sit 3% higher than the typical job.

How much does a construction worker earn after tax?

The median salary for a construction worker is 39,400 SEK a month before tax. In an average Swedish municipality, without the church fee and for someone under 66, that works out at roughly 31,400 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 construction labourers?

The average (37,800 SEK) is the mean of every salary and is pulled upwards by the highest earners. The median (39,400 SEK) is the salary in the middle of the scale and usually gives a better picture of what construction labourers typically earn.

What is the starting salary for a construction worker in Sweden?

Statistics Sweden does not publish starting salaries as such. The closest figure is the youngest people in the job: construction labourers aged 18–24 years earn 31,300 SEK per month on average. The lowest-paid 10% in the job earn less than 29,900 SEK. More in the section “Construction worker starting salary” above.

How high can the salary go for construction labourers?

The highest-paid 10% in the job earn more than 45,000 SEK per month. Pay is shaped by sector, experience, level of education and where in the country you work.

Where in Sweden does a construction worker earn the most?

Pay is highest in West Sweden, where construction labourers earn 38,400 SEK per month on average.

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