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How much does a librarian earn in Sweden?

Librarians and archivists. 7,700 people employed in Sweden.

38,300SEK

per month is the median salary for a librarian in Sweden in 2025. That is in line with the median across all jobs in the country, 38,300 SEK.

≈ €3,400 / $3,950 at September 2026 exchange rates, before tax.

That is roughly 30,528 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

In 2025, a librarian in Sweden earned an average of 38,900 SEK per month. The median salary is 38,300 SEK. The lowest-paid 10% earn under 33,900 SEK and the highest-paid 10% over 44,400 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
38,900 SEK
Mean gross monthly salary
Lowest 10%
33,900 SEK
Earn less than this
Highest 10%
44,400 SEK
Earn more than this
People employed
7,700
In this job in Sweden

The pay range

How monthly salaries are distributed among librarians and archivists in Sweden. The same scale is used in the tables further down.

33,900 SEKLowest 10%38,300 SEKMedian44,400 SEKHighest 10%
Light band: the middle 80 per cent. Dark band: the middle half, earning 35,900–40,900 SEK. The red line is the median salary across all jobs in Sweden.

Pay in the private and public sector

What librarians and archivists 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 38,900 SEK 38,300 SEK 38,500 SEK 38,200 SEK
Private sector 43,000 SEK 40,000 SEK – 39,300 SEK
Public sector 38,600 SEK 38,200 SEK 38,500 SEK 38,100 SEK
Central government 41,300 SEK 40,600 SEK 40,700 SEK 40,600 SEK
Municipalities 37,500 SEK 37,300 SEK 37,000 SEK 37,300 SEK
Regions (health care) 38,800 SEK 39,000 SEK 39,100 SEK 38,900 SEK

Salary after tax

What librarians and archivists 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 30,528 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

  • The youngest in the job, aged 25–34 years, earn 35,900 SEK before tax — roughly 28,717 SEK after.
  • The best paid 10% earn more than 44,400 SEK, which is roughly 34,760 SEK after tax.

Calculate the salary after tax for a librarian

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 librarian

Pay for men and women

Median salary for men and women
Gender 32,500 45,000 Median pay Number
Men 38,500 SEK 1,700
Women 38,200 SEK 6,000

Women's average salary is 98% 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 librarians and archivists normally rises with years in the job.

Monthly salary by age
Age 32,500 45,000 Average pay Men Women Number
25–34 years 35,900 SEK 36,400 SEK 35,800 SEK 1,100
35–44 years 38,200 SEK 38,400 SEK 38,200 SEK 2,200
45–54 years 40,000 SEK 40,800 SEK 39,700 SEK 2,400
55–64 years 40,100 SEK 40,600 SEK 39,900 SEK 1,700

Pay by level of education

Monthly salary by level of education
Level of education 32,500 45,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Upper secondary education 3 years (ISCED97 3A) 36,500 SEK – – 120
Post-secondary education, less than 3 years (ISCED97 4+5B) 38,900 SEK 39,700 SEK 38,600 SEK 480
Post-secondary education 3 years or more (ISCED97 5A) 38,900 SEK 39,400 SEK 38,700 SEK 6,900
Post-graduate education (ISCED97 6) 43,200 SEK – – 110

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 32,500 45,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Stockholm 40,500 SEK 41,200 SEK 40,200 SEK 2,000
East-Central Sweden 38,100 SEK 38,500 SEK 37,900 SEK 1,200
Småland and islands 40,700 SEK 43,300 SEK 40,200 SEK 610
South Sweden 38,500 SEK 38,700 SEK 38,400 SEK 1,200
West Sweden 38,000 SEK 38,100 SEK 38,000 SEK 1,500
North-Central Sweden 37,800 SEK 37,800 SEK 37,800 SEK 520
Central Norrland 37,600 SEK – 37,600 SEK 260
Upper Norrland 37,500 SEK – 37,300 SEK 440

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 28,900 SEK in 2014 to 38,300 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 2622, “bibliotekarier och arkivarier”. These are the titles you will actually meet in Swedish job ads.

  • Arkivamanuens
  • Arkivarie
  • Arkivföreståndare
  • Arkivråd
  • Bandarkivarie
  • Barnbibliotekarie
  • Bibliotekarie
  • Bibliotekskonsulent
  • Bildarkivarie
  • Bokbussbibliotekarie
  • Dokumentalist
  • Filmarkivarie
  • Folkbibliotekarie
  • Forskningsbibliotekarie
  • Föreståndare, arkiv
  • Företagsbibliotekarie
  • Informatiker
  • Informationsmäklare
  • Krigsarkivarie
  • Litteraturingenjör
  • Lånechef, bibliotek
  • Musikbibliotekarie
  • Redaktionsarkivarie
  • Sjukhusbibliotekarie
  • Skolbibliotekarie
  • Stadsbibliotekarie

Frequently asked questions

What is the median salary for a librarian in Sweden?

The median salary for a librarian in Sweden is 38,300 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 librarians and archivists sit in line with the typical job.

How much does a librarian earn after tax?

The median salary for a librarian is 38,300 SEK a month before tax. In an average Swedish municipality, without the church fee and for someone under 66, that works out at roughly 30,528 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 librarians and archivists?

The average (38,900 SEK) is the mean of every salary and is pulled upwards by the highest earners. The median (38,300 SEK) is the salary in the middle of the scale and usually gives a better picture of what librarians and archivists typically earn.

What is the starting salary for a librarian in Sweden?

Statistics Sweden does not publish starting salaries as such. The closest figure is the youngest people in the job: librarians and archivists aged 25–34 years earn 35,900 SEK per month on average. The lowest-paid 10% in the job earn less than 33,900 SEK.

How high can the salary go for librarians and archivists?

The highest-paid 10% in the job earn more than 44,400 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 librarians and archivists in Sweden?

Women's average salary is 98% of men's in this job. The median salary is 38,500 SEK for men and 38,200 SEK for women. The figure is not adjusted for differences in age, sector or working hours.

Where in Sweden does a librarian earn the most?

Pay is highest in Småland and islands, where librarians and archivists earn 40,700 SEK per month on average.

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