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How much do machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating earn in Sweden?

Machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating. 2,000 people employed in Sweden.

35,100SEK

per month is the median salary for machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating in Sweden in 2025. That is 8% lower than the median across all jobs in the country, 38,300 SEK.

≈ €3,100 / $3,600 at September 2026 exchange rates, before tax.

That is roughly 28,114 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

In 2025, machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating in Sweden earned an average of 36,000 SEK per month. The median salary is 35,100 SEK. The lowest-paid 10% earn under 30,300 SEK and the highest-paid 10% over 43,400 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
36,000 SEK
Mean gross monthly salary
Lowest 10%
30,300 SEK
Earn less than this
Highest 10%
43,400 SEK
Earn more than this
People employed
2,000
In this job in Sweden

The pay range

How monthly salaries are distributed among machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating in Sweden. The same scale is used in the tables further down.

30,300 SEKLowest 10%35,100 SEKMedian43,400 SEKHighest 10%
Light band: the middle 80 per cent. Dark band: the middle half, earning 32,800–38,800 SEK. The red line is the median salary across all jobs in Sweden.

Pay in the private and public sector

What machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating 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 36,000 SEK 35,100 SEK 35,800 SEK 33,100 SEK
Private sector 36,000 SEK 35,100 SEK 35,800 SEK 33,100 SEK

Salary after tax

What machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating 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 28,114 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

  • The youngest in the job, aged 18–24 years, earn 33,900 SEK before tax — roughly 27,209 SEK after.
  • The best paid 10% earn more than 43,400 SEK, which is roughly 34,087 SEK after tax.

Calculate the salary after tax for machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating

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 machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating

Pay for men and women

Median salary for men and women
Gender 30,000 40,000 Median pay Number
Men 35,800 SEK 1,600
Women 33,100 SEK –

Women's average salary is 91% 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 machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating normally rises with years in the job.

Monthly salary by age
Age 30,000 40,000 Average pay Men Women Number
18–24 years 33,900 SEK – – 190
25–34 years 35,400 SEK 35,700 SEK – –
35–44 years 35,900 SEK 36,500 SEK – –
45–54 years 37,000 SEK 37,800 SEK – –
55–64 years 36,500 SEK 37,300 SEK – –

Pay by level of education

Monthly salary by level of education
Level of education 30,000 40,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Primary and secondary education 9-10 years (ISCED97 2) 35,300 SEK – – –
Upper secondary education, 2 years or less (ISCED97 3C) 36,700 SEK 37,200 SEK – –
Upper secondary education 3 years (ISCED97 3A) 35,900 SEK 36,800 SEK – 720

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 30,000 40,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Stockholm 35,700 SEK – – –
East-Central Sweden 35,100 SEK – – –
Småland and islands 35,400 SEK 35,900 SEK – –
West Sweden 36,600 SEK 37,400 SEK – –

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 26,300 SEK in 2014 to 35,100 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 8121, “maskinoperatörer, ytbehandling”. These are the titles you will actually meet in Swedish job ads.

  • Anodiserare
  • Anodiseringsoperatör
  • Avfettare
  • Avsynare, metalliserare
  • Betare
  • Blästrare, metall
  • Eloxerare
  • Fosfaterare
  • Förgyllare, metall
  • Förkromare
  • Förnicklare
  • Försilvrare, metall
  • Förtennare
  • Galvanisatör
  • Kadmierare
  • Kromarbetare
  • Laminerare, metall
  • Maskinoperatör, metallytebehandling
  • Metalliserare
  • Metallsprutare
  • Oxiderare
  • Plasmaoperatör
  • Pläterare
  • Rackare, ytbehandling
  • Sandblästrare, metall
  • Tennsprutare
  • Varmförblyare
  • Varmförtennare
  • Ytbehandlare, metall
  • Ytbehandlare, metalliserare

Frequently asked questions

What is the median salary for machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating in Sweden?

The median salary for machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating in Sweden is 35,100 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 machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating sit 8% lower than the typical job.

How much do machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating earn after tax?

The median salary for machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating is 35,100 SEK a month before tax. In an average Swedish municipality, without the church fee and for someone under 66, that works out at roughly 28,114 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 machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating?

The average (36,000 SEK) is the mean of every salary and is pulled upwards by the highest earners. The median (35,100 SEK) is the salary in the middle of the scale and usually gives a better picture of what machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating typically earn.

What is the starting salary for machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating in Sweden?

Statistics Sweden does not publish starting salaries as such. The closest figure is the youngest people in the job: machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating aged 18–24 years earn 33,900 SEK per month on average. The lowest-paid 10% in the job earn less than 30,300 SEK.

How high can the salary go for machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating?

The highest-paid 10% in the job earn more than 43,400 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 machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating in Sweden?

Women's average salary is 91% of men's in this job. The median salary is 35,800 SEK for men and 33,100 SEK for women. The figure is not adjusted for differences in age, sector or working hours.

Where in Sweden do machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating earn the most?

Pay is highest in West Sweden, where machine operators, metal finishing, plating and coating earn 36,600 SEK per month on average.

Jobs with similar pay

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