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How much do machine-tool operators earn in Sweden?

Machine-tool operators. 50,400 people employed in Sweden.

35,300SEK

per month is the median salary for machine-tool operators in Sweden in 2025. That is 8% lower than the median across all jobs in the country, 38,300 SEK.

≈ €3,100 / $3,650 at September 2026 exchange rates, before tax.

That is roughly 28,265 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

The average salary for machine-tool operators in Sweden is 36,300 SEK per month (2025). The median salary is 35,300 SEK. The lowest-paid 10% earn under 29,000 SEK and the highest-paid 10% over 45,100 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
36,300 SEK
Mean gross monthly salary
Lowest 10%
29,000 SEK
Earn less than this
Highest 10%
45,100 SEK
Earn more than this
People employed
50,400
In this job in Sweden

The pay range

How monthly salaries are distributed among machine-tool operators in Sweden. The same scale is used in the tables further down.

29,000 SEKLowest 10%35,300 SEKMedian45,100 SEKHighest 10%
Light band: the middle 80 per cent. Dark band: the middle half, earning 31,800–39,600 SEK. The red line is the median salary across all jobs in Sweden.

Pay in the private and public sector

What machine-tool operators 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 36,300 SEK 35,300 SEK 35,500 SEK 34,000 SEK
Private sector 36,300 SEK 35,300 SEK 35,500 SEK 34,000 SEK
Public sector 34,300 SEK 33,900 SEK 34,400 SEK –
Municipalities 34,300 SEK 33,900 SEK 34,400 SEK –

Salary after tax

What machine-tool operators 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 28,265 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

  • The youngest in the job, aged 18–24 years, earn 34,300 SEK before tax — roughly 27,510 SEK after.
  • The best paid 10% earn more than 45,100 SEK, which is roughly 35,231 SEK after tax.

Calculate the salary after tax for machine-tool operators

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-tool operators

Pay for men and women

Median salary for men and women
Gender 30,000 45,000 Median pay Number
Men 35,500 SEK 41,300
Women 34,000 SEK 9,100

Women's average salary is 97% 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-tool operators normally rises with years in the job.

Monthly salary by age
Age 30,000 45,000 Average pay Men Women Number
18–24 years 34,300 SEK 34,300 SEK 34,300 SEK 6,500
25–34 years 36,400 SEK 36,500 SEK 35,900 SEK 12,000
35–44 years 36,400 SEK 36,700 SEK 35,300 SEK 10,100
45–54 years 36,900 SEK 37,200 SEK 35,700 SEK 10,300
55–64 years 36,700 SEK 37,000 SEK 35,200 SEK 10,700

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 less than 9 years (ISCED97 1) 33,600 SEK 33,900 SEK – 930
Primary and secondary education 9-10 years (ISCED97 2) 35,200 SEK 35,200 SEK 35,500 SEK 4,800
Upper secondary education, 2 years or less (ISCED97 3C) 36,300 SEK 36,500 SEK 34,900 SEK 13,800
Upper secondary education 3 years (ISCED97 3A) 36,500 SEK 36,800 SEK 35,600 SEK 24,300
Post-secondary education, less than 3 years (ISCED97 4+5B) 37,000 SEK 37,300 SEK 36,200 SEK 4,400
Post-secondary education 3 years or more (ISCED97 5A) 35,700 SEK 36,200 SEK 34,000 SEK 1,800
No information about level of educational attainment 33,600 SEK 34,000 SEK – 330

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 45,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Stockholm 34,900 SEK 35,500 SEK 33,100 SEK 3,500
East-Central Sweden 36,200 SEK 36,400 SEK 35,100 SEK 9,900
Småland and islands 35,000 SEK 35,200 SEK 33,900 SEK 12,700
South Sweden 37,100 SEK 37,000 SEK 37,800 SEK 3,700
West Sweden 39,600 SEK 39,700 SEK 39,300 SEK 11,800
North-Central Sweden 34,800 SEK 35,200 SEK 33,000 SEK 4,200
Central Norrland 32,100 SEK 32,600 SEK 29,900 SEK –
Upper Norrland 34,400 SEK 34,800 SEK 32,800 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 27,000 SEK in 2014 to 35,300 SEK in 2025, +31% 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 7223, “maskinställare och maskinoperatörer, metallarbete”. These are the titles you will actually meet in Swedish job ads.

  • Arborrare
  • Automatpressare, metall
  • Automatskötare, verkstad
  • Automatställare
  • Automatsvarvare
  • Automatsvetsare
  • Bandsågare, metall
  • Borrare, metall
  • Brännsvetsare
  • Bänkborrare
  • CNC-borrare, metall
  • CNC-fräsare, metall
  • CNC-operatör, metall
  • CNC-svarvare, metall
  • Cylinderborrare
  • Dragpressare
  • Excenterpressare
  • Fjäderspinnare
  • Flermaskinsystemoperatör
  • Fleroperationsmaskinoperatör, metall
  • Flops-operatör
  • FMS-operatör
  • Fräsare, metall
  • Gnistare
  • Gängfräsare
  • Henare
  • Hydraulpressare
  • Hyvelställare
  • Hyvlare, NC/CNC-maskin
  • Jiggborrare
  • Kallsågare, metall
  • Kantpressare, metall
  • Kapare, metall
  • Karusellsvarvare
  • Knivtillverkare
  • Kopiersvarvare
  • Kuggfräsare
  • Laseroperatör, plåt
  • Långsvarvare
  • Mantelsvetsare
  • Maskinoperatör, mekanisk verkstad
  • Maskinställare, verktygsmaskiner
  • Maskinsvetsare
  • Metallduksvävare
  • Metallfräsare
  • Metallpressare
  • Metallsågare
  • Metalltryckare
  • Multipelborrare
  • NC-borrare
  • NC-fräsare, metall
  • NC-hyvlare
  • NC-operatör, metall
  • NC-programmerare
  • NC-svarvare
  • NS-borrare
  • NS-operatör
  • NS-svarvare
  • Pelarborrare
  • Planfräsare
  • Plåtklippare
  • Plåtritsare
  • Plåtskärare
  • Plåtsågare
  • Pressare, metall
  • Pressoperatör metallbearbetning
  • Programmerare, industrirobotar
  • Programmerare, verktygsmaskin
  • Präglare, metall
  • Punktsvetsare
  • Radialborrare
  • Resårspinnare
  • Revolversvarvare
  • Riggare, verktygsmaskiner
  • Robotsvetsare
  • Robotsvetsoperatör
  • Rörkapare
  • Skalsvarvare
  • Skylttillverkare, metall, maskin
  • Slipare, NC/CNC-maskin
  • Smidesoperatör
  • Ställare, metall
  • Supportsvarvare
  • Supporttryckare
  • Svarvare, metall
  • Svetsare, automat-
  • Svetsare, bränn-
  • Svetsare, mantel-
  • Svetsare, maskin-
  • Svetsare, punkt-
  • Svetsare, robot-
  • Svetsare, söm-
  • Svetsoperatör
  • Sågare, metall
  • Sänkgnistare
  • Sömsvetsare
  • Trycksvarvare
  • Trådgnistare
  • Universalfräsare
  • Uppsättare, verktygsmaskiner
  • Valssvarvare
  • Verkstadsarbetare, ospec.
  • Verkstadsmekaniker, allround
  • Verkstadstekniker, maskinoperatör
  • Verkstadstekniker, maskinoperatör metall
  • Verktygsfräsare
  • Verktygsmaskinoperatör
  • Verktygsställare
  • Verktygssvarvare
  • Verktygstekniker, maskinoperatör
  • Verktygsuppsättare

Frequently asked questions

What is the median salary for machine-tool operators in Sweden?

The median salary for machine-tool operators in Sweden is 35,300 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 machine-tool operators sit 8% lower than the typical job.

How much do machine-tool operators earn after tax?

The median salary for machine-tool operators is 35,300 SEK a month before tax. In an average Swedish municipality, without the church fee and for someone under 66, that works out at roughly 28,265 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-tool operators?

The average (36,300 SEK) is the mean of every salary and is pulled upwards by the highest earners. The median (35,300 SEK) is the salary in the middle of the scale and usually gives a better picture of what machine-tool operators typically earn.

What is the starting salary for machine-tool operators in Sweden?

Statistics Sweden does not publish starting salaries as such. The closest figure is the youngest people in the job: machine-tool operators aged 18–24 years earn 34,300 SEK per month on average. The lowest-paid 10% in the job earn less than 29,000 SEK.

How high can the salary go for machine-tool operators?

The highest-paid 10% in the job earn more than 45,100 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-tool operators in Sweden?

Women's average salary is 97% of men's in this job. The median salary is 35,500 SEK for men and 34,000 SEK for women. The figure is not adjusted for differences in age, sector or working hours.

Where in Sweden do machine-tool operators earn the most?

Pay is highest in West Sweden, where machine-tool operators earn 39,600 SEK per month on average.

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