How much do musicians, singers and composers earn in Sweden?

Musicians, singers and composers. 5,000 people employed in Sweden.

44,400SEK

per month is the median salary for musicians, singers and composers in Sweden in 2025. That is 16% higher than the median across all jobs in the country, 38,300 SEK.

≈ €3,950 / $4,600 at September 2026 exchange rates, before tax.

That is roughly 34,760 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

In the 2025 salary statistics, musicians, singers and composers earned 47,400 SEK a month on average in Sweden. The median salary is 44,400 SEK. The lowest-paid 10% earn under 34,300 SEK and the highest-paid 10% over 57,000 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: 47,400 SEK; Mean gross monthly salary
Lowest 10%: 34,300 SEK; Earn less than this
Highest 10%: 57,000 SEK; Earn more than this
People employed: 5,000; In this job in Sweden

The pay range

How monthly salaries are distributed among musicians, singers and composers in Sweden. The same scale is used in the tables further down.

34,300 SEKLowest 10%44,400 SEKMedian57,000 SEKHighest 10%

Light band: the middle 80 per cent. Dark band: the middle half, earning 40,300–49,500 SEK. The red line is the median salary across all jobs in Sweden.

Pay in the private and public sector

What musicians, singers and composers 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	47,400 SEK	44,400 SEK	44,400 SEK	44,200 SEK
Private sector	47,400 SEK	44,400 SEK	44,400 SEK	44,200 SEK

Salary after tax

What musicians, singers and composers 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 34,760 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

The youngest in the job, aged 25–34 years, earn 43,000 SEK before tax — roughly 33,817 SEK after.
The best paid 10% earn more than 57,000 SEK, which is roughly 42,850 SEK after tax.

Calculate the salary after tax for musicians, singers and composers

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 musicians, singers and composers

Pay for men and women

Median salary for men and women
Gender	35,000 55,000	Median pay	Number
Men		44,400 SEK	2,500
Women		44,200 SEK	2,500

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 musicians, singers and composers normally rises with years in the job.

Monthly salary by age
Age	Average pay	Men	Women	Number
25–34 years	43,000 SEK	–	44,100 SEK	–
45–54 years	44,400 SEK	43,500 SEK	45,100 SEK	1,500
55–64 years	46,000 SEK	45,500 SEK	46,300 SEK	1,200

Pay by level of education

Monthly salary by level of education
Level of education	35,000 55,000	Average pay	Men	Women	Number
Upper secondary education 3 years (ISCED97 3A)		44,800 SEK	–	–	–
Post-secondary education 3 years or more (ISCED97 5A)		45,200 SEK	46,400 SEK	44,400 SEK	2,600

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	Average pay	Men	Women	Number
East-Central Sweden	43,400 SEK	44,600 SEK	41,300 SEK	–
South Sweden	42,000 SEK	39,700 SEK	44,500 SEK	–
West Sweden	48,800 SEK	–	46,600 SEK	1,100

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 32,300 SEK in 2014 to 44,400 SEK in 2025, +37% 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 2652, “musiker, sångare och kompositörer”. These are the titles you will actually meet in Swedish job ads.

Ackompanjatör, klassisk musik
Ackompanjatör, populärmusik
Arrangör, klassisk musik
Arrangör, populärmusik
Artist, populärmusik
Barpianist
Batterist, orkester
Cellist
Dansbandsmusiker
Dirigent
Domkyrkoorganist
Elektronmusiker
Filmkompositör
Filmmusikkompositör
Flöjtist
Församlingsmusiker
Gatumusikant
Gitarrist, klassisk musik
Gitarrist, populärmusik
Jazzmusiker
Kammarmusiker
Kantor
Kapellmästare
Komponist, konstmusik
Kompositör, konstmusik
Kompositör, populärmusik
Konsertmästare
Konsertpianist
Korist
Kormästare
Kyrkokantor
Kyrkomusiker
Kyrkosångare
Körledare
Körsångare, klassisk musik
Körsångare, populärmusik
Musiker, folkmusik
Musiker, klassisk musik
Musiker, konstmusik
Musiker, populärmusik
Musikförläggare, utan chefshierarki
Musikproducent
Notskrivare
Operasångare
Organist
Orkesterledare, klassisk musik
Orkesterledare, populärmusik
Pianist, klassisk musik
Pianist, populärmusik
Popmusiker
Popsångare
Populärmusiker
Populärsångare
Repetitör, klassisk musik
Rockmusiker
Rocksångare
Schlagermusiker
Schlagersångare
Skolkantor
Slagverkare
Spelman
Stämledare
Sångare, folkmusik
Sångare, klassisk musik
Sångare, konstmusik
Sångare, populärmusik
Tonsättare
Trubadur
Trumslagare, populärmusik
Violinist
Vissångare
Vokalist

Frequently asked questions

What is the median salary for musicians, singers and composers in Sweden?

The median salary for musicians, singers and composers in Sweden is 44,400 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 musicians, singers and composers sit 16% higher than the typical job.

How much do musicians, singers and composers earn after tax?

The median salary for musicians, singers and composers is 44,400 SEK a month before tax. In an average Swedish municipality, without the church fee and for someone under 66, that works out at roughly 34,760 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 musicians, singers and composers?

The average (47,400 SEK) is the mean of every salary and is pulled upwards by the highest earners. The median (44,400 SEK) is the salary in the middle of the scale and usually gives a better picture of what musicians, singers and composers typically earn.

What is the starting salary for musicians, singers and composers in Sweden?

Statistics Sweden does not publish starting salaries as such. The closest figure is the youngest people in the job: musicians, singers and composers aged 25–34 years earn 43,000 SEK per month on average. The lowest-paid 10% in the job earn less than 34,300 SEK.

How high can the salary go for musicians, singers and composers?

The highest-paid 10% in the job earn more than 57,000 SEK per month. Pay is shaped by sector, experience, level of education and where in the country you work.

Where in Sweden do musicians, singers and composers earn the most?

Pay is highest in West Sweden, where musicians, singers and composers earn 48,800 SEK per month on average.

Jobs with similar pay

Forestry professionals 44,300 SEK
Technicians not elsewhere classified 44,500 SEK
Upper secondary school teacher 44,200 SEK
Accountant 44,600 SEK
Other services managers not elsewhere classified, level 2 44,100 SEK
Paper pulp plant operators 44,700 SEK

Other jobs in creative and performing artists

Film, stage and related directors and producers 47,700 SEK
Actors 37,500 SEK

See the whole occupational group Creative and performing artists or occupations requiring advanced level of higher education