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How much does an occupational therapist earn in Sweden?

Occupational therapist. 8,300 people employed in Sweden.

39,700SEK

per month is the median salary for an occupational therapist in Sweden in 2025. That is 4% higher than the median across all jobs in the country, 38,300 SEK.

≈ €3,500 / $4,100 at September 2026 exchange rates, before tax.

That is roughly 31,584 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

The average salary for an occupational therapist in Sweden is 39,500 SEK per month (2025). The median salary is 39,700 SEK. The lowest-paid 10% earn under 34,000 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
39,500 SEK
Mean gross monthly salary
Lowest 10%
34,000 SEK
Earn less than this
Highest 10%
44,400 SEK
Earn more than this
People employed
8,300
In this job in Sweden

The pay range

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

34,000 SEKLowest 10%39,700 SEKMedian44,400 SEKHighest 10%
Light band: the middle 80 per cent. Dark band: the middle half, earning 36,600–42,200 SEK. The red line is the median salary across all jobs in Sweden.

Pay in the private and public sector

What occupational therapist 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 39,500 SEK 39,700 SEK 39,000 SEK 39,800 SEK
Private sector 41,100 SEK 40,900 SEK – 40,700 SEK
Public sector 39,300 SEK 39,600 SEK 38,400 SEK 39,600 SEK
Central government 41,600 SEK 42,200 SEK 41,800 SEK 42,200 SEK
Municipalities 40,100 SEK 40,300 SEK 39,500 SEK 40,300 SEK
Regions (health care) 38,300 SEK 38,600 SEK 36,800 SEK 38,700 SEK

Salary after tax

What occupational therapist 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 31,584 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

  • The youngest in the job, aged 18–24 years, earn 32,300 SEK before tax — roughly 26,002 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 an occupational therapist

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 an occupational therapist

Pay for men and women

Median salary for men and women
Gender 32,500 45,000 Median pay Number
Men 39,000 SEK 720
Women 39,800 SEK 7,600

Women's average salary is 101% 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 occupational therapist normally rises with years in the job.

Monthly salary by age
Age 32,500 45,000 Average pay Men Women Number
18–24 years 32,300 SEK – – 100
25–34 years 36,200 SEK 37,100 SEK 36,100 SEK 1,800
35–44 years 38,900 SEK 39,400 SEK 38,800 SEK 2,400
45–54 years 41,000 SEK 40,500 SEK 41,000 SEK 2,100
55–64 years 41,800 SEK – 41,900 SEK 1,800

Pay by level of education

Monthly salary by level of education
Level of education 32,500 45,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Post-secondary education, less than 3 years (ISCED97 4+5B) 42,000 SEK – 42,000 SEK 910
Post-secondary education 3 years or more (ISCED97 5A) 39,200 SEK 38,900 SEK 39,200 SEK 7,400

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 40,200 SEK 40,400 SEK 40,200 SEK 1,400
East-Central Sweden 38,400 SEK 36,800 SEK 38,500 SEK 1,700
Småland and islands 39,300 SEK – 39,300 SEK 860
South Sweden 40,100 SEK 40,000 SEK 40,100 SEK 1,300
West Sweden 40,100 SEK 39,000 SEK 40,200 SEK 1,700
North-Central Sweden 39,400 SEK – 39,500 SEK 670
Central Norrland 39,500 SEK – 39,500 SEK 310
Upper Norrland 38,300 SEK – 38,400 SEK 570

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 28,600 SEK in 2014 to 39,700 SEK in 2025, +39% 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 2273, “arbetsterapeuter”. These are the titles you will actually meet in Swedish job ads.

  • Arbetsterapeut
  • Chefsarbetsterapeut
  • Distriktsarbetsterapeut
  • Hjälpmedelskonsulent
  • Specialistarbetsterapeut

Frequently asked questions

What is the median salary for an occupational therapist in Sweden?

The median salary for an occupational therapist in Sweden is 39,700 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 occupational therapist sit 4% higher than the typical job.

How much does an occupational therapist earn after tax?

The median salary for an occupational therapist is 39,700 SEK a month before tax. In an average Swedish municipality, without the church fee and for someone under 66, that works out at roughly 31,584 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 occupational therapist?

The average (39,500 SEK) is the mean of every salary and is pulled upwards by the highest earners. The median (39,700 SEK) is the salary in the middle of the scale and usually gives a better picture of what occupational therapist typically earn.

What is the starting salary for an occupational therapist in Sweden?

Statistics Sweden does not publish starting salaries as such. The closest figure is the youngest people in the job: occupational therapist aged 18–24 years earn 32,300 SEK per month on average. The lowest-paid 10% in the job earn less than 34,000 SEK.

How high can the salary go for occupational therapist?

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 occupational therapist in Sweden?

Women's average salary is 101% of men's in this job. The median salary is 39,000 SEK for men and 39,800 SEK for women. The figure is not adjusted for differences in age, sector or working hours.

Where in Sweden does an occupational therapist earn the most?

Pay is highest in Stockholm, where occupational therapist earn 40,200 SEK per month on average.

Jobs with similar pay

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