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How much does a painter and decorator earn in Sweden?

Painters and related workers. 16,000 people employed in Sweden.

37,900SEK

per month is the median salary for a painter and decorator in Sweden in 2025. That is 1% lower than the median across all jobs in the country, 38,300 SEK.

≈ €3,350 / $3,900 at September 2026 exchange rates, before tax.

That is roughly 30,226 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

In 2025, a painter and decorator in Sweden earned an average of 36,900 SEK per month. The median salary is 37,900 SEK. The lowest-paid 10% earn under 32,200 SEK and the highest-paid 10% over 41,100 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
36,900 SEK
Mean gross monthly salary
Lowest 10%
32,200 SEK
Earn less than this
Highest 10%
41,100 SEK
Earn more than this
People employed
16,000
Statistics Sweden's occupational register 2024

The pay range

How monthly salaries are distributed among painters and related workers in Sweden. The same scale is used in the tables further down.

32,200 SEKLowest 10%37,900 SEKMedian41,100 SEKHighest 10%
Light band: the middle 80 per cent. Dark band: the middle half, earning 35,700–40,000 SEK. The red line is the median salary across all jobs in Sweden.

Pay in the private and public sector

What painters and related workers 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 36,900 SEK 37,900 SEK 38,000 SEK –
Private sector 36,900 SEK 37,900 SEK 38,000 SEK –
Public sector 35,600 SEK 36,000 SEK 36,000 SEK –
Municipalities 35,500 SEK 35,700 SEK 36,000 SEK –

Salary after tax

What painters and related workers 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 30,226 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

  • The youngest in the job, aged 18–24 years, earn 29,400 SEK before tax — roughly 23,814 SEK after.
  • The best paid 10% earn more than 41,100 SEK, which is roughly 32,538 SEK after tax.

Calculate the salary after tax for a painter and decorator

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 painter and decorator

Pay for men and women

Women's average salary is 84% 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 painters and related workers normally rises with years in the job.

Monthly salary by age
Age 30,000 42,500 Average pay Men Women Number
18–24 years 29,400 SEK – – –
25–34 years 36,000 SEK 36,100 SEK – –
35–44 years 37,500 SEK 37,700 SEK – –
45–54 years 38,800 SEK 38,700 SEK – –
55–64 years 38,300 SEK 38,300 SEK – –

Pay by level of education

Monthly salary by level of education
Level of education 30,000 42,500 Average pay Men Women Number
Upper secondary education, 2 years or less (ISCED97 3C) 38,100 SEK 38,100 SEK – –
Upper secondary education 3 years (ISCED97 3A) 35,800 SEK 37,400 SEK – –

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 42,500 Average pay Men Women Number
East-Central Sweden 35,200 SEK 37,700 SEK – –
Småland and islands 37,300 SEK – – –
South Sweden 36,500 SEK 36,700 SEK – –
West Sweden 38,000 SEK 37,700 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 28,400 SEK in 2014 to 37,900 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 7131, “målare”. These are the titles you will actually meet in Swedish job ads.

  • Byggnadsmålare
  • Konstruktionsmålare
  • Målare, bygg
  • Målarmästare
  • Måleriarbetare, målare

Frequently asked questions

What is the median salary for a painter and decorator in Sweden?

The median salary for a painter and decorator in Sweden is 37,900 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 painters and related workers sit 1% lower than the typical job.

How much does a painter and decorator earn after tax?

The median salary for a painter and decorator is 37,900 SEK a month before tax. In an average Swedish municipality, without the church fee and for someone under 66, that works out at roughly 30,226 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 painters and related workers?

The average (36,900 SEK) is the mean of every salary and is pulled upwards by the highest earners. The median (37,900 SEK) is the salary in the middle of the scale and usually gives a better picture of what painters and related workers typically earn.

What is the starting salary for a painter and decorator in Sweden?

Statistics Sweden does not publish starting salaries as such. The closest figure is the youngest people in the job: painters and related workers aged 18–24 years earn 29,400 SEK per month on average. The lowest-paid 10% in the job earn less than 32,200 SEK.

How high can the salary go for painters and related workers?

The highest-paid 10% in the job earn more than 41,100 SEK per month. Pay is shaped by sector, experience, level of education and where in the country you work.

Where in Sweden does a painter and decorator earn the most?

Pay is highest in West Sweden, where painters and related workers earn 38,000 SEK per month on average.

Jobs with similar pay

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