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How much do papermaking plant operators earn in Sweden?

Papermaking plant operators. 6,100 people employed in Sweden.

42,400SEK

per month is the median salary for papermaking plant operators in Sweden in 2025. That is 11% higher than the median across all jobs in the country, 38,300 SEK.

≈ €3,750 / $4,350 at September 2026 exchange rates, before tax.

That is roughly 33,413 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

Papermaking plant operators earn 42,500 SEK per month on average in Sweden (2025). The median salary is 42,400 SEK. The lowest-paid 10% earn under 35,100 SEK and the highest-paid 10% over 49,600 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
42,500 SEK
Mean gross monthly salary
Lowest 10%
35,100 SEK
Earn less than this
Highest 10%
49,600 SEK
Earn more than this
People employed
6,100
In this job in Sweden

The pay range

How monthly salaries are distributed among papermaking plant operators in Sweden. The same scale is used in the tables further down.

35,100 SEKLowest 10%42,400 SEKMedian49,600 SEKHighest 10%
Light band: the middle 80 per cent. Dark band: the middle half, earning 38,700–46,400 SEK. The red line is the median salary across all jobs in Sweden.

Pay in the private and public sector

What papermaking plant 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 42,500 SEK 42,400 SEK 42,900 SEK 40,400 SEK
Private sector 42,500 SEK 42,400 SEK 42,900 SEK 40,400 SEK

Salary after tax

What papermaking plant 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 33,413 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

  • The youngest in the job, aged 18–24 years, earn 39,200 SEK before tax — roughly 31,206 SEK after.
  • The best paid 10% earn more than 49,600 SEK, which is roughly 38,261 SEK after tax.

Calculate the salary after tax for papermaking plant 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 papermaking plant operators

Pay for men and women

Median salary for men and women
Gender 35,000 50,000 Median pay Number
Men 42,900 SEK 4,800
Women 40,400 SEK 1,200

Women's average salary is 94% 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 papermaking plant operators normally rises with years in the job.

Monthly salary by age
Age 35,000 50,000 Average pay Men Women Number
18–24 years 39,200 SEK 39,200 SEK 39,100 SEK 560
25–34 years 41,400 SEK 41,900 SEK 40,100 SEK 1,400
35–44 years 43,400 SEK 43,500 SEK 42,900 SEK 1,100
45–54 years 43,700 SEK 44,200 SEK 40,800 SEK 1,200
55–64 years 43,100 SEK 43,800 SEK 39,300 SEK 1,700

Pay by level of education

Monthly salary by level of education
Level of education 35,000 50,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Primary and secondary education 9-10 years (ISCED97 2) 40,800 SEK 41,400 SEK – 490
Upper secondary education, 2 years or less (ISCED97 3C) 43,100 SEK 43,700 SEK 39,400 SEK 1,700
Upper secondary education 3 years (ISCED97 3A) 42,100 SEK 42,700 SEK 40,300 SEK 2,800
Post-secondary education, less than 3 years (ISCED97 4+5B) 43,500 SEK 43,900 SEK 42,200 SEK 840
Post-secondary education 3 years or more (ISCED97 5A) 43,100 SEK – – 190

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 35,000 50,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Stockholm 39,500 SEK 40,100 SEK – –
East-Central Sweden 40,700 SEK 41,400 SEK 38,600 SEK –
Småland and islands 38,400 SEK 38,400 SEK – –
South Sweden 47,400 SEK 47,600 SEK – –
West Sweden 38,800 SEK 39,100 SEK – –
North-Central Sweden 43,900 SEK 44,300 SEK 42,300 SEK –
Central Norrland 43,200 SEK 43,700 SEK – –
Upper Norrland 46,300 SEK 46,700 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 32,400 SEK in 2014 to 42,400 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 8172, “processoperatörer, papper”. These are the titles you will actually meet in Swedish job ads.

  • Arkare
  • Arkmaskinförare
  • Arkskärare
  • Bestrykningsmaskinförare
  • Efterbearbetare, papper
  • Glättare, papper
  • Hjälpare, pappersindustri
  • Kalanderförare, papper
  • Laminerare, papper
  • Mäldberedare
  • Pappersarbetare
  • Pappersmaskinförare
  • Pappersrullare
  • Pappersräknare
  • Papperstorkare
  • Processoperatör, papper
  • Provtagare, papper
  • Pulperskötare, pappersindustri
  • Rullare, papper
  • Skärare, papper
  • Torkare, papper
  • Torkare, pappersindustri
  • Överrullare, pappersbruk

Frequently asked questions

What is the median salary for papermaking plant operators in Sweden?

The median salary for papermaking plant operators in Sweden is 42,400 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 papermaking plant operators sit 11% higher than the typical job.

How much do papermaking plant operators earn after tax?

The median salary for papermaking plant operators is 42,400 SEK a month before tax. In an average Swedish municipality, without the church fee and for someone under 66, that works out at roughly 33,413 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 papermaking plant operators?

The average (42,500 SEK) is the mean of every salary and is pulled upwards by the highest earners. The median (42,400 SEK) is the salary in the middle of the scale and usually gives a better picture of what papermaking plant operators typically earn.

What is the starting salary for papermaking plant operators in Sweden?

Statistics Sweden does not publish starting salaries as such. The closest figure is the youngest people in the job: papermaking plant operators aged 18–24 years earn 39,200 SEK per month on average. The lowest-paid 10% in the job earn less than 35,100 SEK.

How high can the salary go for papermaking plant operators?

The highest-paid 10% in the job earn more than 49,600 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 papermaking plant operators in Sweden?

Women's average salary is 94% of men's in this job. The median salary is 42,900 SEK for men and 40,400 SEK for women. The figure is not adjusted for differences in age, sector or working hours.

Where in Sweden do papermaking plant operators earn the most?

Pay is highest in South Sweden, where papermaking plant operators earn 47,400 SEK per month on average.

Jobs with similar pay

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