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How much do physicists and astronomers earn in Sweden?

Physicists and astronomers. 1,800 people employed in Sweden.

51,200SEK

per month is the median salary for physicists and astronomers in Sweden in 2025. That is 34% higher than the median across all jobs in the country, 38,300 SEK.

≈ €4,550 / $5,300 at September 2026 exchange rates, before tax.

That is roughly 39,338 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

In the 2025 salary statistics, physicists and astronomers earned 53,100 SEK a month on average in Sweden. The median salary is 51,200 SEK. The lowest-paid 10% earn under 40,000 SEK and the highest-paid 10% over 67,900 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
53,100 SEK
Mean gross monthly salary
Lowest 10%
40,000 SEK
Earn less than this
Highest 10%
67,900 SEK
Earn more than this
People employed
1,800
In this job in Sweden

The pay range

How monthly salaries are distributed among physicists and astronomers in Sweden. The same scale is used in the tables further down.

40,000 SEKLowest 10%51,200 SEKMedian67,900 SEKHighest 10%
Light band: the middle 80 per cent. Dark band: the middle half, earning 43,300–59,100 SEK. The red line is the median salary across all jobs in Sweden.

Pay in the private and public sector

What physicists and astronomers 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 53,100 SEK 51,200 SEK 52,500 SEK 49,100 SEK
Private sector 66,100 SEK 60,800 SEK – –
Public sector 51,400 SEK 50,000 SEK 51,000 SEK 48,500 SEK
Central government 50,700 SEK 49,500 SEK 50,000 SEK 47,300 SEK
Regions (health care) 53,400 SEK 52,500 SEK 54,100 SEK 49,900 SEK

Salary after tax

What physicists and astronomers 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 39,338 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

  • The youngest in the job, aged 25–34 years, earn 42,500 SEK before tax — roughly 33,481 SEK after.
  • The best paid 10% earn more than 67,900 SEK, which is roughly 48,009 SEK after tax.

Calculate the salary after tax for physicists and astronomers

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 physicists and astronomers

Pay for men and women

Median salary for men and women
Gender 40,000 70,000 Median pay Number
Men 52,500 SEK 1,300
Women 49,100 SEK 530

Women's average salary is 93% 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 physicists and astronomers normally rises with years in the job.

Monthly salary by age
Age 40,000 70,000 Average pay Men Women Number
25–34 years 42,500 SEK 42,600 SEK 42,400 SEK 500
35–44 years 51,100 SEK 51,400 SEK 50,500 SEK 550
45–54 years 57,800 SEK 57,800 SEK 57,700 SEK 410
55–64 years 65,800 SEK 66,600 SEK – 290

Pay by level of education

Monthly salary by level of education
Level of education 40,000 70,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Post-secondary education 3 years or more (ISCED97 5A) 49,300 SEK 50,300 SEK 47,300 SEK 810
Post-graduate education (ISCED97 6) 57,100 SEK 58,000 SEK 54,500 SEK 900

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 40,000 70,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Stockholm 52,200 SEK 53,100 SEK 49,700 SEK 600
East-Central Sweden 51,100 SEK 51,800 SEK 48,800 SEK 660
South Sweden 55,800 SEK 56,300 SEK – 240
West Sweden 50,900 SEK – – 110

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 40,200 SEK in 2014 to 51,200 SEK in 2025, +27% 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 2111, “fysiker och astronomer”. These are the titles you will actually meet in Swedish job ads.

  • Astronom
  • Atomfysiker
  • Elektronfysiker
  • Forensiker, fysik
  • Fysiker
  • Kärnfysiker
  • Kärnkraftsinspektör
  • Laborator, fysik
  • Partikelfysiker
  • Plasmafysiker
  • Radiofysiker
  • Sjukhusfysiker
  • Strålningsfysiker
  • Strålskyddsfysiker
  • Strålskyddsinspektör
  • Utvecklingsingenjör, fysik

Frequently asked questions

What is the median salary for physicists and astronomers in Sweden?

The median salary for physicists and astronomers in Sweden is 51,200 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 physicists and astronomers sit 34% higher than the typical job.

How much do physicists and astronomers earn after tax?

The median salary for physicists and astronomers is 51,200 SEK a month before tax. In an average Swedish municipality, without the church fee and for someone under 66, that works out at roughly 39,338 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 physicists and astronomers?

The average (53,100 SEK) is the mean of every salary and is pulled upwards by the highest earners. The median (51,200 SEK) is the salary in the middle of the scale and usually gives a better picture of what physicists and astronomers typically earn.

What is the starting salary for physicists and astronomers in Sweden?

Statistics Sweden does not publish starting salaries as such. The closest figure is the youngest people in the job: physicists and astronomers aged 25–34 years earn 42,500 SEK per month on average. The lowest-paid 10% in the job earn less than 40,000 SEK.

How high can the salary go for physicists and astronomers?

The highest-paid 10% in the job earn more than 67,900 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 physicists and astronomers in Sweden?

Women's average salary is 93% of men's in this job. The median salary is 52,500 SEK for men and 49,100 SEK for women. The figure is not adjusted for differences in age, sector or working hours.

Where in Sweden do physicists and astronomers earn the most?

Pay is highest in South Sweden, where physicists and astronomers earn 55,800 SEK per month on average.

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