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How much does a physiotherapist earn in Sweden?

Physiotherapists. 12,400 people employed in Sweden.

40,000SEK

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

≈ €3,550 / $4,100 at September 2026 exchange rates, before tax.

That is roughly 31,798 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

A physiotherapist earns 40,100 SEK per month on average in Sweden (2025). The median salary is 40,000 SEK. The lowest-paid 10% earn under 32,800 SEK and the highest-paid 10% over 48,300 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
40,100 SEK
Mean gross monthly salary
Lowest 10%
32,800 SEK
Earn less than this
Highest 10%
48,300 SEK
Earn more than this
People employed
12,400
In this job in Sweden

The statistics still use the older Swedish name sjukgymnast, but the protected title today is fysioterapeut, or physiotherapist. Physiotherapists assess and treat problems with movement and physical function, for instance after injuries or surgery, or in cases of long-term pain. The profession requires a physiotherapy degree and a licence from the National Board of Health and Welfare. Many work in the regions' hospitals and primary care or in municipal rehabilitation, others at private clinics, and pay varies with experience, employer and specialisation.

The pay range

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

32,800 SEKLowest 10%40,000 SEKMedian48,300 SEKHighest 10%
Light band: the middle 80 per cent. Dark band: the middle half, earning 35,500–43,400 SEK. The red line is the median salary across all jobs in Sweden.

Pay in the private and public sector

What physiotherapists 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 40,100 SEK 40,000 SEK 38,700 SEK 40,300 SEK
Private sector 41,500 SEK 41,300 SEK 39,900 SEK 41,800 SEK
Public sector 39,300 SEK 39,400 SEK 38,300 SEK 39,700 SEK
Central government 43,500 SEK 43,000 SEK 43,500 SEK 42,800 SEK
Municipalities 40,800 SEK 41,000 SEK 40,600 SEK 41,200 SEK
Regions (health care) 38,500 SEK 38,300 SEK 36,600 SEK 38,700 SEK

Salary after tax

What physiotherapists 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 31,798 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 48,300 SEK, which is roughly 37,386 SEK after tax.

Calculate the salary after tax for a physiotherapist

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 physiotherapist

Pay for men and women

Median salary for men and women
Gender 35,000 50,000 Median pay Number
Men 38,700 SEK –
Women 40,300 SEK 8,600

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 physiotherapists normally rises with years in the job.

Monthly salary by age
Age 35,000 50,000 Average pay Men Women Number
18–24 years 32,300 SEK – 32,300 SEK 280
25–34 years 35,400 SEK 34,900 SEK 35,700 SEK 3,600
35–44 years 40,200 SEK 39,200 SEK 40,500 SEK 3,200
45–54 years 43,400 SEK 45,700 SEK 42,200 SEK 2,500
55–64 years 44,000 SEK 46,200 SEK 43,200 SEK 2,300

Pay by level of education

Monthly salary by level of education
Level of education 35,000 50,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Post-secondary education, less than 3 years (ISCED97 4+5B) 42,800 SEK 44,200 SEK 42,600 SEK –
Post-secondary education 3 years or more (ISCED97 5A) 39,700 SEK 39,600 SEK 39,700 SEK 11,100
Post-graduate education (ISCED97 6) 48,700 SEK – 49,100 SEK 160

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 40,600 SEK 39,600 SEK 40,900 SEK 2,300
East-Central Sweden 38,800 SEK 38,000 SEK 39,200 SEK 1,800
Småland and islands 39,200 SEK 39,700 SEK 39,000 SEK 950
South Sweden 41,800 SEK 44,300 SEK 40,400 SEK 1,900
West Sweden 39,700 SEK 38,900 SEK 40,000 SEK 2,400
North-Central Sweden 39,200 SEK 39,200 SEK 39,300 SEK –
Central Norrland 40,100 SEK 39,900 SEK 40,200 SEK –
Upper Norrland 41,200 SEK 37,400 SEK 42,100 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 28,500 SEK in 2014 to 40,000 SEK in 2025, +40% 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 2272, “sjukgymnaster”. These are the titles you will actually meet in Swedish job ads.

  • Chefsgymnast
  • Distriktssjukgymnast
  • Feldenkraispedagog
  • Feldenkreispedagog
  • Fysionom
  • Fysioterapeut
  • Företagssjukgymnast
  • Mensendieckpedagog
  • Mensendiecksjukgymnast
  • Sjukgymnast

Frequently asked questions

What is the median salary for a physiotherapist in Sweden?

The median salary for a physiotherapist in Sweden is 40,000 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 physiotherapists sit 4% higher than the typical job.

How much does a physiotherapist earn after tax?

The median salary for a physiotherapist is 40,000 SEK a month before tax. In an average Swedish municipality, without the church fee and for someone under 66, that works out at roughly 31,798 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 physiotherapists?

The average (40,100 SEK) is the mean of every salary and is pulled upwards by the highest earners. The median (40,000 SEK) is the salary in the middle of the scale and usually gives a better picture of what physiotherapists typically earn.

What is the starting salary for a physiotherapist in Sweden?

Statistics Sweden does not publish starting salaries as such. The closest figure is the youngest people in the job: physiotherapists aged 18–24 years earn 32,300 SEK per month on average. The lowest-paid 10% in the job earn less than 32,800 SEK.

How high can the salary go for physiotherapists?

The highest-paid 10% in the job earn more than 48,300 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 physiotherapists in Sweden?

Women's average salary is 101% of men's in this job. The median salary is 38,700 SEK for men and 40,300 SEK for women. The figure is not adjusted for differences in age, sector or working hours.

Where in Sweden does a physiotherapist earn the most?

Pay is highest in South Sweden, where physiotherapists earn 41,800 SEK per month on average.

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