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How much do professors earn in Sweden?

Professors. 5,400 people employed in Sweden.

77,800SEK

per month is the median salary for professors in Sweden in 2025. That is 103% higher than the median across all jobs in the country, 38,300 SEK.

≈ €6,900 / $8,000 at September 2026 exchange rates, before tax.

That is roughly 52,695 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

In 2025, professors in Sweden earned an average of 79,700 SEK per month. The median salary is 77,800 SEK. The lowest-paid 10% earn under 65,500 SEK and the highest-paid 10% over 94,600 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
79,700 SEK
Mean gross monthly salary
Lowest 10%
65,500 SEK
Earn less than this
Highest 10%
94,600 SEK
Earn more than this
People employed
5,400
In this job in Sweden

The pay range

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

65,500 SEKLowest 10%77,800 SEKMedian94,600 SEKHighest 10%
Light band: the middle 80 per cent. Dark band: the middle half, earning 71,500–84,800 SEK. The red line is the median salary across all jobs in Sweden.

Pay in the private and public sector

What professors 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 79,700 SEK 77,800 SEK 78,400 SEK 76,800 SEK
Private sector 90,500 SEK 83,500 SEK 88,500 SEK 79,200 SEK
Public sector 77,800 SEK 76,700 SEK 77,400 SEK 75,500 SEK
Central government 77,800 SEK 76,700 SEK 77,400 SEK 75,500 SEK

Salary after tax

What professors 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 52,695 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

  • The youngest in the job, aged 35–44 years, earn 76,000 SEK before tax — roughly 51,843 SEK after.
  • The best paid 10% earn more than 94,600 SEK, which is roughly 60,646 SEK after tax.

Calculate the salary after tax for professors

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 professors

Pay for men and women

Median salary for men and women
Gender 40,000 100,000 Median pay Number
Men 78,400 SEK 3,500
Women 76,800 SEK 1,900

Women's average salary is 96% 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 professors normally rises with years in the job.

Monthly salary by age
Age 40,000 100,000 Average pay Men Women Number
35–44 years 76,000 SEK 75,400 SEK – 300
45–54 years 79,000 SEK 79,800 SEK 77,500 SEK 1,800
55–64 years 80,000 SEK 81,400 SEK 77,600 SEK 2,500

Pay by level of education

Monthly salary by level of education
Level of education 40,000 100,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Post-secondary education 3 years or more (ISCED97 5A) 73,000 SEK – – 140
Post-graduate education (ISCED97 6) 79,900 SEK 81,000 SEK 77,900 SEK 4,900
No information about level of educational attainment 82,000 SEK 82,900 SEK 80,200 SEK 340

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 40,000 100,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Stockholm 81,500 SEK 83,400 SEK 78,200 SEK 1,200
East-Central Sweden 81,000 SEK 81,800 SEK 79,600 SEK 1,200
Småland and islands 77,600 SEK 77,600 SEK – –
South Sweden 80,800 SEK 82,000 SEK 78,200 SEK 730
West Sweden 78,400 SEK 79,400 SEK 76,400 SEK 1,100
North-Central Sweden 75,200 SEK 75,600 SEK – 190
Upper Norrland 77,600 SEK 78,000 SEK 76,600 SEK 630

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 56,000 SEK in 2014 to 77,800 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 2311, “professorer”. These are the titles you will actually meet in Swedish job ads.

  • Professor, högskola/universitet

Frequently asked questions

What is the median salary for professors in Sweden?

The median salary for professors in Sweden is 77,800 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 professors sit 103% higher than the typical job.

How much do professors earn after tax?

The median salary for professors is 77,800 SEK a month before tax. In an average Swedish municipality, without the church fee and for someone under 66, that works out at roughly 52,695 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 professors?

The average (79,700 SEK) is the mean of every salary and is pulled upwards by the highest earners. The median (77,800 SEK) is the salary in the middle of the scale and usually gives a better picture of what professors typically earn.

What is the starting salary for professors in Sweden?

Statistics Sweden does not publish starting salaries as such. The closest figure is the youngest people in the job: professors aged 35–44 years earn 76,000 SEK per month on average. The lowest-paid 10% in the job earn less than 65,500 SEK.

How high can the salary go for professors?

The highest-paid 10% in the job earn more than 94,600 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 professors in Sweden?

Women's average salary is 96% of men's in this job. The median salary is 78,400 SEK for men and 76,800 SEK for women. The figure is not adjusted for differences in age, sector or working hours.

Where in Sweden do professors earn the most?

Pay is highest in Stockholm, where professors earn 81,500 SEK per month on average.

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