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How much do research and development managers, level 1 earn in Sweden?

Research and development managers, level 1. 2,900 people employed in Sweden.

87,800SEK

per month is the median salary for research and development managers, level 1 in Sweden in 2025. That is 129% higher than the median across all jobs in the country, 38,300 SEK.

+10.7% since 2024

≈ €7,750 / $9,050 at September 2026 exchange rates, before tax.

That is roughly 57,427 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

≈ 507 SEK an hour · 1,053,600 SEK a year

The hourly figure is the monthly salary divided by 173.3 hours (40 hours a week × 52 weeks / 12 months); the yearly figure is twelve times the monthly salary.

Research and development managers, level 1 earn 95,100 SEK per month on average in Sweden (2025). The median salary is 87,800 SEK. The lowest-paid 10% earn under 59,500 SEK and the highest-paid 10% over 136,100 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
95,100 SEK
Mean gross monthly salary
Lowest 10%
59,500 SEK
Earn less than this
Highest 10%
136,100 SEK
Earn more than this
People employed
2,900
In this job in Sweden

The pay range

How monthly salaries are distributed among research and development managers, level 1 in Sweden. The same scale is used in the tables further down.

59,500 SEKLowest 10%87,800 SEKMedian136,100 SEKHighest 10%
Light band: the middle 80 per cent. Dark band: the middle half, earning 72,700–110,400 SEK. The red line is the median salary across all jobs in Sweden.

R&D manager, level 1: pay in the private and public sector

What research and development managers, level 1 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 95,100 SEK 87,800 SEK 88,400 SEK 85,300 SEK
Private sector 95,400 SEK 87,900 SEK 88,600 SEK 85,900 SEK
Public sector 83,500 SEK 80,100 SEK 82,100 SEK 77,600 SEK
Central government 83,500 SEK 80,100 SEK 82,100 SEK 77,600 SEK

R&D manager, level 1: salary after tax in Sweden

What research and development managers, level 1 actually take home depends on which municipality they live in. The table shows what 87,800 SEK a month comes to after tax in a few of them.

That is roughly 57,427 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

87,800 SEK a month after tax, by municipality
Municipality Municipal and regional tax After tax
Average municipality 32.38% 57,427 SEK
Stockholm 30.55% 58,952 SEK
Göteborg 32.60% 57,266 SEK
Malmö 32.42% 57,397 SEK
Österåker (lowest tax) 28.93% 59,941 SEK
Dorotea (highest tax) 35.65% 55,044 SEK
  • The best paid 10% earn more than 136,100 SEK, which is roughly 80,287 SEK after tax.

Calculate the salary after tax for research and development managers, level 1

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 research and development managers, level 1

Pay for men and women

Median salary for men and women
Gender 40,000 140,000 Median pay Number
Men 88,400 SEK 2,000
Women 85,300 SEK 950

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.

R&D manager, level 1: salary by age

Pay for research and development managers, level 1 normally rises with years in the job.

Monthly salary by age
Age 40,000 140,000 Average pay Men Women Number
35–44 years 84,500 SEK 83,700 SEK 85,600 SEK 740
45–54 years 100,300 SEK 101,100 SEK 98,500 SEK 1,100
55–64 years 102,500 SEK 101,800 SEK 104,700 SEK 910

Pay by level of education

Monthly salary by level of education
Level of education 40,000 140,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Upper secondary education 3 years (ISCED97 3A) 80,900 SEK – – 180
Post-secondary education, less than 3 years (ISCED97 4+5B) 91,600 SEK 94,000 SEK – 360
Post-secondary education 3 years or more (ISCED97 5A) 95,300 SEK 97,100 SEK 91,200 SEK 1,700
Post-graduate education (ISCED97 6) 100,600 SEK 100,800 SEK 100,400 SEK 610

R&D manager, level 1: salary by region

Statistics Sweden reports pay by job at the level of national areas (NUTS 2), not by county.

Monthly salary by region
Region 40,000 140,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Stockholm 100,000 SEK 103,300 SEK 95,000 SEK 1,300
East-Central Sweden 82,900 SEK 82,800 SEK – 380
South Sweden 92,200 SEK 96,100 SEK – 310
West Sweden 101,900 SEK 101,000 SEK 104,600 SEK 660

R&D manager, level 1: 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 62,100 SEK in 2014 to 87,800 SEK in 2025, +41% 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 1331, “forsknings- och utvecklingschefer, nivå 1”. These are the titles you will actually meet in Swedish job ads.

  • Forskningschef, funktions- eller mellanchef
  • FOU-chef, funktions- eller mellanchef
  • Hållbarhetschef, funktions- eller mellanchef
  • Laboratoriechef, farmakologiskt laboratorium, funktions- eller mellanchef
  • Laboratoriechef, fysikaliskt laboratorium, funktions- eller mellanchef
  • Laboratoriechef, kemiska/tekniska produkter, funktions- eller mellanchef
  • Laboratoriechef, kemiskt laboratorium, funktions- eller mellanchef
  • Utvecklingschef, företag, funktions- eller mellanchef

Frequently asked questions

How much do research and development managers, level 1 earn in 2026?

The latest figures are Statistics Sweden's salary structure statistics for 2025, published on 16 June 2026. The median salary was then 87,800 SEK a month before tax, against 79,300 SEK the year before (2024) — +10.7%. Figures for 2026 are normally published in June 2027; until then the 2025 figures are the latest there are, and we do not project our own.

What is the median salary for research and development managers, level 1 in Sweden?

The median salary for research and development managers, level 1 in Sweden is 87,800 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 research and development managers, level 1 sit 129% higher than the typical job.

How much do research and development managers, level 1 earn after tax?

The median salary for research and development managers, level 1 is 87,800 SEK a month before tax. In an average Swedish municipality, without the church fee and for someone under 66, that works out at roughly 57,400 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 research and development managers, level 1?

The average (95,100 SEK) is the mean of every salary and is pulled upwards by the highest earners. The median (87,800 SEK) is the salary in the middle of the scale and usually gives a better picture of what research and development managers, level 1 typically earn.

How high can the salary go for research and development managers, level 1?

The highest-paid 10% in the job earn more than 136,100 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 research and development managers, level 1 in Sweden?

Women's average salary is 96% of men's in this job. The median salary is 88,400 SEK for men and 85,300 SEK for women. The figure is not adjusted for differences in age, sector or working hours.

Where in Sweden do research and development managers, level 1 earn the most?

Pay is highest in West Sweden, where research and development managers, level 1 earn 101,900 SEK per month on average.

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