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How much do research and development managers, level 2 earn in Sweden?

Research and development managers, level 2. 4,400 people employed in Sweden.

75,400SEK

per month is the median salary for research and development managers, level 2 in Sweden in 2025. That is 97% higher than the median across all jobs in the country, 38,300 SEK.

+6.2% since 2024

≈ €6,650 / $7,750 at September 2026 exchange rates, before tax.

That is roughly 51,559 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

≈ 435 SEK an hour · 904,800 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.

The average salary for research and development managers, level 2 in Sweden is 83,100 SEK per month (2025). The median salary is 75,400 SEK. The lowest-paid 10% earn under 54,800 SEK and the highest-paid 10% over 115,500 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
83,100 SEK
Mean gross monthly salary
Lowest 10%
54,800 SEK
Earn less than this
Highest 10%
115,500 SEK
Earn more than this
People employed
4,400
In this job in Sweden

The pay range

How monthly salaries are distributed among research and development managers, level 2 in Sweden. The same scale is used in the tables further down.

54,800 SEKLowest 10%75,400 SEKMedian115,500 SEKHighest 10%
Light band: the middle 80 per cent. Dark band: the middle half, earning 62,500–95,600 SEK. The red line is the median salary across all jobs in Sweden.

R&D manager, level 2: starting salary

Statistics Sweden publishes no starting-salary figures. The closest proxies are what the youngest people in the job earn and where the lower end of the pay distribution sits.

The youngest in the job, aged 25–34, earn 59,200 SEK a month on average — roughly 43,900 SEK after tax in an average municipality.

Starting-salary proxies, before and after tax
Before tax After tax
Average, aged 25–34 59,200 SEK 43,891 SEK
Lowest 10% earn less than 54,800 SEK 41,762 SEK
Lowest 25% earn less than 62,500 SEK 45,453 SEK

These are proxies, not starting salaries. An age band holds both people who have just started and people ten years into the job, and the lowest paid are not always newcomers. The collective-agreement minimum and an individual offer can sit above or below.

R&D manager, level 2: pay in the private and public sector

What research and development managers, level 2 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 83,100 SEK 75,400 SEK 77,500 SEK 72,500 SEK
Private sector 85,600 SEK 78,000 SEK 80,000 SEK 74,900 SEK
Public sector 63,800 SEK 61,800 SEK 62,700 SEK 60,800 SEK
Central government 63,800 SEK 61,800 SEK 62,700 SEK 60,800 SEK

R&D manager, level 2: salary after tax in Sweden

What research and development managers, level 2 actually take home depends on which municipality they live in. The table shows what 75,400 SEK a month comes to after tax in a few of them.

That is roughly 51,559 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

75,400 SEK a month after tax, by municipality
Municipality Municipal and regional tax After tax
Average municipality 32.38% 51,559 SEK
Stockholm 30.55% 52,829 SEK
Göteborg 32.60% 51,425 SEK
Malmö 32.42% 51,534 SEK
Österåker (lowest tax) 28.93% 53,644 SEK
Dorotea (highest tax) 35.65% 49,581 SEK
  • The youngest in the job, aged 25–34 years, earn 59,200 SEK before tax — roughly 43,891 SEK after.
  • The best paid 10% earn more than 115,500 SEK, which is roughly 70,538 SEK after tax.

Calculate the salary after tax for research and development managers, level 2

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 2

Pay for men and women

Median salary for men and women
Gender 40,000 120,000 Median pay Number
Men 77,500 SEK 2,900
Women 72,500 SEK 1,600

Women's average salary is 91% 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 2: salary by age

Pay for research and development managers, level 2 normally rises with years in the job.

Monthly salary by age
Age 40,000 120,000 Average pay Men Women Number
25–34 years 59,200 SEK – – –
35–44 years 69,200 SEK 71,500 SEK 66,600 SEK 940
45–54 years 86,600 SEK 90,100 SEK 81,100 SEK 1,800
55–64 years 92,700 SEK 93,600 SEK 89,800 SEK 1,400

Pay by level of education

Monthly salary by level of education
Level of education 40,000 120,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Upper secondary education 3 years (ISCED97 3A) 71,100 SEK 70,500 SEK – 200
Post-secondary education, less than 3 years (ISCED97 4+5B) 83,100 SEK 84,900 SEK – 490
Post-secondary education 3 years or more (ISCED97 5A) 82,000 SEK 85,000 SEK 77,400 SEK 2,300
Post-graduate education (ISCED97 6) 87,200 SEK 91,400 SEK 80,200 SEK 1,300

R&D manager, level 2: 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 40,000 120,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Stockholm 85,400 SEK – 71,500 SEK 1,000
South Sweden 78,800 SEK 79,300 SEK 77,600 SEK 640
West Sweden 87,500 SEK 88,400 SEK 86,300 SEK 1,500

R&D manager, level 2: 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 56,800 SEK in 2014 to 75,400 SEK in 2025, +33% 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 1332, “forsknings- och utvecklingschefer, nivå 2”. These are the titles you will actually meet in Swedish job ads.

  • Forskningschef, verksamhetsnära chef
  • FOU-chef, verksamhetsnära chef
  • Hållbarhetschef, verksamhetsnära chef
  • Laboratoriechef, farmakologiskt laboratorium, verksamhetsnära chef
  • Laboratoriechef, fysikaliskt laboratorium, verksamhetsnära chef
  • Laboratoriechef, kemiska/tekniska produkter, verksamhetsnära chef
  • Laboratoriechef, kemiskt laboratorium, verksamhetsnära chef
  • Utvecklingschef, företag, verksamhetsnära chef
  • VD, inom forskning, utan chefshierarki
  • Verkställande direktör, inom forskning, utan chefshierarki

Frequently asked questions

How much do research and development managers, level 2 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 75,400 SEK a month before tax, against 71,000 SEK the year before (2024) — +6.2%. 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 2 in Sweden?

The median salary for research and development managers, level 2 in Sweden is 75,400 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 research and development managers, level 2 sit 97% higher than the typical job.

How much do research and development managers, level 2 earn after tax?

The median salary for research and development managers, level 2 is 75,400 SEK a month before tax. In an average Swedish municipality, without the church fee and for someone under 66, that works out at roughly 51,600 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 2?

The average (83,100 SEK) is the mean of every salary and is pulled upwards by the highest earners. The median (75,400 SEK) is the salary in the middle of the scale and usually gives a better picture of what research and development managers, level 2 typically earn.

What is the starting salary for research and development managers, level 2 in Sweden?

Statistics Sweden does not publish starting salaries as such. The closest figure is the youngest people in the job: research and development managers, level 2 aged 25–34 years earn 59,200 SEK per month on average. The lowest-paid 10% in the job earn less than 54,800 SEK. More in the section “R&D manager, level 2: starting salary” above.

How high can the salary go for research and development managers, level 2?

The highest-paid 10% in the job earn more than 115,500 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 2 in Sweden?

Women's average salary is 91% of men's in this job. The median salary is 77,500 SEK for men and 72,500 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 2 earn the most?

Pay is highest in West Sweden, where research and development managers, level 2 earn 87,500 SEK per month on average.

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