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How much do research assistants earn in Sweden?

Research assistants. 3,100 people employed in Sweden.

43,600SEK

per month is the median salary for research assistants in Sweden in 2025. That is 14% higher than the median across all jobs in the country, 38,300 SEK.

≈ €3,850 / $4,500 at September 2026 exchange rates, before tax.

That is roughly 34,221 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

The average salary for research assistants in Sweden is 44,000 SEK per month (2025). The median salary is 43,600 SEK. The lowest-paid 10% earn under 37,300 SEK and the highest-paid 10% over 52,400 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
44,000 SEK
Mean gross monthly salary
Lowest 10%
37,300 SEK
Earn less than this
Highest 10%
52,400 SEK
Earn more than this
People employed
3,100
In this job in Sweden

The pay range

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

37,300 SEKLowest 10%43,600 SEKMedian52,400 SEKHighest 10%
Light band: the middle 80 per cent. Dark band: the middle half, earning 40,000–47,100 SEK. The red line is the median salary across all jobs in Sweden.

Pay in the private and public sector

What research assistants 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 44,000 SEK 43,600 SEK 43,000 SEK 44,000 SEK
Private sector 45,900 SEK 43,500 SEK 43,500 SEK 43,500 SEK
Public sector 43,300 SEK 43,600 SEK 41,000 SEK 44,200 SEK
Central government 43,300 SEK 43,600 SEK 41,000 SEK 44,200 SEK

Salary after tax

What research assistants 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 34,221 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

  • The youngest in the job, aged 25–34 years, earn 40,300 SEK before tax — roughly 31,999 SEK after.
  • The best paid 10% earn more than 52,400 SEK, which is roughly 40,146 SEK after tax.

Calculate the salary after tax for research assistants

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 assistants

Pay for men and women

Median salary for men and women
Gender 40,000 50,000 Median pay Number
Men 43,000 SEK 1,200
Women 44,000 SEK 1,900

Women's average salary is 100% 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 research assistants normally rises with years in the job.

Monthly salary by age
Age 40,000 50,000 Average pay Men Women Number
25–34 years 40,300 SEK 41,100 SEK 39,500 SEK 990
35–44 years 43,900 SEK 43,800 SEK 44,100 SEK 1,100
45–54 years 47,900 SEK 50,500 SEK 46,900 SEK 540
55–64 years 48,300 SEK – 47,600 SEK 390

Pay by level of education

Monthly salary by level of education
Level of education 40,000 50,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Post-secondary education 3 years or more (ISCED97 5A) 43,900 SEK 42,800 SEK 44,300 SEK 990
Post-graduate education (ISCED97 6) 44,900 SEK 44,900 SEK 44,900 SEK 1,500
No information about level of educational attainment 41,400 SEK 41,900 SEK 41,000 SEK 420

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 50,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Stockholm 42,600 SEK 42,100 SEK 42,900 SEK 980
East-Central Sweden 43,700 SEK 42,800 SEK 44,100 SEK 460
South Sweden 46,100 SEK 45,800 SEK 46,300 SEK 350
West Sweden 44,800 SEK 45,200 SEK 44,200 SEK 1,000
North-Central Sweden 44,600 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 39,500 SEK in 2014 to 43,600 SEK in 2025, +10% 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 2313, “forskarassistenter m.fl.”. These are the titles you will actually meet in Swedish job ads.

  • Forskarassistent, högskola/universitet
  • Postdoktor

Frequently asked questions

What is the median salary for research assistants in Sweden?

The median salary for research assistants in Sweden is 43,600 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 assistants sit 14% higher than the typical job.

How much do research assistants earn after tax?

The median salary for research assistants is 43,600 SEK a month before tax. In an average Swedish municipality, without the church fee and for someone under 66, that works out at roughly 34,221 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 assistants?

The average (44,000 SEK) is the mean of every salary and is pulled upwards by the highest earners. The median (43,600 SEK) is the salary in the middle of the scale and usually gives a better picture of what research assistants typically earn.

What is the starting salary for research assistants in Sweden?

Statistics Sweden does not publish starting salaries as such. The closest figure is the youngest people in the job: research assistants aged 25–34 years earn 40,300 SEK per month on average. The lowest-paid 10% in the job earn less than 37,300 SEK.

How high can the salary go for research assistants?

The highest-paid 10% in the job earn more than 52,400 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 assistants in Sweden?

Women's average salary is 100% of men's in this job. The median salary is 43,000 SEK for men and 44,000 SEK for women. The figure is not adjusted for differences in age, sector or working hours.

Where in Sweden do research assistants earn the most?

Pay is highest in South Sweden, where research assistants earn 46,100 SEK per month on average.

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