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How much does a senior public official earn in Sweden?

Senior government officials. 760 people employed in Sweden.

115,000SEK

per month is the median salary for a senior public official in Sweden in 2025. That is 200% higher than the median across all jobs in the country, 38,300 SEK.

+3.7% since 2024

≈ €10,200 / $11,850 at September 2026 exchange rates, before tax.

That is roughly 70,301 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

≈ 663 SEK an hour · 1,380,000 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.

In the 2025 salary statistics, a senior public official earned 119,600 SEK a month on average in Sweden. The median salary is 115,000 SEK. The lowest-paid 10% earn under 93,500 SEK and the highest-paid 10% over 150,000 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
119,600 SEK
Mean gross monthly salary
Lowest 10%
93,500 SEK
Earn less than this
Highest 10%
150,000 SEK
Earn more than this
People employed
760
In this job in Sweden

The pay range

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

93,500 SEKLowest 10%115,000 SEKMedian150,000 SEKHighest 10%
Light band: the middle 80 per cent. Dark band: the middle half, earning 104,000–133,500 SEK. The red line is the median salary across all jobs in Sweden.

Senior public official pay in the private and public sector

What senior government officials 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 119,600 SEK 115,000 SEK 115,600 SEK 114,000 SEK
Public sector 120,300 SEK 115,400 SEK 116,100 SEK 115,000 SEK
Central government 123,200 SEK 121,900 SEK 121,700 SEK 122,400 SEK
Municipalities 113,600 SEK 108,500 SEK 108,600 SEK 108,300 SEK
Regions (health care) 162,100 SEK 159,600 SEK 161,600 SEK 157,600 SEK

Senior public official salary after tax in Sweden

What senior government officials actually take home depends on which municipality they live in. The table shows what 115,000 SEK a month comes to after tax in a few of them.

That is roughly 70,301 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

115,000 SEK a month after tax, by municipality
Municipality Municipal and regional tax After tax
Average municipality 32.38% 70,301 SEK
Stockholm 30.55% 72,383 SEK
Göteborg 32.60% 70,080 SEK
Malmö 32.42% 70,260 SEK
Österåker (lowest tax) 28.93% 73,752 SEK
Dorotea (highest tax) 35.65% 67,028 SEK
  • The best paid 10% earn more than 150,000 SEK, which is roughly 86,866 SEK after tax.

Calculate the salary after tax for a senior public official

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 senior public official

Pay for men and women

Median salary for men and women
Gender 50,000 150,000 Median pay Number
Men 115,600 SEK 390
Women 114,000 SEK 380

Women's average salary is 99% 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.

Senior public official salary by age

Pay for senior government officials normally rises with years in the job.

Monthly salary by age
Age 50,000 150,000 Average pay Men Women Number
45–54 years 114,500 SEK 113,300 SEK 115,600 SEK 240
55–64 years 122,300 SEK 123,700 SEK 120,900 SEK 420

Pay by level of education

Monthly salary by level of education
Level of education 50,000 150,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Post-secondary education 3 years or more (ISCED97 5A) 119,400 SEK 119,600 SEK 119,100 SEK 550

Senior public official 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 50,000 150,000 Average pay Men Women Number
Stockholm 127,500 SEK 129,400 SEK 125,600 SEK 230
East-Central Sweden 123,000 SEK – – 120

Senior public official 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 66,500 SEK in 2014 to 115,000 SEK in 2025, +73% 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 1112, “general-, landstings- och kommundirektörer m.fl.”. These are the titles you will actually meet in Swedish job ads.

  • Ambassadör
  • Barnombudsman, myndighet
  • Beskickningschef
  • Civilförsvarschef
  • Departementsråd
  • Direktör, myndighet
  • Diskrimineringsombudsman
  • Envoyé
  • Förvaltningsdirektör, staten
  • Generaldirektör, myndighet
  • Generalkonsul
  • Justitiekansler
  • Justitieombudsman
  • Kabinettsekreterare
  • Kassadirektör, försäkringskassa
  • Kommerseråd
  • Kommunaldirektör
  • Kommunchef
  • Kommundelschef
  • Kommundirektör
  • Konsumentombudsman
  • Kriminalvårdschef
  • Landshövding
  • Landstingsdirektör
  • Länspolischef
  • Länsråd
  • Länsskattechef
  • Länsöverdirektör
  • Näringsfrihetsombudsman
  • Regiondirektör
  • Regionkronodirektör
  • Riksantikvarie
  • Riksarkivarie
  • Riksbibliotekarie
  • Riksgäldsdirektör
  • Rikskronofogde
  • Rikspolischef
  • Sjukvårdsdirektör
  • Stadsdelsdirektör
  • Stadsdirektör
  • Statsheraldiker
  • Styrelseordförande, staten
  • Sändebud, beskickningschef
  • Universitetskansler
  • Utrikesråd
  • Överdirektör
  • Överintendent, myndighetschef

Frequently asked questions

How much does a senior public official 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 115,000 SEK a month before tax, against 110,900 SEK the year before (2024) — +3.7%. 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 a senior public official in Sweden?

The median salary for a senior public official in Sweden is 115,000 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 senior government officials sit 200% higher than the typical job.

How much does a senior public official earn after tax?

The median salary for a senior public official is 115,000 SEK a month before tax. In an average Swedish municipality, without the church fee and for someone under 66, that works out at roughly 70,300 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 senior government officials?

The average (119,600 SEK) is the mean of every salary and is pulled upwards by the highest earners. The median (115,000 SEK) is the salary in the middle of the scale and usually gives a better picture of what senior government officials typically earn.

How high can the salary go for senior government officials?

The highest-paid 10% in the job earn more than 150,000 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 senior government officials in Sweden?

Women's average salary is 99% of men's in this job. The median salary is 115,600 SEK for men and 114,000 SEK for women. The figure is not adjusted for differences in age, sector or working hours.

Where in Sweden does a senior public official earn the most?

Pay is highest in Stockholm, where senior government officials earn 127,500 SEK per month on average.

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