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How much do social work associate professionals earn in Sweden?

Social work associate professionals. 15,800 people employed in Sweden.

36,700SEK

per month is the median salary for social work associate professionals in Sweden in 2025. That is 4% lower than the median across all jobs in the country, 38,300 SEK.

≈ €3,250 / $3,800 at September 2026 exchange rates, before tax.

That is roughly 29,321 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

The average salary for social work associate professionals in Sweden is 37,100 SEK per month (2025). The median salary is 36,700 SEK. The lowest-paid 10% earn under 31,500 SEK and the highest-paid 10% over 43,400 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
37,100 SEK
Mean gross monthly salary
Lowest 10%
31,500 SEK
Earn less than this
Highest 10%
43,400 SEK
Earn more than this
People employed
15,800
In this job in Sweden

The pay range

How monthly salaries are distributed among social work associate professionals in Sweden. The same scale is used in the tables further down.

31,500 SEKLowest 10%36,700 SEKMedian43,400 SEKHighest 10%
Light band: the middle 80 per cent. Dark band: the middle half, earning 34,000–40,000 SEK. The red line is the median salary across all jobs in Sweden.

Pay in the private and public sector

What social work associate professionals 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 37,100 SEK 36,700 SEK 37,000 SEK 36,500 SEK
Private sector 36,700 SEK 36,400 SEK 36,700 SEK 36,000 SEK
Public sector 37,300 SEK 37,000 SEK 37,400 SEK 36,700 SEK
Central government 38,400 SEK 38,000 SEK 38,500 SEK 37,500 SEK
Municipalities 37,000 SEK 36,600 SEK 36,800 SEK 36,600 SEK
Regions (health care) 37,100 SEK 37,100 SEK 36,500 SEK 37,200 SEK

Salary after tax

What social work associate professionals 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 29,321 SEK after tax in an average municipality, without the church fee.

  • The youngest in the job, aged 18–24 years, earn 32,800 SEK before tax — roughly 26,379 SEK after.
  • The best paid 10% earn more than 43,400 SEK, which is roughly 34,087 SEK after tax.

Calculate the salary after tax for social work associate professionals

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 social work associate professionals

Pay for men and women

Median salary for men and women
Gender 32,500 42,500 Median pay Number
Men 37,000 SEK 6,500
Women 36,500 SEK 9,400

Women's average salary is 98% 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 social work associate professionals normally rises with years in the job.

Monthly salary by age
Age 32,500 42,500 Average pay Men Women Number
18–24 years 32,800 SEK – 32,800 SEK 510
25–34 years 35,900 SEK 37,200 SEK 35,000 SEK 3,600
35–44 years 37,100 SEK 37,200 SEK 37,000 SEK 4,300
45–54 years 38,100 SEK 38,200 SEK 37,900 SEK 3,600
55–64 years 37,900 SEK 37,700 SEK 38,000 SEK 3,200

Pay by level of education

Monthly salary by level of education
Level of education 32,500 42,500 Average pay Men Women Number
Primary and secondary education 9-10 years (ISCED97 2) 35,300 SEK 35,900 SEK 34,300 SEK 680
Upper secondary education, 2 years or less (ISCED97 3C) 37,300 SEK 37,900 SEK 36,600 SEK 1,900
Upper secondary education 3 years (ISCED97 3A) 35,900 SEK 36,400 SEK 35,400 SEK 2,900
Post-secondary education, less than 3 years (ISCED97 4+5B) 36,800 SEK 37,700 SEK 36,400 SEK 5,500
Post-secondary education 3 years or more (ISCED97 5A) 38,200 SEK 38,300 SEK 38,200 SEK 4,700

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 32,500 42,500 Average pay Men Women Number
Stockholm 37,800 SEK 38,200 SEK 37,500 SEK 2,700
East-Central Sweden 36,300 SEK 36,600 SEK 36,200 SEK –
Småland and islands 35,900 SEK 35,000 SEK 36,600 SEK –
South Sweden 36,900 SEK 37,600 SEK 36,600 SEK 2,500
West Sweden 38,800 SEK 39,200 SEK 38,500 SEK 3,000
North-Central Sweden 36,000 SEK 36,900 SEK 35,300 SEK –
Central Norrland 36,600 SEK 37,400 SEK 36,100 SEK 350
Upper Norrland 35,900 SEK 37,000 SEK 35,400 SEK 480

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 27,000 SEK in 2014 to 36,700 SEK in 2025, +36% 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 3411, “behandlingsassistenter och socialpedagoger m.fl.”. These are the titles you will actually meet in Swedish job ads.

  • Aktiveringspedagog
  • Alkohol- o. drogrådgivare
  • Alkohol- o. drogterapeut
  • Alkohol- o. drogutredare
  • Alkohol- och drogrådgivare
  • Alkohol- och drogterapeut
  • Alkohol- och drogutredare
  • Alkoholrådgivare
  • Alkoholterapeut
  • Anhörigkonsulent
  • Anhörigterapeut
  • Anstaltspedagog
  • Barnomsorgsassistent
  • Barnomsorgsinspektör
  • Barnomsorgssekreterare
  • Barnstugeassistent
  • Barnstugekonsulent
  • Behandlingsassistent, ansvar för utredning o. stödåtgärder
  • Behandlingspedagog
  • Behandlingssamordnare
  • Behandlingsterapeut
  • Boendepedagog
  • Brottsofferassistent
  • Diakoniassistent
  • Droginformatör
  • Drogrådgivare
  • Drogterapeut
  • Flyktingassistent
  • Församlingssyster
  • Habiliteringspedagog
  • Handikappsekreterare
  • Hantverkspedagog
  • Hemhjälpsledare
  • Hemterapeut
  • Hemtjänstassistent, ansvar för utredning och stödåtgärder
  • Hemtjänstinspektör
  • Hemvårdsassistent
  • Hemvårdssekreterare
  • Integrationshandledare
  • Kvinnojourarbetare
  • Omsorgspedagog
  • Placeringsassistent
  • Projektledare, socialt arbete
  • Rehabiliteringsassistent
  • Slumsyster
  • Socialpedagog
  • Socialpedagog, behandlingsassistent, ansvar för utredn o. stödåtg.
  • Socioterapeut
  • SoL-handläggare
  • Spelterapeut
  • Stödpedagog
  • Ungdomsassistent
  • Vittnesassistent
  • Äldreomsorgshandläggare
  • Äldreomsorgsinspektör
  • Äldrepedagog
  • Övervakare

Frequently asked questions

What is the median salary for social work associate professionals in Sweden?

The median salary for social work associate professionals in Sweden is 36,700 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 social work associate professionals sit 4% lower than the typical job.

How much do social work associate professionals earn after tax?

The median salary for social work associate professionals is 36,700 SEK a month before tax. In an average Swedish municipality, without the church fee and for someone under 66, that works out at roughly 29,321 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 social work associate professionals?

The average (37,100 SEK) is the mean of every salary and is pulled upwards by the highest earners. The median (36,700 SEK) is the salary in the middle of the scale and usually gives a better picture of what social work associate professionals typically earn.

What is the starting salary for social work associate professionals in Sweden?

Statistics Sweden does not publish starting salaries as such. The closest figure is the youngest people in the job: social work associate professionals aged 18–24 years earn 32,800 SEK per month on average. The lowest-paid 10% in the job earn less than 31,500 SEK.

How high can the salary go for social work associate professionals?

The highest-paid 10% in the job earn more than 43,400 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 social work associate professionals in Sweden?

Women's average salary is 98% of men's in this job. The median salary is 37,000 SEK for men and 36,500 SEK for women. The figure is not adjusted for differences in age, sector or working hours.

Where in Sweden do social work associate professionals earn the most?

Pay is highest in West Sweden, where social work associate professionals earn 38,800 SEK per month on average.

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