Salaries in Sweden
If you work in Sweden, your salary may include pension contributions and other benefits in addition to your monthly pay. Here you can learn how salaries are negotiated and what collective agreements may mean for your total compensation.
Collective agreements and minimum salaries
If your employer has signed a collective agreement with a trade union, the agreement applies to all employees at the workplace, regardless of whether they are union members or belong to another trade union.
Collective agreements play an important role in the Swedish labour market and may affect your salary, pension contributions and other employment benefits.
The collective agreement becomes part of your individual employment contract and sets minimum terms for salary and working conditions that the employer must follow. However, you and your employer may agree on a higher salary or better benefits than those included in the collective agreement.
Your employer must inform you about your salary and how often it will be paid.
What is included in your salary package?
When evaluating a job offer in Sweden, it is important to look at the total salary package and not just the monthly salary. Pension contributions and employee benefits can make a significant difference to your overall compensation.
Examples of benefits that may be included in your salary package include:
- Additional paid holidays. Under Swedish law, employees are entitled to a minimum of five weeks of paid holiday each year.
- Healthcare or wellness contributions
- Mobile phone, home internet or similar benefits
Pension contributions
Pension contributions in Sweden are generally higher than in Denmark. Due to mandatory employer contributions, Swedish employers usually pay a larger share towards your pension.
Your Swedish pension may come from several sources. The Swedish Pensions Agency (Pensionsmyndigheten) is responsible for the public pension, and most employees also receive an occupational pension through their employer.
In some cases, you may be able to negotiate higher occupational pension contributions than those included in the collective agreement.
Read about pensions at pensionsmyndigheten.se
Compare salaries in Sweden
At SCB.se, you can find salary statistics for different industries and occupations in Sweden. You can compare your salary with average salary levels for your profession.
Many trade unions also publish salary statistics and salary recommendations for their industries.
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