Which Jobs Are in Demand in Sweden in 2023?
If you’re considering working in Sweden, welcome to the world’s most innovative country that’s home to some vibrant international brands like Erickson, Volvo, Spotify, and IKEA. Sweden is an attractive destination for highly skilled workers from all over the world.
In recent years, the country has been experiencing strong economic growth, and this is likely to continue in the coming years. This Scandinavian country prides itself on a healthy job market, high living standards, and robust workers’ rights for locals and expats alike.
Some notable jobs in demand in Sweden include the following:
- Healthcare – Doctors, nurses, midwifery, dentists, medical secretaries, care administrators
- Carpentry – Woodworkers, carpenters
- Software and System developers
- Teachers – Preschool and primary school teaching
- Engineers
- Sales and purchasing
- Marketing
- Finance and administration
- Hotel and restaurant industry – Chefs
- Systems analysts and IT architecture
- Drivers
- Masonry – Building and ventilation sheet metal workers
- Electrician
- Decorators – External and internal
- Personal assistants
- Welders
Some professions are in constant demand, which is likely to get stiffer. A complete education is an excellent requirement for you to stand out in the competition for jobs in a country like Sweden, where almost everyone in the world wishes to work.
Although Sweden’s economy is small and competitive, let’s look into the most jobs in demand, salaries, and requirements. To learn how much you will earn while working in Sweden, read this article.
Most in-demand jobs in Sweden in 2023
Sweden’s employment rate is always on the rise, and however, the sector took a significant blow with the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Statista Research Department, employment was lowest in 2010 at 65.4% because of the financial crisis that hit the nation between 2008 – 2009.
Past the crisis, the employment rate rose monthly, and the peak was in 2018 & 2019, hitting 68.3%. By November 2021, it was at 68%, translating to over five million employees of the entire population of 10.4 million people.
How can you move to Sweden without a job? Learn in our guide.
Men have a higher employment rate than women in Sweden, which was more prevalent after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Typically expected working hours in Sweden are up to 40 hours. However, there was a rapid fluctuation throughout 2010 – 2020 between 29.2 and 30.9 hours. The worst hit was the youngest working population, 15 – 24 years, who worked an average of 24.6 hours/week.
The age bracket 25 – 54-year reported the highest weekly hours of 30.1 hours. Below is a list of the jobs in demand in Sweden and their salaries.
What salary is considered decent for Sweden?
1. Doctors and Surgeons
The medical profession is one job in high demand in Sweden, and they’re the most paid, with a monthly salary ranging from $14,500 to $19,900 depending on specialization. Doctors deserve an excellent package considering the lengthy education period and proper training to gain experience.
The Scandinavian country has a high-quality life for all citizens, meaning a first-class healthcare system. With so many people moving to Sweden, there’s a surge in population growth and an increase in aging seniors who require more medical attention.
Your interest in moving to Sweden for a medical career is excellent. However, there are particular requirements you must fulfill to be becoming a Swedish doctor. How foreign-trained doctors become Swedish doctors.
Sweden recognizes two foreign medical degrees; a degree from an EU/EEA country or Switzerland or one from a non-EU country, and you must prove proficiency in Swedish.
A medical degree from an EU country warrant is automatic recognition, but they must validate it for you to become a Swedish doctor. If you have a medical degree from a non-EU country but attained a medical license in a different EU country, it’s also recognized.
In the Swedish healthcare sector, about 40 professions are regulated, meaning you have to get approval. Foreign medical degrees from non-EU countries are submitted for validation to the Socialstyrelsen (Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare).
All interested parties must also pass the Kunskasprovet exam, take a course on Swedish laws and regulations like other medical students. Regardless of clinical practice experience, there’s a 6-month internship to prove you can work comfortably in the Swedish medical practice sector.
2. Nursing and Midwifery
Midwifery in Sweden has been part of the maternal health system for three centuries, the most extended period of any other developed country. The practice has survived through nursing training and political negotiations to become a norm in childbirth in modern hospitals.
They collaborate with obstetricians to provide the best care to mothers, which explains its success in the modern-day. Midwives earn an average of $4,543/month, with the lowest-earning $2,316 and the highest being $6,989.
3. Orthodontist
With the rising population in Sweden, orthodontists will have more patients who want to improve their oral hygiene. Orthodontists undertake different responsibilities from dentists, they need to have a medical degree in dentistry and then get validation from the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen).
In Sweden, orthodontists’ take-home salary is between $7,800 and $10,700/month.
4. IT specialists/Executives
As the home of internationally recognized brands like Erickson, Skype, IKEA, and Spotify, the demand for software programmers rises each year in Sweden. Working as an IT specialist or programmer earns you a significant salary of over $37,463/year with a monthly average of $3,121.
In Sweden, salaries are lucrative, even post taxes (net pay) in the European Union, with Denmark and Luxembourg in the lead.
5. Financial specialist/consultant
Major banks and the Scandinavian stock exchange are in Stockholm, the heart of Sweden’s finance. Experience, gender, and location are the primary factors that determine the salary of a financial specialist, as the salary explorer details.
The list below shows salary packages of financial specialists depending on these factors, inclusive of benefits, housing, and transport.
| Years of experience | Salary approximate per month |
| 0 -2 | $2,932 |
| 2 – 5 | $3,160 |
| 5 – 10 | $4,482 |
| 10 – 15 | $5,239 |
| 15 – 20 | $5,764 |
| Over 20 | $6,103 |
6. Automation Engineer
Sweden is a vehicle manufacturing hub for big vehicles like Volvo and Scania. It’s the pioneer of advanced clean, eco-friendly technologies geared at manufacturing greener vehicles hence the high demand for automation engineers.
As the Economic Research Institute (ERI) intimates, employment opportunities for automotive engineers will keep rising because Sweden is the most innovative nation in the world. Here are the top in-demand skills for automation engineers:
- Engineering analysis
- Designers
- Creative designers
- Research Administrators
- Building directors and inspection
A Swedish automation engineer takes home an annual salary of $72,512. An automation engineer with a Bachelor’s Degree (the highest education level) earns between $51,302 and $89,752 per year.
Some data sources for ERI salary surveys are primarily based on employers, employees, rental rates, and property taxes in Sweden.
7. Civil Engineer
In most cases, experience is the main factor used to determine salaries for Swedes. It is natural for people with more years of experience in their specialty to earn higher wages. Here are Civil Engineer salaries depending on the level of experience.
A typical civil engineer in Sweden earns an average of $4,043/month, with the lowest ranging from $1,898 to $6,399 on the high side. These figures are inclusive of all benefits; housing, transport, and medical. Here is a further breakdown depending on work experience.
| Years of work experience | Salary approximate per month in $ |
| 0 – 2 | 2,196 |
| 2 – 5 | 3,031 |
| 5 – 10 | 4,303 |
| 10 – 15 | 5,247 |
| 15 – 20 | 5,546 |
| Above 20 | 6,033 |
8. Tourism/Hospitality
The tourism industry is another sector with rapid growth in Sweden, leading to the most popular international tourist destinations. Sweden’s tourism and hotel industry is thriving with over 30 national parks, surrounded by big hotels and scenic views of nature to admire.
People working in the tourism sector of Sweden and hospitality business earn salaries ranging from $1,702.00 to $3,362/month. The compensation includes bonuses, and they can vary depending on job positions.
9. Teaching/Education
Sweden regulates teaching industry jobs, and teachers must have the required criteria. Teachers’ most open positions are in government institutions, preschools, and primary education.
Typical teaching in Sweden earns $4,762/month, with the lowest average being $2,276 and the highest at $8,680. The salary is inclusive of house allowance, transport, and other bonuses. However, these figures might vary in different teaching careers.
10. Construction/Real Estate
Construction in Sweden has an ever-rising demand for workers because there’s a need for more housing, social amenities, and offices. Workers in high demand are exterior to interior designers, plumbers, masons, painters, and tiling, to mention but a few.
The demand for qualified builders with academic qualifications in higher mathematics is high to actualize all building plans successfully.
Workers in the Sweden Construction & Real Estate industry get paid between $2,106 to $5,174. These figures include all benefits but can vary depending on job positions.
11. Electrician
The salary survey displays pieces of information collected from Swedish employers and employees. Electricians are in high demand with the rise in construction projects to help light up these buildings.
A Swedish electrician earns a low of $1,083 and high pay of $3,271. Like other professions, these salaries include bonuses, and they vary depending on experience, skills, gender, and location of work.
Working in Sweden
Do you want to work in Sweden? Firstly, you need to consider whether a visa and work permit are required for you to live and work in Sweden. EU citizens can seek employment without any additional paperwork.
Non-EU citizens will need to have a work visa to work in Sweden. Generally, you need to find a job and then get a work permit with the help of your employer.
Getting a work permit and visa
Non-EU citizens must apply for a work visa before arriving in Sweden to start working. They can also apply from Sweden, depending on their nationality and current residence permit in Sweden. Someone on a tourist visa will need to leave and get a visa in their home country.
Visit this site to learn more.
The Swedish job market varies depending on occupation and language abilities. For more insight, job seekers with vested job interest in Sweden can visit the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen).
Besides government institutions, job seekers can check with popular private employment sites in Sweden.
Here are places to look for a job in Sweden:
- Arbetsformedlingen – official Swedish employment service.
- Facebook groups
- Swedish Indeed
- Eures – European job mobility portal. Popular for jobs within the EU.
- CareerJet
- Lär dig 4 bra – website for teaching in Sweden.
- Swedish yellow pages
The official language in Sweden is Swedish, but all students must study English, especially those in the bigger cities like Stockholm and Gothenburg. Therefore, the language barrier should be the least of your worries once you become an expat in Swedish.
Generally, you will have a pretty good chance of getting a job in English, so learning Swedish isn’t mandatory.
Both local and expat Swedish workers have equal rights regardless of age and occupation. Institutions operate on a flat hierarchy meaning everyone is of great value; the public workers benefit from subsidized government services and entitlement to vacation time.
To learn about Swedish salaries, check out this article.
