Minimum Wage in Sweden 2026: How Pay Really Works

Is there a minimum wage in Sweden?

No. Sweden has no minimum wage set by law. Instead, unions and employers agree on the lowest pay in each industry. These deals are called collective agreements (kollektivavtal).

About 9 in 10 employees in Sweden (88 %) are covered by a collective agreement. In the public sector it is 100 %, in the private sector about 83 %. (Source: Medlingsinstitutet, 2024–2025)

So the real question is not "what is the minimum wage?" but "what is the minimum wage in my job?"

How collective agreements work

• A union and an employer group sign an agreement for a whole industry, for example hotels and restaurants, retail or construction.
• The agreement sets the lowest monthly or hourly pay, plus extra pay for evenings, weekends and overtime.
• Young workers and people with little experience can have a lower minimum.
• Your employer must follow the agreement if they have signed it – even if you are not a union member.

If your workplace has no collective agreement, there is no minimum at all. Then your pay is only what you and your employer agree on. Always ask: "Har ni kollektivavtal?" – "Do you have a collective agreement?"

Typical minimum pay by industry (2026)

Industry Lowest pay

Hotels and restaurants	26 580 SEK/month (153.64 SEK/hour) from 1 April 2026
Construction	Base pay for skilled workers 196 SEK/hour (May 2025–April 2026), raised by 6.85 SEK/hour from 1 May 2026
Retail (shops)	Set in the Handels retail agreement – check handels.se
Cleaning	Set in the Fastighets cleaning agreement – check fastighets.se
Elderly care (kommun)	Set in Kommunal's HÖK agreement; pay rises 915 SEK/month in 2026 – check kommunal.se

Sources: HRF Gröna riksavtalet (2026). Byggnads, Byggavtalet 2025–2027. Kommunal, nytt avtal klart (TT).

These are the lowest levels for adults with some experience. Many people earn more.

Minimum salary for a work permit

If you come from outside the EU, you need a certain salary to get a work permit. This is the closest thing Sweden has to a legal minimum.

• Since 1 June 2026, the salary must be at least 90 % of the median salary. That is 34 470 SEK per month (median 38 300 SEK).
• Some groups only need 75 % = 28 725 SEK: certain listed jobs (for example nursing assistants and some IT technicians), former students and researchers in Sweden, and a few other groups.
• If you got your permit under the old rules and apply to extend it between 1 June and 1 December 2026, the old rules still apply.
• The salary must also be at the level of the collective agreement or what is normal in that job.

(Source: Migrationsverket, 2026)

Read more in our guide to work permits in Sweden.

What is left after tax?

Swedish income tax is mostly paid to your municipality. In 2026 the average is 32.38 %, from 28.93 % (Österåker) to 35.65 % (Dorotea). (Source: SCB, 2026)

Learn more about Swedish taxes.

What to do if you are paid too little

1. Check if your workplace has a collective agreement.
2. Contact the union for your industry – they can check your pay, even before you join.
3. Keep your payslips (lönespecifikation).

See also: three things you didn't know about salaries in Sweden.

FAQ

What is the minimum wage in Sweden per hour?

There is no legal hourly minimum. Under collective agreements, the lowest adult pay is often around 150 SEK per hour or more. In hotels and restaurants it is 153.64 SEK per hour (HRF, 2026).

Why does Sweden not have a minimum wage?

Swedes have chosen to let unions and employers agree on pay. Most workers are covered by these agreements, so a law has not been seen as needed.

Will the EU make Sweden introduce a minimum wage?

No. The EU directive on adequate minimum wages does not force any country to set a legal minimum. In November 2025 the EU Court of Justice kept most of the directive but removed two parts of it. (Source: EU Court of Justice, case C-19/23, 11 Nov 2025)

What is a good salary in Sweden?

See our guide to average salaries in Sweden.