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What does an employee cost in Sweden?
Salary is only part of the cost. Calculate what an employee costs per month and year – with employer contributions, vacation pay supplement, occupational pension and special payroll tax at 2026 rates.
Example
SEK 62,185
Four items are added on top of gross salary for a salaried employee with an occupational pension.
Simplified estimate using standard rates. Reduced employer contributions (e.g. for young and older employees), benefits and collectively agreed supplements are not included.
Total cost per month
- Salary
- SEK 45,000
- Employer contributions (31.42%)
- SEK 14,139
- Vacation supplement (0.43% × 25 days)
- SEK 530
- Occupational pension (4.5 %)
- SEK 2,025
- Special payroll tax on pension (24.26%)
- SEK 491
SEK 62,185
How the cost is calculated
Four items are added on top of gross salary for a salaried employee with an occupational pension.
- 01
Employer contributions – 31.42%
Social security contributions paid by the employer on salary and benefits, funding pensions, sickness and parental insurance among other things. Reduced rates may apply to some age groups.
- 02
Vacation pay supplement – 0.43% per day
Under the same-salary rule, employees receive 0.43% of their monthly salary for each paid vacation day. With 25 days that is 10.75% of one month's salary per year, plus employer contributions.
- 03
Occupational pension
Under a collective agreement the employer pays an occupational pension, for example 4.5% of salary up to 7.5 income base amounts under ITP 1. Without an agreement it is optional but common.
- 04
Special payroll tax – 24.26%
Employers pay special payroll tax on pension costs instead of employer contributions.
Example
An employee with a monthly salary of SEK 45,000 and a 4.5% pension costs about SEK 62,200 per month – 1.38 times the salary, or SEK 746,000 per year.
Not included in the calculation
- Reduced employer contributions for some age groups
- Agreement-based insurance and other collective agreement costs
- Benefits such as wellness allowance, company car or health insurance
- Premises, equipment, licences and recruitment
- Overtime, unsocial-hours pay and other variable supplements
Model your whole organisation
AltitudeHR shows people cost per department and cost centre, and lets you simulate new hires and salary reviews before you decide.
01How much does an employee cost on top of salary in Sweden?
As a rule of thumb, a salaried employee with an occupational pension costs about 1.4 times gross salary. Employer contributions of 31.42% are the largest item, followed by pension, vacation pay supplement and special payroll tax.
02What are employer contributions in 2026?
The full rate is 31.42% of gross salary. Reduced rates apply to some age groups. Check current rates with the Swedish Tax Agency.
03What is the vacation pay supplement?
Under the same-salary rule in the Annual Leave Act, employees get 0.43% of their monthly salary for each paid vacation day. Collective agreements may give more.
04What is special payroll tax on pension costs?
A 24.26% tax employers pay on occupational pension costs, since no employer contributions are paid on pension premiums.
05How do I calculate the cost of several new hires?
Use the headcount slider in the calculator. In AltitudeHR you can model whole scenarios – new hires, salary reviews and redundancies – and see the budget impact immediately.
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