Working and Hiring in Stockholm: Pay, Rent and What Employers Should Know
Employees in Stockholm County, which includes the city, earned an average of SEK 48,300 a month in 2025. On that pay, an employer adds 31.42% in employer contributions, so the cost is about SEK 761,710 a year, before occupational pension and insurance.
Thinking of hiring in Stockholm, or working there? This guide covers what an employee costs in the city, pay and rent levels, the local labor market in figures and the ways a company outside Sweden can employ someone there. National rules are in our Sweden guide.
Stockholm in figures
Employer cost on the Stockholm County average pay, 2026
What it costs to employ someone in Stockholm
Swedish employer contributions are national, so they are the same in Stockholm as in the rest of Sweden. In 2026 the employer pays 31.42% on all pay for employees born in 1959 or later, with no ceiling. On the Stockholm County average of SEK 48,300 a month, or SEK 579,600 a year, that adds SEK 182,110, for a total of SEK 761,710 a year, or SEK 63,476 a month. Occupational pension and insurance under a collective agreement come on top when one applies. Notice periods, annual leave, sick pay and income tax follow national law. Our guide to hiring in Sweden covers them.
Pay in Stockholm
Statistics Sweden (SCB) publishes salaries by region, not by city. In Stockholm County, which includes the city, the average monthly salary was SEK 48,300 in 2025, 12.6% above the Swedish average of SEK 42,900. Salaried employees in the private sector earned SEK 58,900 on average and software and systems developers SEK 59,400. See average salary in Stockholm.
Rent and living costs in Stockholm
A rental apartment in Stockholm municipality cost an average of SEK 9,834 a month in 2026, according to SCB, with heating and water included. That is SEK 1,806 per m² a year, 17% above the Swedish average of SEK 1,540. An SL 30-day ticket for buses, the metro, commuter trains and light rail costs SEK 530 for adults at a temporary half price that ends on 2 December 2026. The total municipal income tax rate in Stockholm is 30.55% in 2026, against a Swedish average of 32.38%. See cost of living in Stockholm.
The Stockholm labor market
Stockholm municipality passed 1 million residents in 2026, with 1,000,374 in May. In June 2026, 23,622 people were openly unemployed, 3.4% of residents aged 16 to 66, and 14,357 more were in labor market programs. Open unemployment was 5.2% lower than a year earlier.
How to hire in Stockholm
- Find the person. Write the role, set the salary against Stockholm pay levels and any collective agreement, then source and interview candidates. You can run the search yourself with a job post, or use a placement service that delivers a shortlist.
- Choose how to employ them. A Swedish entity running payroll, an employer of record or a contractor agreement.
- Make the offer. The contract has to meet Swedish employment law, such as the Employment Protection Act and the Annual Leave Act, and any collective agreement for the sector.
There are 3 ways to employ someone in Stockholm. With a Swedish entity, you register a company in Sweden, register as an employer with the Tax Agency (Skatteverket), run payroll and pay the employer contributions yourself. With an employer of record (EOR), a third-party provider becomes the legal employer and runs Swedish payroll for a monthly fee per employee, while your company directs the work. With a contractor agreement, the person invoices you through their own business, and the relationship has to be genuinely independent.
Euro Remote Talent does not employ people on your behalf. We handle the placement: we find and shortlist the candidate, and you employ them through the route that fits.
How Euro Remote Talent can help
We do placement. We source, screen and interview remote professionals across Europe, then deliver a shortlist of 3 candidates within 21 days for a flat $6,500, or your deposit back. Prefer to run the search yourself? Post a job for $299 and reach candidates who want to work remotely.
See how placement works, post a job or book a 30-minute call. Browse remote jobs in Sweden to see who is hiring there now.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and collective agreements can set different terms. Confirm with a local accountant or lawyer before you hire.
Frequently asked questions
What does it cost to employ someone in Stockholm?
On the Stockholm County average pay of SEK 48,300 a month, the employer adds 31.42% in employer contributions, or SEK 182,110 a year, for about SEK 761,710 a year before occupational pension and insurance.
Are employer costs different in Stockholm from the rest of Sweden?
No. Employer contributions of 31.42% are national. What differs is the pay level, which is 12.6% higher in Stockholm County than the Swedish average.
What is the average salary in Stockholm?
SCB publishes pay by region. In Stockholm County, which includes the city, the average monthly salary was SEK 48,300 in 2025, against SEK 42,900 in Sweden.
What is the income tax rate in Stockholm?
The total municipal income tax rate in Stockholm is 30.55% in 2026: 18.22% to the city and 12.33% to Region Stockholm. State income tax of 20% applies on top above SEK 643,000 of taxable income, as in the rest of Sweden.
Can a company outside Sweden hire someone in Stockholm without a Swedish entity?
Yes. The usual routes are an employer of record, a third-party provider that employs the person for you, or a genuine contractor agreement. Euro Remote Talent handles the placement: we find, screen and shortlist the person, and you choose the route.
Sources
- SCB, Average monthly salary by region, sector, occupation and sex 2023 to 2025. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
- SCB, Now more than a million people live in Stockholm. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
- Stockholms stad, Jobseekers, monthly report June 2026. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
- SCB, Rents in rental apartments by number of rooms 2016 to 2026. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
- SCB, Total municipal tax rates 2026 by municipality. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
- Skatteverket, Arbetsgivaravgifter. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
- SL, Temporary price reduction. Checked 5 Nov 2026.
