Salary ladder for doctoral students
In the first year of their studies, doctoral students employed on a studentship receive an initial salary which increases by increments of a fixed amount at the start of the second and third years of doctoral studies. The requirements for reaching the fourth and fifth steps of the salary ladder for doctoral students are not expressed in terms of years but as 50 or 80 percent, i.e. the required level of completion of the doctoral degree.
The doctoral student salary ladder is included in the university's yearly salary revision and is negotiated each year by the employer and the unions that have collective agreements with the university: Saco-S, OFR/S (ST) and Seko. The salary ladder applies to all doctoral students regardless of whether they are members of a union or not.
The latest doctoral student salary ladder (2025)
The doctoral student salary ladder for 2025 was completed on October 23 2025 and applies from October 1 2025.
The new salary will be payed out starting with the November salary. The retroactive payment for the month of October will be payed out with the November salary.
Video in Swedish with English subtitles explaining retroactive payment
If you have compensation from the Swedish Social Security Agency (Swedish: Försäkringskassan): do not forget to notify them of your new salary so that you receive the correct compensation.
In market vulnerable fields and areas of business, salary supplements for doctoral students may be justified. The salary supplements shall then not be based on individual performance and competence.
The information below is an unofficial translation of part of the agreement in Swedish.
The following salaries per month shall apply to employment as a doctoral student and assistant with doctoral student duties (when the time for doctoral student employemnt is used up).
Salary ladder for doctoral student
Starting salary: SEK 33 000
Year 2: SEK 33 500
Year 3: SEK 34 400
50%: SEK 34 900
80%: SEK 37 500
Salary ladder for doctoral student with Degree of Master of Science in Medicine (Swedish: läkarexamen)
Starting salary: SEK 37 400
Year 2: SEK 37 900
Year 3: SEK 38 800
50%: SEK 39 300
80%: SEK 41 900
Salary ladder for doctoral student who is a registered doctor of medicine (Swedish: legitimerad läkare)
Starting salary: SEK 39 400
Year 2: SEK 39 900
Year 3: SEK 40 800
50%: SEK 41 300
80%: SEK 43 900