Local collective agreement on salaries for doctoral students
This is an unofficial translation of the agreement from Swedish.
§ 1 The agreement
The parties have concluded this agreement with the support of RALS-T and RALS 2025-2027 regarding salaries for doctoral students.
§ 2 Doctoral students
The following salaries per month shall apply for employment as doctoral student and assistant with doctoral student duties (when the time for doctoral student employment is used up).
Salary ladder for doctoral student, from 2025-10-01:
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
Salary ladder for doctoral student, from 2026-10-01:
Starting salary: SEK 34 000
Year 2: SEK 34 500
Year 3: SEK 35 400
50%: SEK 35 900
80%: SEK 38 500
Salary ladder for doctoral student with Degree of Master of Science in Medicine (Swedish: läkarexamen):
Starting salary: SEK 38 400
Year 2: SEK 38 900
Year 3: SEK 39 800
50%: SEK 40 300
80%: SEK 42 900
Salary ladder for doctoral student who is a registered doctor of medicine (Swedish: legitimerad läkare):
Starting salary: SEK 40 400
Year 2: SEK 40 900
Year 3: SEK 41 800
50%: SEK 42 300
80%: SEK 44 900
The meaning of "year" is a completed year as a doctoral student or otherwise active research studies in postgraduate level of education (third-cycle). The salary for year 2 and year 3 in the ladder refers to the salary that should be paid after the first and the second completed year respectively. The salary should be increased from the turn of the month after the year has been completed.
"50 %" and "80 %" refer to the percentage of completed studies up until obtaining a doctorate. Normally 50 % and 80 % should be achieved after 24 and 38 months of full-time studies respectively. The salary shall be increased from the beginning of the month after the study results have been obtained.
The salary ladders for doctors of medicine apply from the beginning of the month after the Degree of Master of Science in Medicine and the registration respectively have been obtained.
The doctoral employments are not eligible for a raise in salary for new skills in the form of a doctorate obtained in accordance with Guidelines for salary supplements and other terms and conditions, and adjustments of wages in conjunction with promotion and new expertise. Upon completion of the doctorate, the salary is not increased, whereby a salary according to 80 % is paid.
The parties agree that for businesses in which there are special salary ladders, the special salary ladders may be applied throughout the disciplinary domain. Special salary ladders refers to the salary ladder for the doctoral student with Degree of Master of Science in Medicine and the salary ladder for doctoral student who is a registered doctor of medicine.
§ 3 Clarification medical ladders
When interpreting a Degree of Master of Science in Medicine regarding a foreign degree as a basis for placement in a doctoral student ladder, the following applies. Assessment of Degree of Master of Science in Medicine from the EU and EEA countries follows the National Board of Health and Welfare's (Swedish: Socialstyrelsen) and the Swedish Council for Higher Education's (Swedish: Universitets- och Högskolerådet) assessment of degrees from recognized higher education institutions and is considered equivalent to Swedish Degree of Master of Science in Medicine.
Assessment of Degree of Master of Science in Medicine from other countries (third countries) is done by the responsible manager/ equivalent. If the doctoral student does not accept the assessment or the manager/ equivalent cannot make the assessment, the doctoral student may apply for examination of a foreign degree by the National Board of Health and Welfare.
When interpreting a foreign medical license as a basis for placement in a doctoral student ladder, the following applies. Assessment of approved medical license from the EU and EEA countries follows the National Board of Health and Welfare's assessment that the license is equivalent to Swedish medical license.
§ 4 Salary supplements for doctoral students
The parties agree that salary supplements for doctoral students can be motivating in market vulnerable fields and areas of business. The supplements shall not be based on individual performance and skills.
§ 5 The validity of the agreement
The agreement is effective from October 1 2025. The agreement is revised in conjunction with the regular salary revision year 2027.