Sweden and Norway share a lot of things in common including language, culture, and history. However, Sweden still has unique things. For instance, it has the best ice creations globally. Basically, it is the original home of ice hotels the main one being Ice Hotel in the Arctic Circle. Also, 50% of Sweden is forest making it the best place to work as ex-pats. Therefore, as an Expat, Sweden is the best place to work.
Sweden has amazing seasons, history, cuisine, topography, and culture. In addition, the nation is advent. Even though the whole world is advent, the nation believes that it’s the one that came up with the idea. During that time, the Swedes light advent candles each December Sunday. Also, at the shops and supermarkets, there are usually several sales.
Sweden has a high quality of life and cushy salaries. Even as much as the jobs in Sweden are competitive, most of them require Swedish fluency. As for most large international companies, they do not need the Swedish language. The firms are mainly located in the top cities including Malmö, Stockholm, and Gothenburg. The monthly average salary in the nation is 26, 000 SEK.
The Top Paying Professions in Sweden
Devouts will argue that the love for money is beginning for sin but we are not about to be religious here. When it comes to job search anywhere, people give salary great precedence, of course with other important considerations including chances for growth, work environment and more. So let’s just be realistic to help identify which jobs in Sweden will keep your pockets of employees oiled and smiling all the way to the banks.
Doctor/Surgeon, Best Paying Job for Expats in Sweden
In Sweden, surgeons are the most well-paid. As a surgeon, the job is so risky and you are required to be responsible for the lives of your patients. Apart from that, extensive training and experience are required in succeeding.
The medical professionals in Sweden work for long hours. They deal with death and life situations daily. Moreover, the profession requires lengthy training and education. Therefore, the average monthly salary of medical professionals is 168,000 SEK.
If you are from Switzerland or an EU/EEA nation, then Sweden can recognize your foreign medical degree. However, if you are from a non-EU then before you can work in Sweden you have to prove your Swedish proficiency.
Information Technology Specialist
Sweden is the home of internationally recognized brands. The brands include Spotify, IKEA, Skype, and Erickson. This means that the demand for software programmers continues to rise yearly. The average salary for an IT professional is about $3, 121.
Bank Manager in Sweden
The bank managers in the nation are well paid. This is because the sector is very important as it is where residents keep their money and get financial investment advice. The bank professionals earn about 163, 000 Swedish Krona monthly.
The bank managers are well paid since the job requires some amount of risk. These people are responsible for controlling different branches of the nation. They also oversee other activities of the bank such as training bank personnel, sales, distribution, financial objectives, and customer service.
College Professor
The average monthly salary for a college professor is 80, 600 SEK. The college professors teach students and they also perform other tasks including producing scholarly publications, presenting academic references, and performing research. Becoming a professor is not easy and that is the reason it pays well. To be a college professor, you need a Bachelor’s degree, a Master’s degree, and a Ph.D. degree. Some of the courses do not require you to know Swedish as you can use English when teaching.
Lawyers and Judges
Judges are in high demand in Sweden. They do get an income as high as 214, 000 SEK. This is because the profession requires years of training and education. Also, there are several important activities.
Lawyers in Sweden are well paid and the licensed attorneys offer legal counsel and advice in civil and criminal matters. In addition, they do in-depth research and prepare legal paperwork for their clients. However, this profession requires you to have a high mastery of the Swedish language. The average salary is 114, 000 SEK monthly.
Become a Pilot in Sweden
The pilot professionals are usually in high demand. They get a salary of about 102, 000 SEK monthly. To be a pilot in Sweden, you need licenses and extensive training because of the nature of the job. As a pilot, you transport passengers frequently meaning you are responsible for their lives.
Nursing and Midwifery
For over three decades, midwifery has been part of the maternal health system. The practice has survived political negotiations as well as nursing training being a custom in modern hospitals’ childbirth. The midwives collaborate with the obstetricians in offering the best care to the mothers. They earn between 46, 411 SEK to 71, 400 SEK.
Benefits of Living in Sweden
As an ex-pat, it is good to work and live in Sweden as you will get excellent corporate culture and public services. This will encourage you to have a great work-life balance. Another good thing about working there is that there is a heap of holidays. As a worker, you will get 5 weeks of paid vacation. During this time, most Swedes do not even check their emails. They enjoy time alone, and with families and friends.
The Swedes love equality. For instance, from kindergarten to university, the teachers are addressed by their names and this is also what happens in the business world. By working in a Sweden company, there are high chances that you will know the CEO and even meet him or her personally.
As compared to the other nations across the world, Sweden has strong unions that protect the workers. About 70% of the people employed here belong to a trade union. The unions work with the groups of employers in agreeing on conditions that apply to all.
The Cons of Living in Sweden
The first one is getting used to the climate. When coming from African countries and even some Asian nations you may get shocked by the climate. It is only during summer that people enjoy good weather, as for the other months, the weather is usually cold.
The health insurance in the country does not cover everything. You will have to use money from your pocket in paying for some of the services. Also, it is important to learn Swedish because without it you will find it difficult to communicate with people. Life can be very difficult if you do not know the language because you will find it challenging to even buy the basic items in the supermarket.
