Lönespridning & percentiles
Lönespridning (salary spread) describes how much pay varies within a group, such as an occupation. Percentiles are how you read that spread: they line up every salary in order from lowest to highest.
How to read the percentiles
The 10th percentile (p10) means 10% of employees in the occupation earn that much or less; 90% earn more. The median (p50) is the middle: half earn more, half earn less. The 90th percentile (p90) means 90% earn that much or less. The distance from p10 to p90 shows how wide the spread is: an occupation with even pay has a narrow spread, one with big differences a wide one.
Why not just an average
An average hides the spread and is pulled upward by a few high salaries. Percentiles show where you actually land relative to others. That is why a pay offer at p25 is low for the occupation even if the figure sounds fine in kronor, while an offer at p75 sits high. It ties into the difference between median and mean.
Where it shows up
- Evaluate a job offer
- Where Do I Stand
Don't just ask "is this a good salary" but "where on the occupation's spread does it sit". An offer just below the median can be perfectly fair for a beginner and at the same time too low for someone with ten years of experience.