How your income stacks up

[Malthus]

OK been checking out the official statistics of the Central Bureau of Statistics (which Slargos would tell you can not be trusted, I might warn).

According to the report "Work force barometer of 2009", students of law is the group of students in highest demand by employers. (Link in Swedish: http://www.scb.se/statistik/_publikationer/UF0505_2009A01_BR_AM78BR0905.pdf (p. 9, "Störst har efterfrågan varit på jurister." / "Lawyers have been in highest demand")

A lawyer in Stockholm, aged 37 years, with 9 years experience, earns in average 42.224 kr/month (70 644.9744 U.S. dollars/year, at current exchange rate. This is before tax.)

70K, with 9 years of work experience? In private practice?

Ouch! 

[Pat]

Average for all lawyers.

[Pat]

A lawyer in a top Stockholm law firm (f.ex. Vinge or Mannheimer Swartling) would earn considerably more, even in an entry position.

[citizen k]

... what are the job prospects for an old-fashioned print journalist who only speaks English? 

I don't think the future job prospects for old fashioned print journalists will be very good in any web-savvy country.

[Admiral Yi]

The more important question is can you get us all laid if we move to Sweden.

[Pat]

I know many young women I could introduce you to. The rest is up to you. They'd probably consider you exotic as an american, and as long as you're not the stereotypical arrogant american tourist, you might have a good shot.

[citizen k]

... as long as you're not the stereotypical arrogant american

Well, that leaves out half of Languish. 

[Malthus]

Average for all lawyers.

Still a bit "ouch".

[Pat]

I might also add that if you're for example a defense lawyer you get paid, by the state, something like 4000 SEK even for a routine case that'll only take about an hour or two in court and very little extra work (and considerably more for larger cases).

edit: There is a shortage of defense lawyers, because it is felt they are not paid enough.

[Pat]

And of course the burden of student loans to be repaid is not very big

[Pat]

... as long as you're not the stereotypical arrogant american

Well, that leaves out half of Languish. 

True enough    Yi isn't, though.

[Razgovory]

I know many young women I could introduce you to. The rest is up to you. They'd probably consider you exotic as an american, and as long as you're not the stereotypical arrogant american tourist, you might have a good shot.

I'm buying my ticket as we speak.

[Malthus]

And of course the burden of student loans to be repaid is not very big

Not a big deal in Canada. I had $0 in student loans, because I was able to make enough during the summer to pay tuition & lived at home (no doubt that would have been bad for my sex life if I hadn't already had a GF with her own place )

Tuition has gone up so much that is no longer possible, but there is still no need for truly crippling student loans.

I admit that I'm probably skewed in perspective working at a big Toronto firm, but $70K is what we offer articling students here. Getting free tuition is cold comfort if that is what one can expect to be earning in almost a decade - before tax.

[Pat]

OK probably a lot less than in North America, but still enough to live a nice, comfortable lifestyle. I would see no reason to complain with such a wage.

You also have to keep in mind there are less very wealthy people driving prices up at the exclusive end of the scale, when it comes to housing etc. Such a wage would allow you to live in a very nice part of Stockholm (and even with no income apart from what I get from my studies I live on Östermalm, which is the nicest part of central Stockholm - this is thanks to rent control on the apartment complex where I live; there are many problems with our system of rent control but at least it alleviates some of the effects of gentrification. There are rent-controlled apartments even on the nicest street in Stockholm, Strandvägen - many people do not know this).

[Josephus]

What are Sweden's immigration policies and what are the job prospects for an old-fashioned print journalist who only speaks English? 

Are you white?

Would you be interested in work?

If the answer to any question is "yes" then I'm afraid you're gonna have a hard time immigrating legally. 

Oh.