Different genders – different salary? : A study on wage differences among ordinary judges in the Swedish legal system in the year 2021

This study examines whether there is a wage gap between male and female ordinary judges in the Swedish legal system in the year 2021 and what some of the possible reasons may be for the existing wage gap. The study is based on data obtained from the Swedish National Courts Administration, which includes the 1 000 ordinary judges who are active in the year 2021. The data material is then analyzed using descriptive statistics as well as a bivariate regression analysis to understand if there is an existing wage gap between male and female ordinary judges. To answer the second question, the data material is analyzed using a multiple regression analysis to give us an understanding of what may be the causes of the existing wage gap. The results show that male regular judges earn an average of 1 715 SEK more a month than their female colleagues. In addition, the results of the multiple regression analysis also show that when we use the independent variables that the data material contains, there is in 93 percentage of the cases a statistically significant guaranteed wage gap of 258 SEK per month between male and female ordinary judges in the Swedish legal system