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WORKING IN SWITZERLAND

What is the average salary for (almost) every job in Switzerland?

New official figures cast light onto how much the Swiss earn on average in different professions.

Published: 28 March 2022 17:07 CEST
Updated: 30 July 2022 06:44 CEST
Thinking of a career change or just want to compare your salary? Here's how much people earn in Switzerland. Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
Thinking of a career change or just want to compare your salary? Here's how much people earn in Switzerland. Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

A report, put together by Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office and released on Monday, shows how much people in major professions earn on average. 

The figures show a stark difference between the averages in different professions in Switzerland. 

What is the average wage in Switzerland? 

With an average monthly gross income of 6,555 francs (€6,385, £5,358 , $US7008), Switzerland has some of the highest salaries in the world. 

The comparatively low tax burden in Switzerland, particularly compared to other European countries, leads to a significantly high take-home pay. 

Around one in ten Swiss residents are considered ‘low wage earners’, which means they take home less than two thirds of the median wage each month (CHF4443). 

Around half a million people are in this category, two thirds of which are women. 

On the whole however, the wage gap between men and women in Switzerland has shrunk over time. 

What do teachers earn in Switzerland – and where do they earn the most?

Women earn 10.8 percent less than men, which compares positively to the 11.5 percent gap in 2018 and the 12 percent gap in 2016. 

The man reason for the gap is the higher proportion of men in management roles than women. Men in this category earn 16.8 percent more than women. 

What are the average salaries for different jobs in Switzerland? 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, average salaries in the finance industry are the highest of any sector, with finance workers earning CHF10,211 per month. 

Workers in the pharmaceutical sector earn CHF10,040, followed by CHF9,200 for those in IT. 

At the lower end of the spectrum, workers in hospitality earn CHF4479 per month and those in the retail sector earn CHF4,997 per month. 

The lowest wage category in Switzerland is the ‘personal services sector’, which includes hairdressers, beauticians and undertakers. Workers in that category earn CHF4,211 per month before tax. 

Jobs in the middle of the pack with averages reflecting the national average include the healthcare sector CHF6,821 and manufacturing (CHF7,141). 

How important is education in earnings in Switzerland? 

The report also highlighted the benefit of higher education in earning potential, even for people in the same job. 

Employees without a managerial role earn an average of CHF8,332 if they have completed university, but will earn an average of CHF7,994 if they have a university of applied sciences qualification. 

Employees who have completed an apprenticeship earn CHF5,863 on average, while those with vocational training earn 7,501. 

In which part of Switzerland can I earn the most? 

The figures also highlighted the difference between different parts of the country when it comes to wages. 

Röstigraben: The invisible barrier separating Switzerland

In Zurich, the country’s economic driver which contributes one fifth of national GDP, the median wage is CHF7,113 well above the national average. 

The relevant figure in the Southern canton of Ticino is CHF5,546 per month. 

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For members

WORKING IN SWITZERLAND

The pitfalls of Switzerland’s social security system you need to avoid

In most cases, Switzerland’s social benefits system functions well. But there are also some loopholes you should know about.

Published: 24 April 2024 13:37 CEST
The pitfalls of Switzerland's social security system you need to avoid

The Swiss social security system has several branches: old-age, survivors’ and disability insurance; health and accident insurance; unemployment benefits, and family allowances.

This is a pretty comprehensive package, which covers everyone who pays into the scheme for a wide variety of ‘what ifs’.

As the government explains it, “people living and working in Switzerland benefit from a tightly woven network of social insurance schemes designed to safeguard them against risks that would otherwise overwhelm them financially.” 

But while most residents of Switzerland are able to benefit, at least to some extent, from this system, others don’t.

What is happening?

If someone becomes ill or has an accident, Switzerland’s compulsory health insurance and / or accident insurance will cover the costs.

However, a prolonged absence from work can become costly.

That is especially the case of people employed by companies that don’t have a collective labour agreement (CLA), a contract negotiated between Switzerland’s trade unions and employers or employer organisations that covers a wide range of workers’ rights. 

READ ALSO: What is a Swiss collective bargaining agreement — and how could it benefit you?

It is estimated that roughly half of Switzerland’s workforce of about 5 million people are not covered by a CLA.

If you just happen to work for a company without a CLA, your employer is not required to pay your salary if your illness is long.

You will receive money for a minimum of three weeks – longer, depending on seniority — but certainly not for the long-haul.

You may think that once your wages stop, the disability insurance (DI) will kick in.

But that’s not the case.

The reason is that DI can be paid only after a year after the wages stop. In practice, however, it sometimes takes several years of investigations and verifications to make sure the person is actually eligible to collect these benefits, rather than just pretending to be sick. 

In the meantime, these people have to use their savings to live on.

What about ‘daily allowance insurance’?

Many companies (especially those covered by a CLA) take out this insurance, so they can pay wages to their sick employees for longer periods of time.

However, this insurance is optional for employers without a CLA is place.

As a result, small companies forego it because it is too much of a financial burden for them.

And people who are self-employed face a problem in this area as well: insurance carriers can (and often do) refuse to cover people they deem to be ‘too risky’ in terms of their age or health status.

Critics are calling the two situations —the length of time it takes for the disability insurance to kick in and gaps in the daily allowance insurance—”perhaps the biggest failures of the social security system.”

Is anything being done to remedy this situation?

Given numerous complaints about the unfairness of the current system, the Social Security and Public Health Commission of the Council of States (CSSS-E) will look into the “consequences of shortcomings and numerous dysfunctions in long-term illness insurance.”

But not everyone in Switzerland sees a problem in the current situation.

According to the Swiss Insurance Association (SIA), for instance, “making daily sickness allowance insurance compulsory for employers would not have the desired effect. Due to false incentives, it would only exacerbate the upward trend in costs and premiums.”

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