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WAGES

What are Switzerland’s highest paying jobs?

Swiss salaries are famously higher than elsewhere in Europe, attracting many foreign workers to its shores. But in which jobs can you earn the most money?

Published: 15 August 2023 14:48 CEST
What are Switzerland’s highest paying jobs?
Doctors earn a lot of money in Switzerland. Photo: Pixabay

With a median monthly gross income of 6,555 francs (6,842 euros), Switzerland has some of the highest salaries in the world. 

‘Median’ means half of the working population earn more than this amount, and half less.

Based on most recent figures, these careers allow you to earn the most:

Surgeons and specialised doctors (indicated as annual salaries):  460,000 francs

Attorneys: 313,000

Company CEOs: 276,000

Orthodontists: 249,000

Airline pilots: 184,000

Judges; 387,000

Bank managers: 295,000

Chief Financial Officers: 258,000

University professors: 221,000

Marketing directors: 166,000

All of these positions require university degrees, which means you need academic credentials for top-paying jobs.

What jobs pay most if you are not a university graduate?

If you have finished a Swiss apprenticeship (vocational training), your salary level will depend on your chosen field as well as how long you have been working in the profession.

Overall, the average salary five years after completing training is 5,270 francs a month, according to the Federal Statistical Office.

In the IT sector, the salary is 1,100 francs above this average, while in sales, the monthly income is less than 5,000 francs.

The second-highest gross median income for full-time employment is that of nurses.

With an average of 6,060 francs per month after five years of employment, they are followed by apprentices with degrees in electricity and mechanical construction (5,445 francs), architecture and construction (5,425 francs), accounting, marketing and secretariat (5,367 francs) and the social sector (5,349 francs).

Lowest wages — below 5,000 francs a month — are in the retail and “personal services” sector.

In which part of Switzerland can you earn the most?

Much depends in which profession you are employed (see above). 

Generally speaking, the latest survey into this matter, carried out recently by the umbrella association of Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences, shows — not surprisingly — that salaries are highest in large cities, where most economic opportunities are.The figures also highlighted the difference between different parts of the country when it comes to wages. 

In Zurich, the country’s economic driver which contributes one fifth of national GDP, the median wage is 7,113 francs a month — well above the national average. 

In Geneva it is slightly less — about 6,700 francs, and in Basel, 6,500 francs.

How far will this salary go in Switzerland?

That is a valid question as the cost of living, especially in Zurich and Geneva, is very high.

The purchasing power of your income depends not only how much you earn and on your spending habits, but also where in Switzerland you live.

That’s because some cantons offer more bang for your franc than others.

According to a recent study, residents of Zug have most disposable income at the end of each month. (Not coincidentally, Zug is also the canton with the lowest tax rate in Switzerland.) 

Next are Schwyz, Nidwalden, Zurich, Obwalden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Basel-Country, Geneva, and Basel-City.

READ ALSO: Swiss cantons with the highest (and lowest) purchasing power

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WORKING IN SWITZERLAND

How can a foreign teacher find work in a Swiss school or university?

More Swiss cantons are hiring teachers from abroad, but candidates must meet certain criteria.

Published: 7 May 2024 15:05 CEST
How can a foreign teacher find work in a Swiss school or university?

Too few teachers are being trained in Switzerland, which means that by the beginning of the new decade, between 43,000 and 47,000 new professionals would need to be recruited. 

To remedy this situation, various cantons are taking steps, or are planning to do so in the near future, to fill the gap with teachers trained abroad. 

READ ALSO: Swiss cantons move to hire more foreign teachers 

Does this mean that any foreign teacher can easily find work in Switzerland?

Let’s define ‘foreign’ first.

If you are a foreign national who has been entirely trained at one of Swiss Universities of Teacher Education (PH), and receive a corresponding diploma, then you are in the clear, and no further action is needed.

If, however, you studied abroad and obtained a foreign diploma, then you may have to be-retrained in Switzerland, and meet the local hiring criteria.

One thing to remember is that cantons are responsible for their own school system, so requirements (as well as opportunities) may be different from one region to another.

Teachers with foreign teaching diplomas can apply to the Conference of Cantonal Directors of Education (EDK) to have their credentials recognised in Switzerland.  

The EDK will decide what (if any) further training or certification you may need in order to work in a school in a given canton.

This is how it works

The EDK will compare your foreign training with the one provided in Swiss universities.

If it is found to be equivalent, you will receive an official certificate of recognition of your diploma in Switzerland, and can then look for a job.

If, however, there are significant differences in the level of education, the EDK will ask for so-called ‘compensatory measures’ — for instance, via a ‘Certificate of Advanced Studies’ (CAS) —  to be carried out in a Swiss PH before your diploma can be recognised.

The exact steps are described here.

Language proficiency

Obviously, if you come from Germany, France, Italy, Austria, or Liechtenstein, and intend to teach in the linguistically-appropriate canton, then this is one hurdle you don’t have to overcome.

For all the others, however, candidates must provide proof of sufficient language skills in one of the main Swiss national languages.

“As proof of such language skills in German, French or Italian, an internationally recognised language diploma at Level C2 of Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERF) the is required,” according to the EDK.

For those who only teach a language that is not a Swiss national language (such as English), a B2 CERF level in German, French, or Italian is sufficient.

READ ALSO: How can I have my foreign qualifications recognised in Switzerland? 

What about work permits?

If you come from an EU / EFTA state (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), then you will obtain a permit easily – if you haven’t gotten one yet.

For those from third countries, things are more complicated because you are subject to special quotas and will be admitted only if your presence in Switzerland is considered to be “in the general economic interest.”

This means that you must not only be a highly qualified professional in your field, but also that no Swiss or EU / EFTA national can be found for a given teaching position.

However, if you are a third-country national who already lives in Switzerland with a valid permit, then your candidacy will be considered.

All of the above applies to those looking for a job at primary and secondary schools, but what about universities?

Different procedure

The hiring system at Swiss universities is different.

While foreigners can, of course, apply for a teaching job, most universities recruit professors they need themselves.

Overall, foreigners constitute just over half of teaching staff at Swiss universities.

This is especially the case in the two federal polytechnic institutes — the ETH in Zurich and EPFL in Lausanne —  with 70 and 82 percent, respectively — of foreigners among their academic staff.

Typically, these institutions recruit staff from reputable universities abroad to fill specific  teaching positions — for instance in sciences.

These people are hired as visiting professors at the invitation of one of the faculties. Such appointments are made for a minimum of one month and a maximum of one year, though they can be extended.

In such cases, universities will apply for a visa and a work permit for visiting professors from outside the EU / EFTA.

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