It’s well known that salaries are high in Switzerland.
And the average salary continues to increase.
But just how much do people in Switzerland earn?
Gemäss dem Bundesamt für Statistik, the median salary in Switzerland is 6,538 CHF per month, which leads to an annual salary of approximately 78,456 CHF.
The median gross salary for women, in Switzerland, is 6,538 CHF per month and for men, the median gross salary is 6,857 CHF per month.
However, average salaries vary depending on where you live.
According to cantonal statistics in Zurich, the average salary is 7,696 CHF per month. This is almost 1,200 CHF higher than the Swiss median salary.
Regionally, the Canton of Tessin has the lowest median salary at 5,363 CHF per month. Salaries in Eastern Switzerland, comprising the cantons of St. Gallen, Appenzell Ausserr- and Innerrhoden, and Thurgau, are also relatively low at 6,118 per month.
Salaries in the Geneva and Basel regions are relatively high at 6,600 CHF and 6,714 CHF per month, respectively.
In fact, Geneva made international headlines in 2020 by voting to create what is currently the world’s highest minimum wage at 23 CHF per hour, which amounts to 4,000 CHF per month.
And although there is no nationally defined minimum, even hourly wages in the low-skilled sector start at around 23 CHF per hour.
Personally, I earned 23 CHF per hour + tips working in a bar in St. Gallen and this would have increased to 25 CHF per hour after three months (had I lasted more than one month in the job).
Therefore, even in low-skilled positions, salaries are relatively high.
But depending on your level of education, your experience, and the industry you work in, salaries can vary starkly.
What are the highest and lowest paying job sectors in Switzerland?
Gemäss dem Bundesamt für Statistik, the highest paying jobs in Switzerland are in the finance and the insurance industry, with an average gross salary of 9,844 CHF per month.
IT remains a good choice for those looking for a high salary, with workers in the information and telecommunications sector earning an average monthly salary of 8,991 CHF per month.
Interestingly, the public sector in Zurich is also very well paid, with an average monthly salary of 8,863 CHF.
Retail and hospitality are among the lowest paying jobs at 4,589 CHF per month.
Breakdown of the average salaries in Switzerland according to job function and position
The following average salaries are based on data from the 2021 ‘Lohnbuch Schweiz‘ that is published annually by the Canton of Zurich.
I have decided to keep the salaries on the monthly basis here for accuracy.
You can calculate an approximate yearly salary by multiplying the monthly salary by 12, however, many Swiss companies pay a 13th-month salary as well, and therefore the real annual figure may be different.
Salaries in healthcare
This table shows the average monthly salary of people working in the health care sector in Switzerland.
Occupation | Monthly Salary (CHF) |
---|---|
Nurse | 5,301 – 6,698 |
Midwife | 6,297 – 6,698 |
Physio | 6,297 – 6,698 |
Resident Doctor | 7,555 |
Medical Doctor (M.D.) | 8,077 |
Head Doctor | 11,332 |
Salaries in education
This table shows the starting average salaries per month for people working in the education sector in Switzerland.
Occupation | Monthly Salary (CHF) |
---|---|
Primary School Teacher | 6,486 – 9,806 |
Secondary School Teacher | 7,570 – 11,445 |
Gymnasium School Teacher | 8,452 – 13,040 |
PhD. Student | 3,920 – 4,170 |
Post-Doctoral Researchers | 7,138 |
Professor | 13,030 |
Salaries in IT
This table shows the average monthly salaries for workers in the IT sector in Switzerland.
Occupation | Monthly Salary (CHF) Junior | Monthly Salary (CHF) Professional | Monthly Salary (CHF) Senior |
---|---|---|---|
IT graduate (Polytech) | 6,000 – 6,538 | ||
IT graduate (University) | 6,154 – 6,538 | ||
Application Developer | 5,154 – 8,060 | 6,108 – 9,192 | 8,462 – 10,154 |
Network Specialist | 5,284 – 6,176 | 7,191 – 8,429 | 8,481 – 9,808 |
Test Engineer | 5,256 – 5,767 | 6,538 – 8,776 | 9,126 – 9,921 |
System Engineer | 5,385 – 7,027 | 6,050 – 9,100 | 7,856 – 10,154 |
Test Manager | – | 7,622 – 9,066 | 8,346 – 9,781 |
Software Engineer | 5,092 – 6,385 | 6,390 – 9,202 | 8,492 – 10,087 |
DevOps Engineer | 5,762 – 6,858 | 6,858 – 7,977 | 7,699 – 9,550 |
Product Owner | 5,385 – 5,995 | 6,769 – 8,068 | 9,061 – 10,526 |
IT Architect | 6,892 – 7,985 | 8,471 – 10,388 | 9,577 – 11,457 |
Scrum Master | 5,058 – 8,148 | 7,769 – 9,046 | 9,129 – 10,527 |
Salaries in finance
This table shows the average monthly salaries for people working in finance in Switzerland.
Occupation | Monthly Salary (CHF) Junior | Monthly Salary (CHF) Professional | Monthly Salary (CHF) Senior |
---|---|---|---|
Accountant (non-mgmt) | 6,385 | 7,846 | 8,173 |
Credit Management | 8,788 | 9,846 | 10,654 |
Controlling | 7,423 | 8,788 | 9,827 |
Treasury Analsyst (non-mgmt) | 7,327 | 8,192 | 8,846 |
Internal Auditor | 8,192 | 9,019 | 9,692 |
Compliance Officer / Manager | 8,115 | 8,769 | 10,327 |
Salaries in banking
This table shows the average salaries per month for people working in banking.
Occupation | Monthly Salary (CHF) Junior | Monthly Salary (CHF) Professional |
---|---|---|
Intern | 3,500 – 5,000 | |
Graduate Program | 6,500 – 7,100 | |
Bank Employee (General) | 4.400 – 17.500 | |
Investment Banker | 6,667 – 16,667 | |
Portfolio Manager | 5,750 – 1,583 | |
Onboarding and KYC | 6,538 – 8,846 | |
Compliance Officer | 9,231 – 1,1538 | |
Risk (Credit, Market, Operations) | 8,462 – 10,769 | |
Project Manager | 10,769 – 11,538 |
I have included only the average salary per job function in banking, as the salary accuracy starts to be severely affected by fluctuations in annual bonus payments and the financial institution on more senior levels.
And there you have it.
As you can see, while it is true that salaries are high in Switzerland they also vary greatly depending on your level of education, experience, and where you work.
Do you have anything to add about salaries in Switzerland? Then add a comment below!