Salaries in Switzerland 2024
The median salary in Switzerland was CHF 7’024 gross a month in 2024 (full time, including the pro-rata 13th month salary): half of employees earn more, half less. 10% earn less than CHF 4’635, 10% more than CHF 12’526. Compared with 2022 the median rose 3.5%. Women’s median is CHF 6’666, men’s CHF 7’276 (8.4% less). The median is highest in the Zurich region (CHF 7’502) and lowest in the Ticino region (CHF 5’708).
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Gross salary standardised to full time (4⅓ weeks of 40 hours), including employees’ social security contributions, 1/12 of the 13th month salary and 1/12 of annual special payments (FSO definition). Major regions, not cantons: the earnings structure survey is published by major region only.
Median salary by major region 2024
| Region | Median | P10 | P90 | vs 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zurich | 7’502 | 4’761 | 13’970 | +3.8% |
| Northwestern Switzerland | 7’156 | 4’689 | 12’918 | +2.7% |
| Central Switzerland | 7’092 | 4’745 | 12’856 | +4.6% |
| Lake Geneva region | 6’998 | 4’585 | 12’636 | +2.2% |
| Espace Mittelland | 6’964 | 4’737 | 11’734 | +3.1% |
| Eastern Switzerland | 6’623 | 4’563 | 11’030 | +4.4% |
| Ticino | 5’708 | 3’783 | 10’012 | +2.1% |
Median salary by sector 2024
| Sector | Median | Women | Men | P10–P90 | vs 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacture of tobacco products 12 | 14’304 | 14’001 | 14’435 | 7’151–37’324 | +7.6% |
| Financial services 64 | 10’723 | 9’055 | 11’914 | 6’409–21’105 | +2.2% |
| Head offices and management consultancy 70 | 10’418 | 9’104 | 11’526 | 5’643–22’216 | +5.7% |
| Manufacture of pharmaceuticals 21 | 10’159 | 10’144 | 10’173 | 6’386–20’167 | −1.3% |
| Activities auxiliary to financial services and insurance 66 | 10’042 | 8’072 | 11’654 | 5’670–20’978 | +4.3% |
| IT services 62 | 9’874 | 8’618 | 10’175 | 6’062–20’000 | +4.9% |
| Telecommunications 61 | 9’380 | 8’122 | 9’752 | 5’979–15’274 | +4.6% |
| Insurance 65 | 9’351 | 8’032 | 10’681 | 6’086–15’109 | +3.7% |
| Research and development 72 | 9’139 | 8’753 | 9’414 | 5’814–16’833 | +1.6% |
| Broadcasting 60 | 9’121 | 8’743 | 9’388 | 6’181–12’590 | +3.7% |
| Information services 63 | 9’014 | 7’691 | 9’750 | 5’356–15’618 | −21.7% |
| Public administration, defence, social security 84 | 8’872 | 8’298 | 9’424 | 6’082–12’979 | +5.2% |
| Energy supply 35 | 8’811 | 8’016 | 8’959 | 6’297–13’250 | +3.7% |
| Education 85 | 8’745 | 8’557 | 9’105 | 5’364–12’629 | +2.0% |
| Legal and accounting activities 69 | 8’266 | 7’512 | 10’000 | 5’251–16’192 | +1.5% |
| Manufacture of chemicals 20 | 8’109 | 7’693 | 8’251 | 5’420–14’561 | +0.5% |
| Publishing activities 58 | 8’095 | 7’444 | 8’665 | 5’548–12’695 | +3.5% |
| Water supply 36 | 7’887 | 7’284 | 7’963 | 6’088–11’169 | +1.5% |
| Architecture and engineering, technical testing 71 | 7’853 | 7’168 | 8’235 | 5’400–12’782 | +2.7% |
| Membership and religious organisations 94 | 7’849 | 7’530 | 8’440 | 5’200–12’246 | +4.6% |
| Computer, electronic and optical products, watches 26 | 7’651 | 6’368 | 8’292 | 5’036–12’728 | +3.9% |
| Manufacture of machinery 28 | 7’632 | 6’824 | 7’772 | 5’364–11’960 | +5.3% |
| Other transport equipment 30 | 7’485 | 7’345 | 7’518 | 5’467–11’234 | +2.7% |
| Wholesale trade 46 | 7’478 | 7’209 | 7’619 | 4’849–16’247 | +0.9% |
| Water transport 50 | 7’470 | 7’089 | 7’607 | 5’074–19’752 | +21.5% |
| Manufacture of leather and footwear 15 | 7’438 | 6’969 | 8’095 | 4’332–12’816 | +25.2% |
| Libraries, archives, museums, botanical and zoological gardens 91 | 7’369 | 7’220 | 7’664 | 4’853–11’212 | +2.8% |
| Rental and leasing 77 | 7’324 | 7’573 | 7’267 | 4’937–16’274 | +15.1% |
| Real estate activities 68 | 7’239 | 6’868 | 7’808 | 4’893–12’535 | +3.3% |
| Advertising and market research 73 | 7’222 | 6’808 | 7’821 | 4’800–13’969 | +4.6% |
| Human health 86 | 7’214 | 6’987 | 8’079 | 5’102–11’759 | +3.7% |
| Repair and installation of machinery and equipment 33 | 7’169 | 6’895 | 7’186 | 5’199–10’903 | +4.1% |
| Civil engineering 42 | 7’161 | 7’032 | 7’171 | 5’712–10’173 | +6.0% |
| Other professional, scientific and technical activities 74 | 7’143 | 6’690 | 7’619 | 4’874–12’226 | +3.8% |
| Air transport 51 | 7’134 | 4’904 | 8’576 | 3’972–14’771 | +2.2% |
| Creative, arts and entertainment 90 | 7’040 | 6’725 | 7’340 | 4’717–10’480 | +2.2% |
| Electrical equipment 27 | 7’005 | 5’661 | 7’357 | 4’802–11’558 | +3.0% |
| Motor vehicles and parts 29 | 6’911 | 6’655 | 6’943 | 4’982–11’209 | +5.9% |
| Social work (non-residential) 88 | 6’802 | 6’582 | 7’370 | 4’681–9’816 | +2.9% |
| Construction of buildings 41 | 6’707 | 6’901 | 6’695 | 5’293–10’052 | +2.4% |
| Veterinary activities 75 | 6’691 | 6’108 | 9’631 | 4’510–11’919 | +6.3% |
| Land transport and transport via pipelines 49 | 6’641 | 6’521 | 6’665 | 4’642–10’060 | +5.3% |
| Sewerage 37 | 6’610 | 6’615 | 6’610 | 4’835–9’493 | +0.1% |
| Manufacture of furniture 31 | 6’599 | 6’339 | 6’657 | 5’219–9’648 | +3.3% |
| Other mining and quarrying 8 | 6’592 | 6’620 | 6’586 | 5’453–8’984 | +4.1% |
| Fabricated metal products 25 | 6’535 | 5’782 | 6’666 | 4’772–9’909 | +4.5% |
| Specialised construction activities 43 | 6’499 | 6’190 | 6’531 | 5’072–9’472 | +3.1% |
| Manufacture of beverages 11 | 6’487 | 6’086 | 6’585 | 4’875–10’353 | +6.3% |
| Glass, ceramics and other non-metallic mineral products 23 | 6’482 | 6’341 | 6’501 | 5’157–10’346 | +2.5% |
| Printing and reproduction of recorded media 18 | 6’476 | 5’862 | 7’068 | 4’553–10’513 | +2.0% |
| Other business support services 82 | 6’410 | 6’102 | 6’826 | 4’324–11’632 | +5.3% |
| Manufacture of paper and paper products 17 | 6’400 | 5’361 | 6’668 | 4’686–9’725 | +2.0% |
| Other manufacturing 32 | 6’400 | 5’651 | 7’014 | 4’091–12’969 | −2.9% |
| Sports and recreation 93 | 6’395 | 5’960 | 6’667 | 4’180–12’179 | +3.2% |
| Audiovisual media 59 | 6’362 | 6’000 | 6’563 | 4’067–10’754 | +7.6% |
| Manufacture of wood and cork products (except furniture) 16 | 6’351 | 6’031 | 6’392 | 4’946–8’641 | +3.6% |
| Rubber and plastic products 22 | 6’322 | 5’419 | 6’607 | 4’582–9’832 | +3.1% |
| Travel agencies 79 | 6’318 | 6’185 | 6’761 | 4’697–10’440 | +4.1% |
| Manufacture of basic metals 24 | 6’279 | 5’945 | 6’312 | 4’546–10’112 | +1.8% |
| Trade and repair of motor vehicles 45 | 6’273 | 5’964 | 6’335 | 4’619–9’972 | +4.1% |
| Residential care 87 | 6’200 | 6’049 | 6’672 | 4’724–9’029 | +4.0% |
| Waste collection, treatment and recovery 38 | 6’159 | 6’422 | 6’121 | 4’595–9’573 | +0.3% |
| Postal and courier activities 53 | 6’145 | 6’256 | 6’097 | 4’615–9’684 | +5.8% |
| Warehousing and support activities for transport 52 | 6’033 | 5’852 | 6’083 | 4’318–10’677 | +3.4% |
| Manufacture of textiles 13 | 6’007 | 5’356 | 6’446 | 4’413–9’516 | +7.0% |
| Gambling and betting 92 | 5’969 | 5’725 | 6’145 | 4’357–9’461 | +3.2% |
| Employment activities 78 | 5’931 | 5’652 | 5’993 | 4’455–9’165 | +1.3% |
| Repair of household goods 95 | 5’901 | 5’578 | 6’012 | 4’441–8’834 | −1.1% |
| Manufacture of food products 10 | 5’463 | 4’992 | 5’832 | 4’151–8’750 | +2.5% |
| Services to buildings and landscape 81 | 5’266 | 4’385 | 5’856 | 3’935–8’155 | +0.3% |
| Retail trade 47 | 5’214 | 5’028 | 5’671 | 4’320–8’505 | +2.3% |
| Security and investigation 80 | 5’117 | 5’021 | 5’145 | 4’376–6’826 | +1.3% |
| Food and beverage service activities 56 | 4’744 | 4’612 | 4’862 | 3’782–6’907 | +3.1% |
| Accommodation 55 | 4’715 | 4’601 | 4’871 | 3’783–7’002 | +3.1% |
| Manufacture of wearing apparel 14 | 4’571 | 4’160 | 6’118 | 3’256–8’662 | −2.9% |
| Other personal services 96 | 4’496 | 4’335 | 5’121 | 3’646–7’166 | +2.6% |
Median salary by occupation 2024
| Occupation | Median | up to 29 | 30–49 | 50+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managers | 10’208 | 6’505 | 9’887 | 11’344 |
| Chief executives, senior officials and legislators | 10’831 | 6’505 | 10’277 | 11’958 |
| Administrative and commercial managers | 10’375 | 6’664 | 10’165 | 11’485 |
| Production and specialised services managers | 9’594 | 6’581 | 9’407 | 10’403 |
| Hospitality, retail and other services managers | 6’723 | 5’636 | 6’739 | 7’002 |
| Professionals | 9’027 | 6’783 | 9’125 | 10’681 |
| Science and engineering professionals | 8’730 | 6’734 | 8’801 | 10’670 |
| Health professionals | 8’000 | 6’642 | 8’152 | 8’968 |
| Teaching professionals | 9’697 | 7’316 | 9’462 | 11’048 |
| Business and administration professionals | 9’509 | 6’706 | 9’707 | 11’215 |
| ICT professionals | 9’949 | 7’200 | 9’995 | 11’349 |
| Legal, social and cultural professionals | 9’122 | 6’707 | 9’064 | 10’326 |
| Technicians and associate professionals | 7’523 | 5’833 | 7’663 | 8’457 |
| Science and engineering associate professionals | 7’507 | 6’088 | 7’568 | 8’208 |
| Health associate professionals | 6’203 | 5’357 | 6’484 | 7’032 |
| Business and administration associate professionals | 7’900 | 5’945 | 7’980 | 8’818 |
| Legal, social and cultural associate professionals | 7’078 | 5’674 | 7’181 | 7’865 |
| ICT technicians | 7’859 | 6’012 | 7’892 | 9’148 |
| Clerical support workers | 6’370 | 5’348 | 6’475 | 7’040 |
| General and keyboard clerks | 6’637 | 5’439 | 6’717 | 7’244 |
| Customer services clerks | 5’965 | 5’079 | 6’126 | 6’871 |
| Numerical and material recording clerks | 6’035 | 5’236 | 6’075 | 6’685 |
| Other clerical support workers | 6’356 | 5’396 | 6’573 | 6’933 |
| Service and sales workers | 5’136 | 4’739 | 5’185 | 5’445 |
| Personal service workers | 4’927 | 4’554 | 4’934 | 5’309 |
| Sales workers | 4’970 | 4’712 | 5’058 | 5’149 |
| Personal care workers | 5’629 | 5’109 | 5’663 | 5’912 |
| Protective services workers | 6’528 | 5’340 | 7’158 | 7’128 |
| Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers | 5’670 | 5’190 | 5’873 | 6’237 |
| Market-oriented skilled agricultural workers | 5’622 | 5’154 | 5’828 | 6’149 |
| Skilled forestry, fishery and hunting workers | 6’109 | 5’486 | 6’406 | 7’359 |
| Craft and related trades workers | 6’190 | 5’482 | 6’341 | 6’705 |
| Building and related trades workers (excluding electricians) | 6’172 | 5’546 | 6’277 | 6’540 |
| Metal, machinery and related trades workers | 6’394 | 5’409 | 6’545 | 7’112 |
| Handicraft and printing workers | 6’165 | 5’291 | 6’189 | 6’787 |
| Electrical and electronics trades workers | 6’432 | 5’765 | 6’681 | 7’352 |
| Food processing, wood working, garment and other craft workers | 5’302 | 4’862 | 5’417 | 5’643 |
| Plant and machine operators and assemblers | 5’897 | 5’305 | 5’880 | 6’205 |
| Stationary plant and machine operators | 5’778 | 5’246 | 5’756 | 6’105 |
| Assemblers | 5’980 | 5’509 | 5’936 | 6’463 |
| Drivers and mobile plant operators | 5’951 | 5’215 | 5’968 | 6’195 |
| Elementary occupations | 5’120 | 4’832 | 5’112 | 5’309 |
| Cleaners and helpers | 4’549 | 4’293 | 4’489 | 4’684 |
| Agricultural, forestry and fishery labourers | 4’919 | 4’574 | 4’985 | 5’193 |
| Labourers in mining, construction, manufacturing and transport | 5’541 | 5’109 | 5’544 | 5’848 |
| Food preparation assistants | 4’429 | 4’242 | 4’411 | 4’579 |
| Refuse workers and other elementary workers | 5’288 | 4’598 | 5’346 | 5’677 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Switzerland?
The FSO publishes the median: CHF 7’024 gross a month for a full-time job in 2024. The median says more than the average because very high salaries do not distort it.
Is the 13th month salary included?
Yes. The survey’s monthly salaries include 1/12 of the 13th month salary and 1/12 of annual special payments. With 13 salaries a year, each payment is therefore lower than the value shown (value × 12 / 13).
How much is deducted from the gross salary?
Employees pay 5.3% for AHV/IV/EO (old-age, disability, income compensation) and 1.1% for unemployment insurance (on salary up to CHF 148’200 a year), plus the pension fund (depends on the fund; legal minimum retirement credits 7 / 10 / 15 / 18% of the coordinated salary, at least half paid by the employer) and non-occupational accident insurance (depends on the insurer). Withholding tax and taxes come on top depending on your situation (as of 2026-01-01).
Which sector pays most?
In 2024, Manufacture of tobacco products had the highest median salary (CHF 14’304) and Other personal services the lowest (CHF 4’496).
Source: BFS, Schweizerische Lohnstrukturerhebung (LSE) · AHV/IV: Synoptische Tabelle der Beitrags- und Prämiensätze, Stand 1.1.2026 · Data as JSON · SLI-2026-10-03.32
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