mean salary in switzerland

Salaries depend largely on education, sector, region and age. The following information is based on the median value. This means that 50% of employees earn more and 50% less. Median salaries are calculated on the basis of a full-time equivalent of 40 working hours per week.

Gross monthly salary (median)

In 2022, the gross monthly salary in the private and public sectors (all levels of education and all ages) was CHF 6,788. In the private sector, salaries were CHF 6,600, and in the public sector around CHF 8,000.

Salaries for academics

The median gross monthly salary for academic professions was CHF 9,248 in 2022 (all age groups, men and women)
Senior managers and executives earned CHF 11,397 gross, and junior managers CHF 9,128.

In the R&D sector, senior managers and executives earned a median of CHF 14,017.

Salaries by sector

Salaries in Switzerland vary widely by sector. In 2022, the following median salaries were well above the general average (all levels of education, all age groups):

• Insurance: CHF 8,900
• Information and communication technology: CHF 9,131
• Financial services: CHF 10,211
• Pharmaceuticals: CHF 10,040

The highest salaries were paid to executives in the following sectors:

• Pharmaceuticals: CHF 19,528
• Financial services: CHF 15,218
• Insurance: CHF 14,589

Salary calculator

Salary expectations depend on age, education and sector of activity, as well as region, company and professional experience
You can use the SFSO’s Salarium salary calculator to estimate your salary based on these parameters.

The poverty line

In 2022, the average poverty line was CHF 2,289 per month for a single person, and CHF 3,998 per month for a household consisting of two adults and two children under 14.

All people in Switzerland aged between 20 and 59 living in a household with a monthly income below this threshold, after deduction of social security contributions (AHV, IV, BVG, unemployment) and taxes, are considered poor.

(Source: Swiss Federal Statistical Office, ESS 2022)