Swiss salary calculator — what people actually earn

This page is orientation and can contain errors. The wage figures come from the official BFS Wage Structure Survey and the contribution rates from the federal social-insurance bodies — what binds is your contract, your payslip and your compensation office.

The median wage in Switzerland is CHF 7024 gross per month for a full-time job (BFS Wage Structure Survey 2024). Below you can compute your statutory deductions and see where your salary sits nationally.

Calculator: deductions and where you stand

CHFper month

Gross monthly salary for a full-time job. Drag the slider or type the amount.

Statutory deductions

AHV/IV/EO (5.3%)
− 372
ALV (1.1%)
− 77
Total deductions
− 450
Left before the rest
CHF 6’574

per year: CHF 84’288

Where you stand

50%

Roughly 50% of employees in Switzerland earn less than this amount.

That is almost exactly the Swiss median wage.

What is NOT included here

  • Pension fund (BVG) — depends on your age and the employer’s plan.
  • Non-occupational accident insurance (NBU) — depends on the employer.
  • Tax — depends on canton, commune and household; if you are taxed at source it is deducted directly.

AHV/IV/EO 5.3% · ALV 1.1% (≤ CHF 148’200/per year)

How Swiss wages are distributed

The average matters less than the spread. The BFS Wage Structure Survey 2024 measures three anchor points for full-time jobs, private and public sector combined:

The lowest-paid 10% earn less than
CHF 4’635
Median — half earn more, half earn less
CHF 7’024
The best-paid 10% earn more than
CHF 12’526

What education changes

According to BFS, wage level is largely determined by education — at comparable education, function and role then decide.

How the median has moved

Gross monthly median, full-time, by survey year:

Bonuses. Just under a third of employees (32.6%) received a bonus in 2024, averaging CHF 11’967 a year (2022: CHF 11’670). The amount varies sharply by sector and level of responsibility.

And what is actually open?

Wage statistics say what gets paid. These lists show who is hiring right now — updated daily:

FAQ

What is the average salary in Switzerland?
The median is more meaningful than the average: CHF 7024 gross per month for a full-time job in 2024 (2022: CHF 6788). Half of all employees earn more, half earn less.
What is deducted from a Swiss gross salary?
Fixed by law: AHV/IV/EO at 5.3% and ALV at 1.1% of gross (the employee share; the employer pays the same again). On top come the pension fund, non-occupational accident insurance and tax — those depend on the plan, the employer and where you live, and cannot be computed generically.
What counts as a good salary in Switzerland?
As a benchmark: above CHF 12526 gross a month puts you in the best-paid 10 percent. Below CHF 4635 is the lowest 10 percent. The median splits the upper and lower half at CHF 7024.
Do I get a 13th month salary?
A 13th month salary is not required by Swiss law — it applies only if your employment contract or a collective agreement provides for it. It is common, but check the contract rather than assuming it.

Sources