Ever wondered what the minimum wage is in Switzerland?
After all, most countries in the world have a minimum wage to protect workers from being exploited. And given that Switzerland is one of the richest countries in the world, surely the minimum wage would be quite high, right?
Well, the whole subject of a minimum wage in Switzerland is quite confusing, to say the least…
Table of Contents
What Is the Minimum Wage in Switzerland?
Switzerland does not have a nationwide minimum wage. Instead, minimum wage levels in Switzerland are often determined either by each canton or by collective labor agreements negotiated between trade unions and employers’ associations in various sectors.
Minimum Wage By Canton Or City
Despite the federal government not having a minimum wage in Switzerland, there are still some cantons and cities that have set one.
They are certainly in the minority at the moment, with only five cantons and two cities having set a value.
Here is a list of the minimum wages in Switzerland:
| Canton Or City | Minimum Wage (CHF/hour) |
| Zurich City | 23.90 |
| Winterthur | 23.00 |
| Canton Geneva | 23.00 |
| Canton Basel City | 21.00 |
| Canton Jura | 20.60 |
| Canton Neuchâtel | 20.77 |
| Canton Tessin | 19.00–23.00 |
Want To Save This For Later?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
** This data was taken from Unia.ch, the labor union in Switzerland
Minimum Wage Calculator
Although there is no specific minimum wage calculator in Switzerland, you can use the wage calculator given by the government.
This calculator can give you an idea of the salary you can expect given your:
- Sector of work
- Position
- Age
- Experience
- Education
- Canton
Obviously, there is some leeway in these values depending on the job, the employer, the exact location of the job and more. However, it is a great starting point for understanding how much you can expect for a given job.
Average Salary in Switzerland
In 2022, the average salary in Switzerland was 6712 CHF per month. This is a yearly salary of 80544 and was up 1.8% from the previous year.
Switzerland has one of Europe’s highest salaries. And when you compare Switzerland to many of its neighbors it is quite rich. However, the cost of living is significantly higher in Switzerland, which balances things out a lot.
Here are some other salary averages across Europe for comparison:
| Country | Average Salary (Euros) |
| EU | 33,500 |
| Germany | 44,404 |
| Belgium | 48,722 |
| France | 40.135 |
| Italy | 29,511 |
| Croatia | 16,169 |
| Bulgaria | 10,135 |
