Minimum wage and average salary

A popular initiative that wanted to introduce a minimum wage of CHF 4,000 per month (CHF 22 per hour) was rejected by Swiss voters in 2014.

Although there is no national minimum wage, by international comparison, Swiss wages are high.

In recent years, several cantons have introduced a canton-wide minimum wage:

Some sectors have established minimum wages negotiated between unions and employers' associations. They are defined in the collective and standard employment agreements of the various professional branches. If you work in a sector that has introduced a minimum wage, your salary cannot generally be lower than the minimum wage indicated in the collective and standard employment agreements in your sector.

NB: in some cases, these agreements apply to all workers in the sector; in other cases they apply to companies that have signed the agreement. Furthermore, an agreement may apply to all workers in a sector or only to certain categories of workers. (link content in German, French or Italian)

The Swiss trade unions can tell you exactly which sectors have a minimum wage, what conditions apply and who can benefit from it. 

The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs keeps an up-to-date list of these agreements and salary conditions and information on how they are applied. (link content in German, French or Italian)

The Federal Statistical Office records data on wage development in Switzerland over the years, according to sector and branch of the economy.

If you would like to know the average monthly salary paid in Switzerland for a particular profession, you can use the national wage calculator provided by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Association of Swiss Labour Market Authorities (VSAA).

Under the Swiss Constitution and the Gender Equality Act, men and women should receive equal pay for the same work. If you are aware of a case of wage discrimination, you will find useful information and contacts on the Federal Office for Gender Equality website.