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Again and again the question arises what certain professional groups actually earn. The most frequent question was "What does a doctor actually earn" at. Pay transparency is not necessarily an issue that Switzerland is known for.
The aim of this article is not to make some people frustrated about the high salaries of others. Rather, it is about transparency and motivation. You will also find out what the High income trap which shows that a high income does not automatically lead to wealth.
If you have any more questions on the topic, we look forward to an exchange in the comments!
Are you a HENRY? HENRY stands for "High earners, not rich yet". In Switzerland, there are relatively high salaries and, accordingly, many high earners. However, a high income does not automatically mean that someone is or will become really wealthy. In the end, it's what you do with your income that counts.
Networth = assets - liabilities
Whether you are a civil engineer or a construction worker, the bottom line for net worth is how many assets you have created and how much debt you have.
Of course, it is desirable that you not only receive a high income, but also that your Making money work for you. Just like Warren Buffett's saying "if you planted a tree years ago, you can lie in the shade today". To do this, you minimize consumer debt and invest in viable assets.
CHF 226,924 is what salaried Swiss doctors earn: Across all disciplines, this is the average wage. This includes many upward, but certainly also downward swings. In dermatology it goes up to 278k, while in gynaecology it is 222k and in primary care 169k on average.
If you earn more than 500k a year as a doctor, you are among the top 5 percent of our doctors. However, more than 50% of the employed Swiss doctors earn less than 200k per year.
Self-employed Swiss doctors earn CHF 320,209: Across all specialisms, this is a high average salary. Many upward, but certainly also downward, fluctuations are included. For self-employed surgeons we are talking about an average of CHF 502k and for self-employed psychiatrists CHF 214,000 per year.
The top earners are located here at 640k and the lower 50% at 256k per year.
Not bad at all, is it? And what about the teachers?
Source: Federal Office of Public Health
How much does a teacher earn on High school? With the vocational schools, teachers at Swiss grammar schools earn the most due to their training. The average starting salary in 2024 was CHF 101,434. The highest earners at Swiss grammar schools earn an average of CHF 156,474. The canton of Zug is currently clearly in the lead, followed by Zurich, Thurgau and Valais.
How much does a teacher of Secondary school? If you summarise the sec on average, the average starting salary in 2024 was CHF 90,800. For the top earners, it was CHF 137,300 per year.
How much does a teacher earn at Primary school? The average starting salary for primary school teachers is CHF 77,800 and the maximum salary for maximum earners is CHF 117,700 averaged over the whole of Switzerland. Geneva and then Zurich are among the best-paying cantons.
Some people would still mention the many days of vacation, but a (dedicated) teacher would be able to point out the amount of work during the holidays 😇. Therefore we will now go on to the pilots.
"Intelligent people learn from the mistakes of others".
We have compiled our top selection for you from all our tests and experience reports:
How much does a pilot earn on short distances?
In 2018, a co-pilot at Swiss received CHF 76,000 per year. After the pandemic, this may have stabilised and probably improved significantly.
How much does a co-pilot earn on long-haul flights? On long-haul routes, the figure for co-pilots was already around CHF 100,000 per year. This is appropriate compensation for the responsibility and time demands on long-haul routes. Even if it could be more, couldn't it?
How much does a pilot earn as a captain? As a captain, things look better at Swiss. On short-haul routes it's CHF 148,000 and on long-haul routes it's around CHF 210,000 per year after a certain number of years of service.
While the number of flights was rather low in 2020, some lawyers could hardly save themselves from work. There was time to argue for many. So how are things looking for Swiss lawyers?
How much does a lawyer earn on average in Switzerland? Anyone who has made it through the lengthy studies can look forward to adequate remuneration as a lawyer. According to Wage analysis more than half of all Swiss lawyers earn more than CHF 140,000 per year or more than CHF 11,670 per month.
The range is generally between CHF 8,334 and CHF 24,167 gross per month and rises rapidly with professional experience. The graph of professional experience and increasing salary runs (with curves) like a ramp with a 45° incline upwards!
By the way, it is exciting to observe that Women in recent years have been able to claim 27% more salary than men. For while the wage increase for men was 17%, for women it was 44%! The analysis does not reveal the absolute situation between the sexes. But the increase is considerable. Incidentally, lawyers earn best in Zurich, Basel and then Geneva.
You have repeatedly asked how much a Federal Councillor earns. So let's take a look at Bern.
How much does a Federal Councillor earn? While Italy voted in favour of reducing the size of parliament, Switzerland cannot necessarily complain about having too many decision-makers. Here, seven federal councillors decide on all business by majority vote. But what do they actually receive as compensation?
In addition to a representative vehicle and a separate company car (charged at 0.8% of the new price), a 1st class public transport ticket and a GA travelcard for cable cars are also available for travelling. Helicopters and aeroplanes can of course be used on duty. Flat rate CHF 30,000 per year is still freely available for expenses.
So far, so good, but what about salary? A Federal Councillor currently receives CHF 472,958 per year.
A political career can therefore definitely be worthwhile. Nevertheless, the same applies to all high earners as to all normal earners: your expenses determine your wealth.
"Intelligent people learn from the mistakes of others".
We have compiled our top selection for you from all our tests and experience reports:
Career starters are often interested in salaries in various sectors. The above salaries are also repeatedly brought up in other discussions. Of course, these do not always represent the typical income and so you should not be bothered if you earn less than a self-employed doctor. On the contrary - good work should be remunerated accordingly. And if you earn more, you can spend more elsewhere and thus give something back to the community.
Furthermore, as is well known, one does not become rich by the money one takes in, but by that money which one does not spend. Thus a craftsman can easily build up a fortune, while a banker lives from salary to salary with high living costs.
No matter how high your income is, it is always advisable to build up a nest egg, Investment Strategy and take control of your own finances!
Do you have any more questions or suggestions on this topic?
Leave us a comment there!
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2 responses
This article focuses on rather exotic professions such as federal councillor, lawyer or doctor, which are probably out of reach for the vast majority of the population. I see the salary calculator of the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions as an important addition: https://www.lohnrechner.ch/ which provides information on all sectors and common occupations across all regions.
I think teachers' salaries are absolutely fair according to the latest study.... https://www.kibemo.ch/blogs/news/der-grosse-kantonale-lohnvergleich-fur-lehrpersonen-in-der-schweiz