New study exposes huge gap between Swiss and expat salaries

The latest Labour Force Survey from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) has revealed that salaries in Switzerland are on the rise. However, while wages have risen across the board, expats and women are often thousands of francs worse off than their male Swiss counterparts.

Salaries in Switzerland continue to rise

According to the figures, the median salary in Switzerland at the end of 2024 stood at 85.100 francs a year, the equivalent of 7.092 francs a month. This is 600 francs a year higher than in 2023, and 7.300 francs more than in 2010.

Naturally, managerial and administrative staff were the highest paid job sectors, with a median salary of 125.000 francs a year. They were followed by jobs that require a university degree, at 109.500 francs. The lowest paid were unskilled workers, at 61.600 francs a year.

Expats thousands of francs worse off than Swiss workers

While the study confirmed that most workers have seen their wages rise, it also exposed major disparities between Swiss citizens and expats. As of the end of 2024, Swiss workers earned a median salary of 89.700 francs a year, 4.600 francs a year or 5,1 percent more than expats.

The biggest disparities were found between Swiss and non-Swiss men, with the latter earning 80.000 francs a year to the former’s 94.900 francs, an 18 percent difference. Swiss women (80.000 francs) and female expats (72.000 francs) are also not on equal terms. 

There is also little sign that this salary gap is closing: since 2022, wages have risen by 5,5 percent for Swiss citizens, but only by 4,1 percent for expats.

Gender wage gap in Switzerland: Stark but improving

The wage gap between men and women was also sizeable, with women (73.500 francs a year) earning 15,7 percent less salary than men (85.100 francs) on average. In its most recent study, the Federal Office for Gender Equality noted that while 52,2 percent of this gap can be explained by factors like working hours, level of education, differences in job and sector, among other factors, 47,8 percent of the gap cannot be explained, meaning it “may constitute gender-related pay discrimination”.

However, there are signs of improvement on this front. Women’s wages overall rose by 2,6 percent between 2023 and 2024, a percentage point more than men. For the full study, check out the FSO website.