What do cleaners earn in Switzerland - and where do they earn the most?
Cleaners in Switzerland earn an average of 31 francs per hour. But as with everything in Switzerland, what you get paid will depend largely on the canton.
On a comparative basis, cleaners tend to be at the lower end of the pay scale.
It’s the same case in Switzerland, although when compared to neighbouring countries, cleaning wages are relatively high.
Across the country, cleaners in Switzerland earn an average of 31 francs per hour.
READ MORE: What do teachers earn in Switzerland – and where do they earn the most?
But as a recent study put together by Swiss domestic worker agency Quitt, the amount you can earn will vary considerably from canton to canton.
How do wages work in Switzerland?
As The Local Switzerland has reported previously, Switzerland does not have a minimum wage at a federal level, although some cantons have put in place their own minimums.
Basel City, Neuchâtel, Jura, and Geneva, and the Italian-speaking Ticino have put in place minimum wage standards.
EXPLAINED: Which Swiss cantons have a minimum wage?
That said, workers in all industries have a relatively high minimum wage, due to unions and collective agreements.
The value of these collective agreements can be seen by the fact that in all Swiss cantons, including those with a minimum wage, cleaners earn more than the statutory minimum.
How much do cleaners earn in each Swiss canton?
Cleaners in several cantons earn more than the 31 franc average, with most of these higher-paying cantons being in the German-speaking part of the country.
Cleaners in French and Italian-speaking Switzerland earn less.
Cleaners in Schwyz earn 32.15 per hour. Cleaners in Nidwalden earn CHF32 and 31.85 in Zurich.
At the other end of the spectrum, cleaners in Neuchâtel earn 25.50 francs per hour. While this is much lower than their Swiss counterparts, it is still far higher than the statutory minimum of 20.08.
Cleaners in Geneva (CHF26.80), Ticino (27.10) and Vaud (27.80) are also among the lowest paid.
Why the variance?
There are a number of factors underpinning why cleaners’ earnings vary from canton to canton.
In some cantons, such as Graubünden, cleaners earn 31.70CHF, which is largely due to the high demand in the canton due to the number of holiday apartments.
Cantons with higher income levels and lower tax also tend to pay cleaners better, Quitt spokesman Bernhard Bircher-Suits told Swiss news outlet 20 Minutes.
"Wages are highest in high-income and low-tax cantons," he said.
The reason for the lower wages in French and Italian-speaking parts of the country is at least in part due to a greater number of cross-border workers, Bircher-Suits said, as well as a higher percentage of people working cash in hand jobs.
A 2019 report by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) confirmed that cash work was more common in Latin Switzerland.
The study took into account more than 5,500 employment contracts of people in the cleaning business all across Switzerland and was published on October 30th, 2021.
See Also
On a comparative basis, cleaners tend to be at the lower end of the pay scale.
It’s the same case in Switzerland, although when compared to neighbouring countries, cleaning wages are relatively high.
Across the country, cleaners in Switzerland earn an average of 31 francs per hour.
READ MORE: What do teachers earn in Switzerland – and where do they earn the most?
But as a recent study put together by Swiss domestic worker agency Quitt, the amount you can earn will vary considerably from canton to canton.
How do wages work in Switzerland?
As The Local Switzerland has reported previously, Switzerland does not have a minimum wage at a federal level, although some cantons have put in place their own minimums.
Basel City, Neuchâtel, Jura, and Geneva, and the Italian-speaking Ticino have put in place minimum wage standards.
EXPLAINED: Which Swiss cantons have a minimum wage?
That said, workers in all industries have a relatively high minimum wage, due to unions and collective agreements.
The value of these collective agreements can be seen by the fact that in all Swiss cantons, including those with a minimum wage, cleaners earn more than the statutory minimum.
How much do cleaners earn in each Swiss canton?
Cleaners in several cantons earn more than the 31 franc average, with most of these higher-paying cantons being in the German-speaking part of the country.
Cleaners in French and Italian-speaking Switzerland earn less.
Cleaners in Schwyz earn 32.15 per hour. Cleaners in Nidwalden earn CHF32 and 31.85 in Zurich.
At the other end of the spectrum, cleaners in Neuchâtel earn 25.50 francs per hour. While this is much lower than their Swiss counterparts, it is still far higher than the statutory minimum of 20.08.
Cleaners in Geneva (CHF26.80), Ticino (27.10) and Vaud (27.80) are also among the lowest paid.
Why the variance?
There are a number of factors underpinning why cleaners’ earnings vary from canton to canton.
In some cantons, such as Graubünden, cleaners earn 31.70CHF, which is largely due to the high demand in the canton due to the number of holiday apartments.
Cantons with higher income levels and lower tax also tend to pay cleaners better, Quitt spokesman Bernhard Bircher-Suits told Swiss news outlet 20 Minutes.
"Wages are highest in high-income and low-tax cantons," he said.
The reason for the lower wages in French and Italian-speaking parts of the country is at least in part due to a greater number of cross-border workers, Bircher-Suits said, as well as a higher percentage of people working cash in hand jobs.
A 2019 report by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) confirmed that cash work was more common in Latin Switzerland.
The study took into account more than 5,500 employment contracts of people in the cleaning business all across Switzerland and was published on October 30th, 2021.
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.