Which jobs in Switzerland offer the highest wages right now?
The ongoing shortage of skilled workers in Switzerland is pushing salaries in some in-demand fields upwards.
While unions say that many employees in Switzerland are underpaid, and that inflation is eating up part of their wages, in some professions salaries are well above Switzerland’s median annual income of 80,000 francs.
This is what emerges from a recent study released by a Zurich-based personnel consultancy Robert Half.
Sectors where wages are highest
In some industries impacted by shortage of skilled workers, salaries are correspondingly high.
This is what has been happening in the areas of finance, accounting, human resources (HR), and information technology (IT).
In many cases, qualified employees in these sectors can earn upwards of 100,000 francs per year, according to the study.
For example, these wages are common for entry level and in junior positions:
Helpdesk: 110,000 francs
Business analyst: 102,000 francs
HR manager: 103,250 francs
System engineer: 100,500 francs
Data scientist: 100,000 francs
Software developer: 101,500 francs
Credit & Risk Manager: 127,000 francs
These are indeed impressive wages for entry-level positions.
But that’s not all: it gets better.
If you have above-average qualifications (which are defined differently depending on the job), as well as long professional experience in the field, you can expect to earn these six-figure salaries:
Accounting manager: 153,000 francs
Compliance manager: 168,000 francs
Payroll accountant: 132,500 francs
Personal/management assistant: 115,250 francs
HR Business Partner: 142,750 francs
HR specialist: 122,500 francs
Controller: 152,750 francs
READ ALSO: Why are Swiss wages so high?
Why are salaries in these fields so much higher than the median wage?
These wages reflect the current state of Switzerland's labour market (that is, the scarcity of suitable employees), as well as evolving needs of individual sectors.
In IT, for instance, “the pressure on HR managers [to fill vacancies] is immense. There are many open positions, with few available staff,” said Renata von Gottberg, director at Robert Half.
Also, the importance of IT, and various specialisations therein, will continue to increase in the coming years.
“The entire area of IT security plays a central role, especially now that the first new technologies in the areas of automation or artificial intelligence are finding their way into companies,” von Gottberg said.
Given this context, companies are willing to pay a lot to employees able to meet the constantly evolving and complex requirements in these fields.
READ ALSO: What Swiss employers are doing to recruit hard-to-find staff
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While unions say that many employees in Switzerland are underpaid, and that inflation is eating up part of their wages, in some professions salaries are well above Switzerland’s median annual income of 80,000 francs.
This is what emerges from a recent study released by a Zurich-based personnel consultancy Robert Half.
Sectors where wages are highest
In some industries impacted by shortage of skilled workers, salaries are correspondingly high.
This is what has been happening in the areas of finance, accounting, human resources (HR), and information technology (IT).
In many cases, qualified employees in these sectors can earn upwards of 100,000 francs per year, according to the study.
For example, these wages are common for entry level and in junior positions:
Helpdesk: 110,000 francs
Business analyst: 102,000 francs
HR manager: 103,250 francs
System engineer: 100,500 francs
Data scientist: 100,000 francs
Software developer: 101,500 francs
Credit & Risk Manager: 127,000 francs
These are indeed impressive wages for entry-level positions.
But that’s not all: it gets better.
If you have above-average qualifications (which are defined differently depending on the job), as well as long professional experience in the field, you can expect to earn these six-figure salaries:
Accounting manager: 153,000 francs
Compliance manager: 168,000 francs
Payroll accountant: 132,500 francs
Personal/management assistant: 115,250 francs
HR Business Partner: 142,750 francs
HR specialist: 122,500 francs
Controller: 152,750 francs
READ ALSO: Why are Swiss wages so high?
Why are salaries in these fields so much higher than the median wage?
These wages reflect the current state of Switzerland's labour market (that is, the scarcity of suitable employees), as well as evolving needs of individual sectors.
In IT, for instance, “the pressure on HR managers [to fill vacancies] is immense. There are many open positions, with few available staff,” said Renata von Gottberg, director at Robert Half.
Also, the importance of IT, and various specialisations therein, will continue to increase in the coming years.
“The entire area of IT security plays a central role, especially now that the first new technologies in the areas of automation or artificial intelligence are finding their way into companies,” von Gottberg said.
Given this context, companies are willing to pay a lot to employees able to meet the constantly evolving and complex requirements in these fields.
READ ALSO: What Swiss employers are doing to recruit hard-to-find staff
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