In fact, the ‘Lohnbuch’ could very well be Switzerland’s most comprehensive resource for salaries: in addition to basing its figures on collective bargaining agreements, the book also culled data from the Swiss Wage Structure Survey carried out by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).
In all, it comprises 9,400 wage statistics across hundreds of sectors and jobs.
Here are some of the the monthly wages mentioned in the book:
Top executive: 21,538 francs
Graphic designer: 5,000 francs
Engineer: 9,583 francs
Bio-technology specialist: 12,479 to 15,959 francs
Pharmacist: 8,000 francs
Food technology specialist: 10,258 francs
IT worker: 5,000 francs
Back office support: 5,231 francs
Financial specialist: 5,577 francs
Construction industry: 5,599 francs
Cheese production: 5,972 francs
Veterinary assistant: 7,427 francs
Dental hygenist: 5,937 francs
Electrician: 5,000 francs
Carpenter: 5,308 francs
Variables at play
You shouldn’t, however, take these salaries at face value.
That’s not only because they are general averages, but also because various nuances have been taken into account during the calculation process.
For instance, highest wages are often paid in jobs which not only require higher education, more extensive training, or specialist knowledge, but also some salaries are based on the number of years a given person has been in employment.
In other words, differences arise between those who have been employed for a long time and those just starting out.
Regional disparities
These wages are compilations of various pay scales practiced around the country.
This is an important clarification, since salaries vary greatly from one region to another.
In the canton of Zurich, for instance, they are 11 percent higher than the Swiss average, the Lohnbuch indicates.
Salaries in the Lake Geneva region (formed by the cantons of Geneva, Vaud, and Valais) are, on the other hands, slightly lower (by 0.4 percent) than the national average — that is principally because, while wages in Geneva and Vaud are comparably high, they are 'pushed down' by salaries in Valais.
And in Ticino, the pay is even more significantly below the national average: by 17.4 percent.
These articles provide more detailed information about best paid jobs, regions where wages are highest, and general pay scale:
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