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Engineering Average Salaries in Switzerland 2024

How much money does a person working in Engineering make in Switzerland?


Average Yearly Salary
105,000 CHF
( 8,750 CHF monthly)

LOW
33,200
CHF
AVERAGE
105,000
CHF
HIGH
221,000
CHF
All salary figures displayed here are per year except when noted otherwise.
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.

A person working in Engineering in Switzerland typically earns around 105,000 CHF. Salaries range from 33,200 CHF (lowest average) to 221,000 CHF (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).


Salary Variance

The provided figure represents the median compensation that encompasses housing, transportation, and other perks. The salaries within the Engineering domain in Switzerland exhibit significant discrepancies across various professions. In case you seek information about the remuneration of a specific position, please refer to the salaries listed below for respective job titles.

Salaries for specific jobs

Job TitleAverage Salary
Engineering
3D Printing Engineer105,000 CHF
Acoustics Engineer113,000 CHF
Assembly Engineering Technician85,600 CHF
Assistant Chief Engineer125,000 CHF
Associate Engineer97,700 CHF
AutoCAD Drafter67,500 CHF
Autocad Operator69,600 CHF
Automation Engineer116,000 CHF
Automation Engineer115,000 CHF
Avionic System Support Engineer109,000 CHF
Biochemical Engineer101,000 CHF
BMS Engineer110,000 CHF
Bridge and Lock Tender63,300 CHF
Broadcast Engineer110,000 CHF
CAD Design Engineer111,000 CHF
CAD Designer68,200 CHF
CAE Engineer111,000 CHF
Ceramics Engineer104,000 CHF
Chemical Engineer120,000 CHF
Civil Drafter67,500 CHF
Civil Engineer118,000 CHF
Civil Site Engineer115,000 CHF
Civil Technician68,400 CHF
Cognitive Engineer110,000 CHF
Commissioning Engineer108,000 CHF
Communications Engineer123,000 CHF
Condition Monitoring Engineer96,900 CHF
Contract Associate Engineer103,000 CHF
Contract Engineer104,000 CHF
Control Systems Engineer108,000 CHF
Controls Engineer110,000 CHF
Controls Software Engineer97,800 CHF
Corrosion Engineer102,000 CHF
Design Engineer118,000 CHF
Director of Engineering235,000 CHF
Drafter67,500 CHF
Drafting Manager125,000 CHF
Drilling Engineer114,000 CHF
Drilling Foreman34,200 CHF
Electrical Draughtsman54,700 CHF
Electrical Engineer130,000 CHF
Electrical Engineering Manager155,000 CHF
Electromechanical Engineering Technologist116,000 CHF
Electromechanical Equipment Assembler57,100 CHF
Energy Engineer121,000 CHF
Engine Assembler50,400 CHF
Engineer115,000 CHF
Engineering Account Manager126,000 CHF
Engineering Chief Designer127,000 CHF
Engineering Consultant155,000 CHF
Engineering Key Account Manager166,000 CHF
Engineering Lab Technician104,000 CHF
Engineering Manager150,000 CHF
Engineering Planning Manager163,000 CHF
Engineering Production Manager206,000 CHF
Engineering Project Analyst132,000 CHF
Engineering Project Coordinator 137,000 CHF
Engineering Project Director233,000 CHF
Engineering Project Leader152,000 CHF
Engineering Project Manager164,000 CHF
Engineering Research and Development Manager181,000 CHF
Engineering Safety Coordinator91,000 CHF
Engineering Sales Manager156,000 CHF
Engineering Technician91,000 CHF
Engineering Technologist85,700 CHF
Environmental Engineer108,000 CHF
Equipment Engineer102,000 CHF
Equipment Engineering Manager148,000 CHF
Estimator93,000 CHF
Fabrication Specialist82,200 CHF
Fabricator53,400 CHF
Facade Engineer106,000 CHF
Fiber Analyst67,900 CHF
Field Engineer118,000 CHF
Field Engineering Manager194,000 CHF
Fire Engineer114,000 CHF
Fitter and Turner36,800 CHF
Forestry Strategic Planner131,000 CHF
Generation Engineer116,000 CHF
Genetic Engineer120,000 CHF
Geological Engineer118,000 CHF
Geotechnical Engineer123,000 CHF
Heavy Equipment Mechanic62,900 CHF
Highway Engineer117,000 CHF
HSE Professional103,000 CHF
Human Machine Interface Engineer101,000 CHF
HVAC Engineer126,000 CHF
HVAC Supervisor102,000 CHF
Industrial Engineer104,000 CHF
Industrial Engineering Technologist109,000 CHF
Instrument Engineer107,000 CHF
Instrument Technician61,800 CHF
Instrumentation and Control Engineer112,000 CHF
Instrumentation Designer97,000 CHF
Instrumentation Engineer113,000 CHF
Instrumentation Manager115,000 CHF
Irrigation Engineer106,000 CHF
Licensed Aircraft Engineer118,000 CHF
Locomotive Engineer109,000 CHF
Maintenance Engineer103,000 CHF
Maintenance Fitter38,300 CHF
Maintenance Manager114,000 CHF
Manufacturing Engineer107,000 CHF
Marine Engineer113,000 CHF
Materials Engineer111,000 CHF
Materials Researcher102,000 CHF
Materials Technician82,600 CHF
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer117,000 CHF
Mechanical Design Engineer121,000 CHF
Mechanical Designer98,900 CHF
Mechanical Engineer122,000 CHF
Mechanical Engineering Manager163,000 CHF
Mechanical Inspector107,000 CHF
Mechatronics Engineer120,000 CHF
Mining Engineer113,000 CHF
Nanotechnology Engineer115,000 CHF
Natural Language Processing Engineer122,000 CHF
Oil and Petrochemical Engineer129,000 CHF
Optical Engineer114,000 CHF
Optical Instrument Assembler59,900 CHF
PCB Assembler41,300 CHF
Photonics Engineer127,000 CHF
Photonics Technician105,000 CHF
Pipeline Engineer99,500 CHF
Piping Designer59,600 CHF
Piping Engineer102,000 CHF
Planning Engineer119,000 CHF
Pressure Vessel Inspector52,700 CHF
Principal Cost Engineer118,000 CHF
Principal Engineer109,000 CHF
Principal Support Engineer111,000 CHF
Process Engineer107,000 CHF
Process Operator63,800 CHF
Product Development Engineer113,000 CHF
Product Development Technician84,200 CHF
Product Engineer115,000 CHF
Product Safety Engineer103,000 CHF
Production Engineer117,000 CHF
Project Engineer118,000 CHF
Proposal Manager150,000 CHF
Purchasing Engineer99,400 CHF
Quality Assurance Engineer111,000 CHF
Rail Engineer114,000 CHF
Regional Field Engineer127,000 CHF
Remote Sensing Engineer114,000 CHF
Robotics Engineer131,000 CHF
Robotics Technician95,900 CHF
Safety Engineer114,000 CHF
Safety Inspector86,600 CHF
Safety Manager129,000 CHF
Safety Officer56,500 CHF
Sales Engineer119,000 CHF
Scheduling Engineer105,000 CHF
Security Engineer125,000 CHF
Service Engineer121,000 CHF
Smart Home Engineer119,000 CHF
Solar Engineer117,000 CHF
Staff Engineer112,000 CHF
Static Equipment Engineer114,000 CHF
Stationary Engineer101,000 CHF
Stress Engineer110,000 CHF
Structural Analysis Engineer106,000 CHF
Structural Designer98,800 CHF
Structural Engineer107,000 CHF
Structural Technician70,800 CHF
Subsea Engineer144,000 CHF
Supply Chain Specialist106,000 CHF
Surveyor86,300 CHF
Technical Affairs Officer55,300 CHF
Technical Assistant57,000 CHF
Technical Engineer96,000 CHF
Technical Support Engineer96,900 CHF
Tender Engineer105,000 CHF
Test Development Engineer115,000 CHF
Test Engineer108,000 CHF
Transportation Engineer110,000 CHF
Urban Engineer113,000 CHF
Validation Engineer101,000 CHF
Verification Engineer109,000 CHF
Wastewater Engineer109,000 CHF
Wind Energy Engineer109,000 CHF
Wind Energy Operations Manager145,000 CHF
Wireless Engineer126,000 CHF
Work Planner82,900 CHF


Engineering Jobs Pay Scale and Salaries in Switzerland

Median and salary distribution Switzerland Engineering yearly
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Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison

5% of people earn
106,000 CHF or more
10% of people earn
87,800 to 106,000 CHF
20% of people earn
47,300 CHF or less
65% of people earn
47,300 to 87,800 CHF
Minimum Salary
33,200 CHF
Median
92,400 CHF
Maximum
221,000 CHF




Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range

All salary figures displayed here are per year except when noted otherwise.
  • Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary

    Salaries in Engineering in Switzerland range from 33,200 CHF (starting average salary) to 221,000 CHF (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher). To clarify, the number presented is not the legally mandated minimum wage. Rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that involved thousands of participants and professionals from across the entire country.

  • Median Salary

    The median income in the field of Engineering is 92,400 CHF, implying that half of the workforce in Switzerland earns less than this figure, and the other half earns more. It represents the central value of salaries. As a rule of thumb, you would prefer to be part of the group earning above the median wage, situated on the right-hand side of the salary distribution chart.

  • Percentiles and Salary Scale

    Two values that are highly correlated with the median are the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution diagram, it is possible to determine that 25% of individuals employed in Engineering in Switzerland earn less than 69,100 CHF, while 75% of them earn more. Additionally, the diagram reveals that 75% of individuals earn less than 114,000 CHF, while 25% earn more than that.

  • Pay Scale Structure

    Data was regrouped into brackets to provide a better understanding of what salaries can be expected. This approach was deemed more accurate than relying solely on the average salary, as it offers greater insights into the distribution of salaries in the field of Engineering in Switzerland. The analysis revealed that roughly 65% of all reported salaries fell within the range of 47,300 CHF to 87,800 CHF. Approximately 20% of salaries were below the 47,300 CHF mark, while 10% ranged from 87,800 CHF to 106,000 CHF. Only 5% of individuals earned a gross salary of 106,000 CHF or higher.

Salary Comparison by Years of Experience

How does a person's salary progress over time?

Salary Comparison By Experience Level
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The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage.

Generally speaking, employees in Engineering in Switzerland having experience from two to five years earn on average 32% more than freshers and juniors across all industries and disciplines.

Professionals with experience of more than five years tend to earn on average 36% more than those with five years or less of work experience.

As you hit the ten years mark, the salary increases by 21% and an additional 14% for those who have crossed the 15 years mark.

Those figures are presented as guidelines only. The numbers become more significant if you consider one job title at a time.


Change in salary based on experience varies drastically from one location to another and depends hugely on the career field as well. The data displayed here is the combined average of many different jobs. To view accurate figures, choose a specific job title.
On average, a person's salary doubles their starting salary by the time they cross the 10 years* experience mark.
* Based on the average change in salary over time. Salary variations differ from person to person.


Salary Comparison By Education

How does the education level affect your salary?

Salary Comparison By Education
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Change in salary based on education varies drastically from one location to another and depends hugely on the career field as well. The data displayed here is the combined average of multiple jobs. To view accurate figures, choose a specific job title.

It is well known that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income?

We compared the salaries of professionals at the same level but with different college degree levels across many jobs in Engineering in Switzerland, below are our findings.

Workers with a certificate or diploma earn on average 17% more than their peers who only reached the high school level.

Employees who earned a Bachelor's Degree earn 24% more than those who only managed to attain a certificate or diploma.

Professionals who attained a Master's Degree are awarded salaries that are 29% more than those with a Bachelor's Degree.

Finally, PhD holders earn 23% more than Master's Degree holders on average while doing the same job.


Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?

A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Switzerland costs anywhere from 51,800 CHF to 155,000 CHF and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.

Employees can't expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming they already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.

Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch to a higher-paying job. The numbers seem to support this tactic. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.

The decision really depends on the situation and experience among many other factors. Putting all variables aside, if a person can afford the costs of higher education then the return on investment is definitely worth it. Degree costs can be recovered roughly in a year or so.



Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Engineering / Switzerland

Salary comparison by gender Switzerland Engineering yearly
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Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? In the field of Engineering in Switzerland, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 4%.

Male
107,000 CHF
Female-4%
103,000 CHF
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Comparison By Gender in Switzerland for all Careers

Salary comparison by gender yearly Switzerland
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Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Engineering / Switzerland

How much are annual salary increments in Switzerland for individuals working in Engineering? How often do employees get salary raises?

Professionals working in Engineering in Switzerland are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 10% every 14 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 15 months.

Annual Salary Increment Rate Switzerland Engineering
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The figures provided here are averages of numbers. Those figures should be taken as general guidelines. Salary increments will vary from person to person and depend on many factors, but your performance and contribution to the success of the organization remain the most important factors in determining how much and how often you will be granted a raise.

Switzerland / All Professions

Annual Salary Increment Rate Switzerland
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The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.

How to calculate the salary increment percentage?

The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency

The average salary increase in one year (12 months) in Switzerland is 7%.

Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs

World Average Annual Salary Increment
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Salary Packages and Schemes

Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.

Bonus and Incentive Rates / Engineering / Switzerland

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?Annual Salary Bonus Rate Switzerland Engineering
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47% of surveyed staff in Engineering reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 53% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.

Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 5% of their annual salary.

Received Bonus
53%
No Bonus
47%

Types of Bonuses Considered

Individual Performance-Based Bonuses

The most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.

Company Performance Bonuses

Occasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.

Goal-Based Bonuses

Granted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.

Holiday / End of Year Bonuses

These types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.

Bonuses Are Not Commissions!

People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.


What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?

The main two types of jobs

Revenue GeneratorsSupporting Cast

Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business.

Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations.

Example:
A graphics designer working for a graphics designing company.

Example:
A graphic designer in the marketing department of a hospital.


Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.

Try to work for companies where your skills can generate revenue. We can't all generate revenue and that's perfectly fine.

Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level

Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.

Hourly Average Wage / Engineering / Switzerland


50 CHF per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in Engineering in Switzerland is 50 CHF.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.


Hourly Wage = Annual Salary / ( 52 x 5 x 8 )

About The Hourly Pay Rate

The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.

What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?

The minimum pay rate per hour for people working in Engineering in Switzerland is 16 CHF. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.

Salary Comparison By City

CityAverage Salary
Basel112,000 CHF
Bern108,000 CHF
Biel97,600 CHF
Geneve114,000 CHF
Lausanne110,000 CHF
Lugano99,700 CHF
Luzern104,000 CHF
St. Gallen102,000 CHF
Winterthur106,000 CHF
Zurich116,000 CHF

Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison

Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in Switzerland is 4% on average across all career fields.

Private Sector
122,000 CHF
Public Sector+4%
127,000 CHF
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide

What is considered to be a good and competitive salary in Engineering in Switzerland?

A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 92,400 CHF and 114,000 CHF. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.

Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)

All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.

Base / Basic Salary

The base salary for jobs in Engineering in Switzerland ranges from 33,200 CHF to 69,100 CHF. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.


What is the difference between the median and the average salary?

Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary


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