A person working as a Laboratory Technician in Switzerland typically earns around 97,000 CHF per year. Salaries range from 50,400 CHF (lowest) to 148,000 CHF (highest).
This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Laboratory Technician salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Laboratory Technician salaries in Switzerland range from 50,400 CHF per year (minimum salary) to 148,000 CHF per year (maximum salary).
The median salary is 93,100 CHF per year, which means that half (50%) of people working as Laboratory Technician(s) are earning less than 93,100 CHF while the other half are earning more than 93,100 CHF. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Laboratory Technician(s) are earning less than 64,600 CHF while 75% of them are earning more than 64,600 CHF. Also from the diagram, 75% of Laboratory Technician(s) are earning less than 116,000 CHF while 25% are earning more than 116,000 CHF.
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning 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
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Laboratory Technician salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
A Laboratory Technician with less than two years of experience makes approximately 57,300 CHF per year.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 76,900 CHF per year, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 99,900 CHF per year, 30% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, Laboratory Technician(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 121,000 CHF per year, 21% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 132,000 CHF per year, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 139,000 CHF per year, 5% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
0 - 2 Years | 57,300 CHF | |
2 - 5 Years | +34% | 76,900 CHF |
5 - 10 Years | +30% | 99,900 CHF |
10 - 15 Years | +21% | 121,000 CHF |
15 - 20 Years | +9% | 132,000 CHF |
20+ Years | +5% | 139,000 CHF |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down Laboratory Technician salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is Bachelor's Degree, the average salary of a Laboratory Technician is 80,800 CHF per year.
While someone with a Master's Degree gets a salary of 112,000 CHF per year, 39% more than someone having a Bachelor's Degree degree.
Bachelor's Degree | 80,800 CHF | |
Master's Degree | +39% | 112,000 CHF |
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Switzerland costs anywhere from 51,600 Swiss Franc(s) to 155,000 Swiss Franc(s) and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you 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 into a higher paying job. The numbers seem to support the thoery. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male Laboratory Technician employees in Switzerland earn 4% more than their female counterparts on average.
Male | 99,000 CHF | |
Female | -4% | 95,000 CHF |
Laboratory Technician(s) in Switzerland are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 10% every 15 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 15 months.
The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely 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.
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
Banking | 3% | |
Energy | 6% | |
Information Technology | 9% | |
Healthcare | 3% | |
Travel | 6% | |
Construction | 9% | |
Education | 3% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Switzerland for the year 2020. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.
A Laboratory Technician is considered to be a low bonus-based job due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.
70% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 30% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 1% to 3% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 30% | |
No Bonus | 70% |
The most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, 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 BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
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.
The main two types of jobs | |
Revenue Generators | Supporting 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: | Example: |
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.
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.
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 fix 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.
The average salary for Laboratory Technician is 37% less than that of Healthcare Technical. Also, Healthcare Technical salaries are 17% less than those of Health and Medical.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Academic Clinician | 242,000 CHF | ![]() |
Admitting Officer | 91,600 CHF | ![]() |
Ambulance Dispatcher | 98,600 CHF | ![]() |
Ambulance Driver | 91,400 CHF | ![]() |
Ambulance Officer and Paramedic | 103,000 CHF | ![]() |
Ambulatory Services Director | 192,000 CHF | ![]() |
Anatomic Pathology Supervisor | 222,000 CHF | ![]() |
Anesthesia Technician | 140,000 CHF | ![]() |
Anesthesiologist | 380,000 CHF | ![]() |
Anesthesiology Assistant | 135,000 CHF | ![]() |
Assistant Optometrist | 112,000 CHF | ![]() |
Audiologist | 233,000 CHF | ![]() |
Biomedical Engineering Director | 180,000 CHF | ![]() |
Biomedical Engineering Technician | 95,600 CHF | ![]() |
Cardiac Technician | 93,200 CHF | ![]() |
Cardiovascular Specialist | 491,000 CHF | ![]() |
Cardiovascular Technologist | 188,000 CHF | ![]() |
Central Sterile Processing Technician | 112,000 CHF | ![]() |
Charge Entry Specialist | 116,000 CHF | ![]() |
Clinical Application Specialist | 115,000 CHF | ![]() |
Clinical Biochemist | 216,000 CHF | ![]() |
Clinical Cytogeneticist | 186,000 CHF | ![]() |
Clinical Data Reviewer | 116,000 CHF | ![]() |
Clinical Development Specialist | 146,000 CHF | ![]() |
Clinical Field Associate | 118,000 CHF | ![]() |
Clinical Genetic Technologist | 189,000 CHF | ![]() |
Clinical Microbiologist | 248,000 CHF | ![]() |
Clinical Molecular Geneticist | 208,000 CHF | ![]() |
Clinical Neuropsychologist | 248,000 CHF | ![]() |
Clinical Research Coordinator | 143,000 CHF | ![]() |
Clinical Scientist | 259,000 CHF | ![]() |
CME Specialist | 202,000 CHF | ![]() |
CT Technologist | 123,000 CHF | ![]() |
Cytogenetic Technologist | 168,000 CHF | ![]() |
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | 138,000 CHF | ![]() |
Dispensing Optician | 120,000 CHF | ![]() |
Dosimetrist | 175,000 CHF | ![]() |
EKG Technician | 109,000 CHF | ![]() |
Endoscopic Assistant | 99,800 CHF | ![]() |
Endoscopy Technician | 97,300 CHF | ![]() |
Enterostomal Therapist | 159,000 CHF | ![]() |
Epidemiologist | 202,000 CHF | ![]() |
FGP Ultrasound Techncian | 103,000 CHF | ![]() |
Health Systems Specialist | 147,000 CHF | ![]() |
Health Technologist | 166,000 CHF | ![]() |
Healthcare Data Analyst | 121,000 CHF | ![]() |
Hearing Aid Specialist | 134,000 CHF | ![]() |
Histotechnologist | 151,000 CHF | ![]() |
Immunologist | 220,000 CHF | ![]() |
Industrial Hygienist | 160,000 CHF | ![]() |
Infection Control Coordinator | 118,000 CHF | ![]() |
Infection Control Practitioner | 273,000 CHF | ![]() |
Infection Preventionist | 179,000 CHF | ![]() |
Informatics Practice Specialist | 140,000 CHF | ![]() |
Interventional Radiographer | 196,000 CHF | ![]() |
Lab Assistant | 95,000 CHF | ![]() |
Laboratory Manager | 182,000 CHF | ![]() |
Laboratory Technician | 97,000 CHF | ![]() |
Low Vision Therapist | 214,000 CHF | ![]() |
Mammography Technician | 101,000 CHF | ![]() |
Medical Coder | 91,500 CHF | ![]() |
Medical Courier | 65,400 CHF | ![]() |
Medical Equipment Preparer | 102,000 CHF | ![]() |
Medical Forms Designer | 82,400 CHF | ![]() |
Medical Technologist | 104,000 CHF | ![]() |
MRI Technologist | 105,000 CHF | ![]() |
Music Therapist | 150,000 CHF | ![]() |
Neonatologist | 280,000 CHF | ![]() |
Neurodiagnostic Techncian | 105,000 CHF | ![]() |
Neuropsychology Testing Assistant | 87,600 CHF | ![]() |
Nuclear Medical Technician | 133,000 CHF | ![]() |
Nuclear Medicine Technolgoist | 140,000 CHF | ![]() |
Nutrition Assistant | 95,800 CHF | ![]() |
Occupaitional Therapy Assistant | 106,000 CHF | ![]() |
Operating Room Scheduler | 89,100 CHF | ![]() |
Operating Room Services Director | 279,000 CHF | ![]() |
Ophthalmic Assistant | 106,000 CHF | ![]() |
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technician | 107,000 CHF | ![]() |
Optician | 217,000 CHF | ![]() |
Orthopedic Technician | 105,000 CHF | ![]() |
Orthoptist | 285,000 CHF | ![]() |
Orthotist | 288,000 CHF | ![]() |
Pathology Assistant | 99,800 CHF | ![]() |
Perfusionist | 304,000 CHF | ![]() |
Phlebotomist | 78,300 CHF | ![]() |
Pre Authorization Case Manager | 147,000 CHF | ![]() |
Prosthetist | 250,000 CHF | ![]() |
Radiation Therapist | 352,000 CHF | ![]() |
Radiation Therapy Technologist | 150,000 CHF | ![]() |
Radiographer | 230,000 CHF | ![]() |
Radiography Technologist | 137,000 CHF | ![]() |
Radiologic Technologist | 147,000 CHF | ![]() |
Radiology Technologist | 150,000 CHF | ![]() |
Respiratory Care Practitioner | 263,000 CHF | ![]() |
Respiratory Therapist | 206,000 CHF | ![]() |
Respiratory Therapy Technician | 117,000 CHF | ![]() |
Sonographer | 145,000 CHF | ![]() |
Sonography Technologist | 138,000 CHF | ![]() |
Speech and Language Pathologist | 218,000 CHF | ![]() |
Ultrasonographer | 116,000 CHF | ![]() |
Ultrasound Technologist | 113,000 CHF | ![]() |
Vascular Technologist | 99,800 CHF | ![]() |
X-Ray Technologist | 143,000 CHF | ![]() |
City | Average Salary |
Basel | 106,000 CHF |
Bern | 99,300 CHF |
Biel | 85,700 CHF |
Geneve | 99,700 CHF |
Lausanne | 98,800 CHF |
Lugano | 89,700 CHF |
Luzern | 95,800 CHF |
St. Gallen | 96,000 CHF |
Winterthur | 92,700 CHF |
Zurich | 104,000 CHF |
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in Switzerland earn 4% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
Private Sector | 121,000 CHF | |
Public Sector | +4% | 126,000 CHF |