Swiss salaries reflect a 19% wage gap between men and women

Crass: not only the contrast in pay between bankers and cleaners, but also between men and women in similar jobs in Switzerland © Keystone / Christian Beutler

Large wage gaps continue by gender in Switzerland, where typical salaries are CHF6,000 per month.

According to the Federal Office for StatisticsExternal link, the median gross salary of male full-time employees in Switzerland stood at CHF85,200 ($87,276) last year, while for full-time female employees it was CHF71,500 – a 19% pay gap.

Among the self-employed, there was a 41% pay gap with men earning CHF80,000 compared with CHF56,700 for women.

At the top of the company hierarchy, male executives earned CHF125,900, compared with CHF96,000 for women – a 31% pay gap.

The gap narrowed for administrative staff: men had median gross salaries of CHF74,800, compared with CHF71,300 for women. But it was wider for people in the service or sales sectors: CHF71,200 for men versus CHF55,600 for women.

The median salary for male unskilled workers was CHF64,500 last year, compared with CHF48,400 francs for women.

+ Do Swiss salaries sound high to you? This is what an average one will cover

13 months of salary

In Switzerland, people typically get paid on a monthly basis, with an extra installment received near the end of the year to help with expenses like holiday spending and taxes.

It may sound generous, yet the median monthly wage of CHF6,500 or more, even if paid out 13 times a year, is spent quickly in Switzerland.

Kai Reusser / swissinfo.ch