Workers lay reinforcement steel in a tunnel between Bellinzona and Lugano.
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From baker to banker, Swiss workers earn salaries that must be put into perspective.
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Kai works as a designer in the multimedia team at SWI swissinfo.ch. At the junction between journalism and design, he develops infographics, animations, maps and new formats for social media.
Not content to mind her own business, Susan studied journalism in Boston so she’d have the perfect excuse to put herself in other people’s shoes and worlds. When not writing, she presents and produces podcasts and videos.
Like anywhere in the world, salaries in Switzerland vary depending on factors like education, experience and location. Each year, canton Zurich’s Office for Economy and LabourExternal link publishes a guide outlining salaries for nearly every profession imaginable. This year’s 800-page Lohnbuch 2017External link (in German) compiles salary data such as minimum suggested wages plus typical salary ranges based on age and experience.
You can learn more about working conditions in Switzerland in swissinfo.ch’s guide to salaries, which covers everything from pay and deductions to contracts and working hours.
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While the figures might seem high – especially in some branches – it’s important to remember that Switzerland also has a high cost of living. For example, people spend about a third of their income on rent alone.
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