Is everyone in Switzerland living well? How much does a pilot, decorator, ticket taker, manager, librarian, veterinarian earn? In the new issue of the "Salary Book", the salaries of representatives of two hundred professions are analyzed. As NashaGazeta.ch clarifies in its publication, the amount of compensation depends, among other things, on age, experience, qualifications, and the company you work for. For this reason, the figures below are for informational purposes only, and salaries are indicated before tax deductions.
The highest salary last year – 21,077 francs – could be boasted by financial directors of credit institutions with six years of experience. For comparison, the director of Zurich Airport and the rector of the university received 14,732 and 14,632 francs respectively. The smallest salary was that of a cargo ship machinist – only 1,379 francs.
And now specific figures – the amounts of compensation for various specialists across the country.
Civil aviation pilot (with 16 years of experience) – 13,440 francs, certified accountant – 12,719, university professor – 11,960, veterinarian (in a public institution) – 11,153, consul general – 10,963, architect – 10,483, district court judge – 10,400, archive director – 10,371, air traffic controller – 10,307, insurance company employee (with experience) – 10,281, conservatory professor (Zurich) – 9,543, software developer – 9,161, military pilot – 9,061, priest – 8,595, auditor in banking (with 5 years of experience) – 8,462, geologist – 8,120, translator – 8,008, doctor – 7,436, chemist (Basel) – 7,379, lawyer in a non-governmental organization – 7,022, primary school teacher – 6,981, pharmacist – 6,488, journalist (with 8 years of experience) – 6,894, librarian – 6,606 (with 10 years of experience), prison guard (on par with speech therapist) – 6,593, pharmacist – 6,488, social worker – 6,198, programmer – 6,000, tram driver – 5,849 (Zurich), roofer – 5,488 (with 5 years of experience), lighting technician at the Zurich Opera – 5,052, carpenter – 4,900, masseur – 4,800 (with 5 years of experience), orderly – 4,699, dental technician – 4,600 (with 3 years of experience), gardener – 4,500 (with 3 years of experience), auto mechanic – 4,400, camera operator – 4,242, artist – 4,145, bookstore clerk – 3,950, aircraft mechanic – 3,896, tattoo artist – 3,800, minibar attendant on a train – 3,750, postman – 3,668, hospital cleaner – 3,504, dog groomer – 3,300, groom – 3,213, bartender – 3,134, taxi driver – 3,100, DJ – 2,700 (no experience), circus performer – 2,000, Au-Pair girl – 1,580, boom operator in film industry – 1,470.
Looking back in time, according to the Federal Statistical Office, the median salary (i.e., half of the population earns more, and the other half less) in 2012 was 6,439 francs in Switzerland (460 francs more than in 2010). At the same time, differences between regions increased: while in Zurich (the most favorable canton for job seekers) the median salary was 6,900 francs, in Ticino (the canton with the lowest salaries) it was 5,388 francs.
In second place in terms of salary attractiveness was Northwestern Switzerland (Basel and Aargau – 6,653 francs), third – the Lake Geneva region (Geneva, Vaud, Valais – 6,558), fourth – Central Switzerland (6,313 francs), fifth – the Swiss Plateau (6,308), sixth – Eastern Switzerland (5,933) and last – the already mentioned Ticino (5,388).
Given that the world is not populated solely by ascetics and the disinterested, the question of the amount of compensation for work worries many. What needs to be done to get a higher salary? Several tips were given in an interview with the newspaper L'illustré by Annika Mansson, founder of the Geneva consulting company 'Happy at work'.
First of all, you need to be visible. Those who know how to present themselves to their superiors without appearing as an upstart (for example, modestly but very clearly talking about their results at a meeting) are more likely to get a salary increase. 'I meet many clients who do not dare to knock on the boss's door and directly ask for a raise,' Annika Mansson shared her experience, 'and most of them are women.'
It is important to prepare for such a conversation: find out your own value on the labor market, the salary range within which you can hope for an increase. There are many salary calculators on the Internet, but you must not forget that in Switzerland the amount of compensation is rarely revised after an employee has spent some time within the company – unlike France, where in many firms this happens every year.
If an employee wants a raise, they must offer something on their part, be a professional who keeps up with changes in their field and does not forget to constantly learn. New knowledge can be gained through courses within the company or by the initiative of management, or one can obtain additional education parallel to work. There is only one downside: if the company has a tradition of constantly improving professional level, it will be much more difficult to stand out against such a background.
Another option to earn more is to move to where salaries are higher – for example, from Glarus to Aargau. Before packing your bags, you must definitely inquire about the cost of living in the new place – whether it will outweigh all the advantages of high income. You can also 'move' within the company – to another department, or to a different position.
The last piece of advice that should have been mentioned at the beginning is to review your claims. 'Money does not make people happy, it only gives satisfaction for a while,' the consultant noted, returning to the eternal truth: a person always wants more. If it really is just about money, then you will have to use the tips mentioned above, but if the reason for the employee's dissatisfaction is insufficient comfort, then you can talk to the manager about a flexible schedule, a parking spot for employees, a public transport pass, and so on. In this case, the chances of success are even higher, as the boss will immediately understand that they are not trying to burden them with huge expenses.