Switzerland Average Salaries & Expenditures

 
Contents
Average Employment Income   Average Salary per Sector   Total Personal Average Income   Consumption Expenditure   Workforce Composition
Vacation Time   Exchange Rates   Cost of Living   References
 

Average Employment Income

:
annual, per worker, incl. dependent & self employment
   Disposable (1)  Gross (2)   
2005
22,734
43,103
  
32,477
61,576
  
constant 2005 US$ at PPP
current francs
(1)    Based on gross employment average income and compulsory non-consumption expenditure per worker.
(2)    Based on salary & business average income per capita and proportion of workforce to total population.
Source: Enquête sur les Revenus et la Consommation [35], 2000, 2004 (1.16 worker and 2.3 persons per household).
 
 

Average Salary in Switzerland - Sector Comparison.

Sector  Net Monthly Income  constant 2005 US$ (1) Notes                                                                               Gross Monthly Average Income (2) Compulsory Deductions (3) Weekly Hours (4)
 
Financial average income PPP $ 3,149 $ 4,865 Standardised monthly earnings (40 hours x 4 1/3 weeks), 2004. 9,161 francs 36% 41.0
Real Estate average income PPP $ 2,678 $ 4,136 Standardised monthly earnings (40 hours x 4 1/3 weeks), 2004. 7,669 francs 35% 37.1
Gas-Electricity-Water average income PPP $ 2,646 $ 4,087 Standardised monthly earnings (40 hours x 4 1/3 weeks), 2004. 7,577 francs 35% 40.7
Education average income PPP $ 2,623 $ 4,051 Standardised monthly earnings (40 hours x 4 1/3 weeks), 2004. 7,511 francs 35%
All Sectors average income PPP $ 2,332 $ 3,603 Standardised monthly earnings (40 hours x 4 1/3 weeks), 2004. Excl. primary sector. 6,385 francs 32% 36.0
Manufacturing average income PPP $ 2,319 $ 3,582 Standardised monthly earnings (40 hours x 4 1/3 weeks), 2004. 6,349 francs 32% 40.3
Transport-Communication average income PPP $ 2,301 $ 3,554 Standardised monthly earnings (40 hours x 4 1/3 weeks), 2004. 6,299 francs 32% 37.8
Mining-Quarrying average income PPP $ 2,236 $ 3,453 Standardised monthly earnings (40 hours x 4 1/3 weeks), 2004. 6,120 francs 32% 42.9
Construction average income PPP $ 2,107 $ 3,254 Standardised monthly earnings (40 hours x 4 1/3 weeks), 2004. 5,767 francs 32% 41.0
Hotels-Restaurants average income PPP $ 1,556 $ 2,404 Standardised monthly earnings (40 hours x 4 1/3 weeks), 2004. 4,139 francs 30% 33.6
 
  (1) The net average income in "constant 2005 US$" is computed using the Interbank nominal exchange rate [a] and the U.S. inflation rate [d]. The net average income in "constant 2005 US$" at PPP is computed using the IMF PPP exchange rate [d] and the U.S. inflation rate [d]. The latter reflects the purchasing power in the United States in 2005.
  (2) The gross monthly average income is based on data supplied by the Office fédéral de la statistique Suisse (OFS) to the International Labour Organization [9]. The average income includes the salaries and wages of paid employees. Employees include both men and women unless otherwise noted. The standardized monthly earnings by sector is estimated to overpredict the average salary income of all employees by 15%.
  (3) The deductions include the income tax at the federal, cantonal and communal levels, as well as the social security (old-age insurance, disability insurance, military income loss insurance, unemployment insurance, occupational benefit plan, accident insurance, and sickness insurance). The deductions are representative of single-earner-married-without-child status.
  (4) The hours actually worked is based on data supplied by the Office fédéral de la statistique Suisse to the International Labour Organization [9].
 
 
 
 

Personal Average Income

:
annual, per capita, incl. non-monetary income
   Disposable (1)  Gross   Salary   Business   Property   Transfer (2)    
2004
15,983
29,753
  
24,369
45,365
  
15,767
29,351
  
1,827
3,402
  
926
1,724
  
5,844
10,879
  
constant 2005 US$ at PPP
current francs
2000
16,851
29,782
  
24,846
43,912
  
16,036
28,341
  
1,781
3,148
  
1,366
2,415
  
5,652
9,990
  
(1)    Determined as gross income minus non-consumption expenditure.
(2)    Incl. prestations sociales, rentes AVS/AI, rentes de caisse de pension (PP), indemnites et autres prestations sociales, and other transfer revenues.
Source: Enquête sur les Revenus et la Consommation [35], 2000, 2004 (2.3 persons per household).
 

Consumption Expenditure

:
annual, per capita, incl. non-monetary expenditure
   Total   Health   Housing (1)  Food (2)  Apparel   Education   Transport     
2004
13,616
25,347
  
902
1,680
  
4,416
8,221
  
3,148
5,861
  
612
1,139
  
104
193
  
1,627
3,029
  
constant 2005 US$ at PPP
current francs
2000
13,732
24,269
  
861
1,521
  
4,526
7,999
  
3,196
5,648
  
707
1,250
  
89
157
  
1,736
3,068
  
(1)    Incl. actual rentals, furniture, housing, energy, household maintenance.
(2)    Incl. hotels.
Source: Enquête sur les Revenus et la Consommation [35], 2000, 2004 (2.3 persons per household).
 

Workforce Composition

:
percentage of total workforce
   Primary (1)  Manufacturing   Education   Financial   Paid Employees   Unemployed  
2005 3.9   16.0   7.6   5.6   77.5    
%
(1)    Agriculture, hunting, forestry, fishing, mining, and quarrying.
Source: International Labour Organization [9].
 

Workforce Size

 :  
4.0 million (2005).
Source:   International Labour Organization [9].
 

Population

 :  
7.52 million (2006).
Source:   CIA World Factbook [b].
 

Compulsory Deductions

 :  
21.7% for a single with no child, 9.9% for a single with two children, 18.6% for a one-earner married couple with no child, and 9.6% for a one-earner married couple with two children.
Source:   OECD Tax Database [k], 2005, combined deductions on a gross monthly salary income of 5,966 francs including the family allowances in terms of cash transfers.
 

Vacation Time

 :  
The legally required minimum vacation time is of 4 weeks per year [e].
 

Inflation

 :  
59.106 (1980), 62.942 (1981), 66.501 (1982), 68.463 (1983), 70.470 (1984), 72.891 (1985), 73.438 (1986), 74.495 (1987), 75.890 (1988), 78.285 (1989), 82.515 (1990), 87.350 (1991), 90.876 (1992), 93.869 (1993), 94.669 (1994), 96.372 (1995), 97.155 (1996), 97.660 (1997), 97.678 (1998), 98.465 (1999), 100.000 (2000), 100.989 (2001), 101.638 (2002), 102.287 (2003), 103.108 (2004), 104.329 (2005);
Source:   IMF inflation rates [d], Index: 1995=100.
 

PPP Exchange Rate

 :  
2.249 (1980), 2.175 (1981), 2.183 (1982), 2.157 (1983), 2.154 (1984), 2.143 (1985), 2.164 (1986), 2.159 (1987), 2.147 (1988), 2.135 (1989), 2.147 (1990), 2.192 (1991), 2.189 (1992), 2.190 (1993), 2.178 (1994), 2.152 (1995), 2.111 (1996), 2.074 (1997), 2.045 (1998), 2.029 (1999), 2.002 (2000), 1.967 (2001), 1.964 (2002), 1.950 (2003), 1.917 (2004), 1.896 (2005);
Source:   IMF PPP exchange rates [d], Swiss Francs per U.S. dollar.
 

Nominal Exchange Rate

 :  
1.684 (2001), 1.550 (2002), 1.344 (2003), 1.241 (2004), 1.244 (2005);
Source:   Interbank nominal exchange rates [a], Swiss francs per U.S. dollar.
 

Cost of Living

 :  
1.166 (2001), 1.257 (2002), 1.421 (2003), 1.522 (2004), 1.505 (2005);
Source:   Interbank nominal exchange rates [a] and IMF PPP exchange rates [d], US=1.000.
 

 

References
 
[9]   International Labour Organization. Compilation of average salary income worldwide. Classified by country, by employment category, and by gender.
[35]   Office fédéral de la statistique Suisse.
[a]   Interbank nominal exchange rate, Oanda.com; historical currency converter for over 164 currencies and 3 metals.
[d]   World Economic Outlook Database, September 2006, International Monetary Fund.
[e]   Wikipedia, Vacation.
[k]   OECD Tax Database. Annual database providing comparative information on personal and corporate income tax and consumption tax systems and rates in OECD countries since 2000. Information on social security contributions levied on employees and their employers is also reported.
 
Other links:
Social Security in Switzerland, Social Security Programs Throughout the World, 2004-2005, compiled by the U.S. Social Security Administration.
Switzerland: Statistics, Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD).
Switzerland: Selected Internet Resources, U.S. Library of Congress.
Switzerland Economy Overview, CIA World Factbook.
Swiss taxation, www.taxation.ch.
Switzerland personal taxation, www.lowtax.net.
 Search World Salaries: