Overview of big salaries: This is what specialists earn in Switzerland

The compensation consultancy Kienbaum and the “Handelszeitung” have studied the wages of specialists and skilled workers and are publishing this data. Dozens of functions were evaluated for this “fee report”.

The data is based on survey research among companies of all sizes and industries, supplemented by data from Kienbaum’s consulting projects. The analysis included 11,146 positions at the senior level, 15,932 at the specialist level, and 6,848 at the junior level. The data comes from approximately 1,000 companies in Switzerland and therefore provides a reliable basis.

Logistics experts wanted

Swiss companies continue to pay well for jobs in IT, sales and logistics; Here, salaries of over 130,000 francs per year can be earned at lower management levels. Banks, insurance companies and the biotechnology sector are also traditionally among the financially attractive sectors and regularly rank high.

In comparison, wages in mechanical engineering, plant engineering and construction lag slightly behind. The media, food industry and energy supply sectors are also increasingly unable to keep up with industry leaders.

There was no major increase in wage increases for specialists, civil servants and skilled workers last year.

For experts, increases were between 1.2 and 1.9 percent. At least the increases are slightly stronger than in previous years, when they were mostly below 1 percent.

Major regional differences

In particular, the large wage increases (3 percent and above) that were possible before 2009 had been at a low level for many years. Time will tell whether this level can be reached again in the next few years.

But even in mid-level positions, the region where the work is done has a significant impact on wages. The best performers are the Zurich, Geneva and Basel regions. Ticino, eastern and central Switzerland, lags behind.

For experts, the differences between identical professional profiles are well over 10,000 francs per year. As far as clerks and experts are concerned, the difference between Ticino and Zurich is no less than 20,000 francs.

How much does a company car cost?

As a rule, the higher the employees are in the hierarchy and the stronger the sales character of the function, the more often company vehicles are allocated. Approximately half of senior staff have a company vehicle at their disposal. Audis are preferred as company vehicles at all management levels. In 80 percent of cases, senior managers can also use company vehicles for private, unlimited use.

The allowable purchase cost for a senior squad’s car is around 70,000 francs. 14 percent of those in lower management buy a company car. Other employee groups can also use the company vehicle unlimitedly for special purposes.

The prevalence of using a company car is significantly lower among professionals whose salaries are shown in this study. Among project managers, only 5 to 9 percent have a company car. Among business development professionals, it’s only around 2 percent.

Variable compensation in this middle management segment of companies is significantly lower than in upper management. However, experts can receive tens of thousands of francs in variable payments. Young people usually do not receive more than 5,000 francs.

This is how much you get for a train ticket

In most cases, reimbursement for expenses incurred in the course of carrying out professional activities is expenditure-based. More than two-thirds of participating companies adopted expense adjustments. When traveling by air, a distinction is made between long-haul flights and short- and medium-haul flights.

On international flights, less than 1 percent fly in first class, 15 percent fly in business class, and 85 percent use the cheaper economy class. Continental flights are usually booked in business class rather than economy class.

On average, about 88 percent of employees with management roles travel by train in first class. In 98 percent of cases, overnight stays can be billed on a receipt. If a budget is specified, the rate is between 100 and 300 francs per day. In 89 percent of cases, meals are billed on receipt.

Fringe benefits and severance gifts

Approximately 95 percent of companies surveyed thank their long-time employees for their loyalty with a loyalty bonus or long-service gift. There is no significant difference between individual levels. As a rule, the first gift is made after a company has been in business for five or ten years.

This is followed by a gradual cycle lasting five years in most companies. In many companies, employees are given money and vacation as a severance gift, or they can choose between some money and an additional Friday.

Many studies on the subject clearly reveal this: Employees want more transparency about salaries. Kienbaum also raised this issue in a survey. 71 percent of employees want their companies to be more transparent about wages.

Transparency needed

Who gets paid more soon and who doesn’t will still be determined by their own performance records and the financial capacity of the company. Backed by knowledge of pay levels in comparable positions and industries, you’ll be well equipped to achieve something in negotiations. Without reliable data from the market in which you operate, your own bargaining position becomes more difficult.

Companies are under pressure to be more transparent, driven by online review portals for companies where job profiles include salaries.