What are the salaries and what are the costs in Switzerland? 

Someone who has relatives in Switzerland is certainly in a better position because they can help them find a job (at their workplace, in their environment) and provide accommodation in the beginning. Most of them, however, will come to the unknown and will have to find work and accommodation on their own. It should be noted that it is not very easy to find a suitable job in Switzerland. There is strong competition for good jobs and people who are already residing in Switzerland. They have a great advantage because they know the language, customs, habits…

Educated workers, especially those who are skilled in computer science, can find jobs online on numerous platforms that offer jobs or directly apply to the ads of individual companies, which announce international tenders. For example, if someone is a chemical engineer, then they certainly know that Switzerland is a country of the pharmaceutical industry and will certainly look for some ads on the websites of strong pharmaceutical companies.

There are also agencies that offer the opportunity to contact them with a completed request (form) and then they are looking for a specific job for you. This service is often used for jobs in the construction industry, but also for jobs that have a seasonal character.

Whether you are looking for a job Sami, or through an agency, it is very important how you write an application (Bewerbung) or fill out a form, because it can significantly increase your chances of getting a job.

Job applications/applications/applications (Bewerbung) in Switzerland and other European countries show significant differences. Swiss employment experts (HR) list several points that are important when sending a job application.

Modesty above all. Often, candidates are full of self-praise for their accomplishments. This does not play into the hands of many recipients; It has to do with Swiss modesty. Modesty and transparency – that’s how you thrive in Switzerland. Also, it is important to be humble and factual when giving information about language proficiency. Someone will state ‘very good knowledge of German’ in the CV, and when they come to the interview, it turns out that this is not true. Modesty is also a trump card when it comes to academic titles, and applicants are recommended not to trade too much with doctorates. In general, titles play a minor role in Switzerland, with preference given to knowledge and skills.

The Swiss want complete application documents. Some applications usually consist only of an email and a resume. This is not enough for the Swiss. Personal data must be complete. This also includes date of birth and marital status. The company wants to have complete documentation for the application. A complete application includes a cover letter, resume, photo, job references, and diplomas.

Although a cover letter is not mandatory for all employers in Switzerland, experts generally advise writing a cover letter anyway because it gives the candidate the opportunity to talk directly to the employer: Why is he the right candidate for the position, why is he applying to this company and this particular position, and why does he want to change jobs or why is he unemployed? It is important to include additional information in the cover letter, and not to repeat the information from the CV.

Previously, resumes started chronologically with school and then progressed through training to professional experience. But that’s a thing of the past, Swiss employers now only want to read chronological CVs. They start with their current job (this is what they are most interested in) and then gradually return to school. There are also very clear specifications for the length. The CV should not be larger than three pages and not less than two pages.
Education, hobbies, and languages combined should make up less than half a page. Since hiring managers only have a few minutes to review a resume for the first time, the individual stages should be easily distinguished from each other by paragraphs, and the font size chosen should not be too small. This makes it easier to read, «scan» the CV. Finally, applicants must pay attention to harmonious, consistent form and spelling. The request must be legible, simply complex, without any excessive design and extravagance, only text and image, and preferably sent in PDF format, so that the recipient receives the request in the correct format.

If you have gaps, «holes» in your resume, this always leaves room for speculation. Any defect must be explained. Short breaks of three to four months to a maximum of half a year do not have to be explained, but for these longer breaks, a real reason must be stated in the CV (e.g. if you have been in prison).
Photos are still popular, employers want to make a first impression with a photo. Does the candidate look decent, what kind of suit does he wear, and does he have a nice smile? Don’t send overly casual photos.

And finally, the contact, phone, e-mail and address must be correct. Please check all the information before submitting the form.

What are salaries in Switzerland?

It is very difficult to give a precise answer to this question. First of all, it depends on the job you do, whether you are educated for that job or not. Of course, a doctor or engineer is better paid than an ordinary manual worker. However, there are big differences from canton to canton and from city to city. Furthermore, salaries are not discussed! However, for some easier orientation, here we will list a few examples for some typical professions. A bricklayer earns an average of about 5500 francs per month (13 times a year). This makes about 70,500 a year, but there are also bricklayers who earn up to 85,000 a year. An ordinary construction worker (construction worker) earns less, about 63,000 per year. In some cantons, he can earn up to 85,500 a year, and in some only 55,000 a year. One trained nurse can earn the same amount on average – up to 85,000 francs a year. Of course, with years of experience, this salary can be significantly higher, even over 100,000 per year, but here are some average salaries. An ordinary agricultural auxiliary worker (e.g., a seasonal harvest worker) can earn about 3600 francs per month, but they often have the option of paid overtime. Workers in gastronomy also earn relatively little. One waiter can earn about 52,000 per year on average. A trained chef something more.

A teacher can earn an average of about 90,000 francs a year. A computer scientist or a trained graphic designer earns similarly. Programmers and software developers earn significantly more, on average about 100,000. Economists, with a high school diploma (Kaufm. Angestellte), earn about 70,000. Logisticians, warehouse workers earn less. Their salary is about 65,000 per year. This is roughly how much workers in the metal industry earn. Drivers are paid less, especially those in courier delivery services. Their annual salary is about 45,000 francs.

A civil engineer or an engineer of some other technical profession earns about 100,000 francs a year, and the average doctor’s salary in the canton of Zurich is about 125,000 a year. However, there are also specialist doctors who earn up to 250,000. It also depends on the city, but also on the hospital or clinic.

There are also lower limits for determining the minimum hourly rate. In some cantons, the minimum hourly wage is 19 or 21 francs, and in the canton of Geneva it is 23 francs.

Trade unions are in favor of setting fair minimum wages that are sufficient for life and stopping wage dumping. Minimum wages in some cantons are set on the basis of the Supplementary Allowance Guidelines (Ergänzungsleistungen). They are based on what an adult needs to be able to live beyond the poverty line. The electorate rejected the union’s initiative for a minimum wage in 2014 at the ballot box. Nevertheless, the initiative has achieved a lot: the «imaginary» minimum wage of CHF 4,000 has become like a landmark or benchmark. A number of companies and sectors (industries) have increased their minimum wages. We can say that thanks to this initiative, thousands of employees received a salary increase.

Although these salaries and annual earnings seem very large and generous to readers from Croatia, it should also be said that the cost of living in Switzerland is extremely high. First of all, this refers to the cost of housing, but also the costs of some services, insurance, food, etc…

Prices of housing, food and other costs

The prices of apartments for rent also vary from canton to canton and from city to city. We give a few examples, as a kind of landmark. An average apartment for one family, a four-room apartment of some 80 to 100 square meters costs about 1500 francs on average. However, the same apartment in some cities such as Zurich, Geneva, Basel or Bern can cost 2500 francs or more. Furthermore, the price of an apartment also depends on how many years you have been in one apartment. For example, there are people who have been living in a solid apartment for over 30 years and pay about 1000 francs in rent. However, if they leave that apartment and new tenants arrive, they will pay at least 1500 francs for that same apartment. Certain industries and sectors provide some simple accommodation for their workers, e.g. hospitals often have rooms for medical staff, which are significantly cheaper than the usual rental price. The same applies to employees in the hospitality and tourism industry (e.g. waiters or cleaners in a hotel). Furthermore, the accommodation service is also offered by the farms (Bauernhof) to the employees of these agricultural estates. Usually this is then deducted from the underlying earnings.

As a renter, you usually have to pay a rental deposit. The deposit is one to a maximum of three months of rental. The aforementioned workers in gastronomy and hospitality, agricultural workers and others are usually exempt from this obligation.

The price of food in stores in Switzerland is not significantly higher than in Croatia (about 25%). The biggest difference is felt in the price of meat, fruit, dairy products, bread… However, what is significantly more expensive is the price of food in restaurants. As mentioned above, there is generally a very expensive service in Switzerland. According to this logic, the prices of services in restaurants are also very expensive. You can buy groceries for 10 to 15 francs in the store for one excellent lunch, for two people. However, if two people dine in an average restaurant, it will cost them 100 francs. One beer costs you less than one franc in the store, if it is served to you by a waiter in an inn, then it costs 5 francs.

The price of health insurance (Krankenkasse) is also an important item in the family budget, as the price per person can range from 150 to 400 francs, depending on age, «coverage» (Deckung) and other parameters. It is important to note that someone who has to settle for little money, i.e. those who live in modest economic circumstances receive financial support from the state for basic insurance – the so-called premium reduction (Prämienverbilligung). Just as the conditions for acquiring rights vary, the amount of the deduction also varies greatly depending on the canton. For example, the average value of contributions in the cantons of Ticino, Vaud and Basel-Stadt is between 860 and 1039 francs per capita per year, while the cantons of Uri and Bern pay less than 400 francs per capita per year.

Other costs include utility costs (water, electricity), which are not a big household expense, but heating costs can be an important item. Furthermore, there are the costs of other insurance, transport (car or public transport), TV connections, telephone and internet, clothing, hygiene, etc… And finally, income tax is also paid. As a foreign employee, you are subject to withholding tax (Quellensteuer). The tax will be deducted directly from your salary.

One study by the University of Zurich did a study of the average (most common) costs for one person in Zurich (if it is a married couple, a family, then the costs are proportionally higher). Suppose that person earns about 6000 francs per month (Zurich has relatively high salaries). The costs would look something like this: