Income from employment

Income from employment is the income that individuals receive from exercising gainful employment. This includes not only wages but also profits from self-employment and employment-related social security benefits.Income from other non-employment sources such as property, social assistance, transfers, etc., is not included in income from employment.

According to the results of the Swiss Labour Force Survey (SLFS), the distribution of employed persons⁶ by employment income group differs by sex. The survey shows that in 2021, 30% of men working full time received an income of more than CHF 104 000 compared with 18% of women. This trend is reversed for the lower income groups: 16% of women working full time received an income of less than CHF 52 000 compared with 8% of men.

Gross income from employment per year(1) from employed persons(6) according to economic activity status, group of occupation ISCO 08 (2), workweek percentage and gender - Permanent resident population(3), median(4) in Francs, 2021

	Total	Full-time (90% and more)		Part-time (less than 90%)
		Men	Women	Men	Women
Self-employed (5)	60 000	80 000	62 000	39 600	29 000
Family workers	48 000	68 900	55 900	20 500	28 000
Employees	70 000	87 500	75 000	45 500	40 300
Executives, senior managers	117 000	132 000	110 000	75 000	68 400
Academic/scientific professions	85 100	111 800	91 000	66 600	55 900
Intermediate professions	77 100	94 000	77 000	58 500	46 400
Administrative staff	64 400	82 200	72 000	37 700	42 900
Service and sales staff	45 000	69 700	56 600	26 800	27 600
Farmers	60 800	66 500	(54 900)	(36 000)	(46 600)
Craftsmen and skilled workers	71 500	74 300	61 100	52 000	30 000
Drivers and fitters	67 900	72 800	61 000	28 200	24 000
Unskilled workers	39 500	65 000	52 000	19 400	19 000
Apprentice	12 500	12 800	12 200	*	*
First year	9 700	9 600	9 800	*	*
Second year	12 200	12 400	12 000	*	*
Third and fourth year	16 300	16 300	16 300	*	*

(1) The professional annual income is calculated on the basis of 12 monthly sums and one or two monthly sums will be added, insofar as a 13th or 14th wage is paid. In case of bonuses or gratuities half a month’s wage is added.
(2) International Standard Classification of Occupations, European Union's variant
(3) All persons who officially reside in Switzerland for the entire year: Swiss citizens domiciled in Switzerland and foreign citizens (holders of a permanent resident permit, holders of a resident permit, holders of a short-term resident permit valid at least 12 months, diplomats and international civil servants).
(4) Median: For half of the persons, the income from employment is above the given middle value (median), and for the other half below it.
(5) Employee in own company included
(6) Employed persons: those who carry out an economic activity as defined by the national accounts for at least one hour per week (self-employed, persons working in a family business, employees and apprentices). Together with the unemployed, they represent the labour supply (active persons). Economically inactive persons are made up of people in education and training, homemakers of both sexes and pensioners.

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