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 2022, 29% of men working full time received an income of more than CHF 104 000 compared with 17% 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 9% 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, 2022

	Total	Full-time (90% and more)		Part-time (less than 90%)
		Men	Women	Men	Women
Self-employed (5)	52 700	73 300	60 000	32 000	24 000
Family workers	52 900	71 500	57 400	18 100	24 900
Employees	70 200	87 700	75 400	48 500	40 700
Executives, senior managers	119 500	135 000	112 800	78 400	67 300
Academic/scientific professions	88 000	112 600	92 600	69 800	58 100
Intermediate professions	76 100	94 900	78 000	58 400	46 800
Administrative staff	64 200	81 000	72 000	39 400	43 000
Service and sales staff	47 700	69 000	55 900	28 900	28 600
Farmers	62 400	67 600	(58 800)	(39 000)	(19 500)
Craftsmen and skilled workers	70 000	72 800	61 000	51 600	34 900
Drivers and fitters	67 600	72 500	58 500	26 400	26 800
Unskilled workers	41 500	65 300	52 600	19 400	19 800
Apprentice	12 400	12 500	12 400	*	*
First year	9 700	9 700	9 600	*	*
Second year	12 200	12 200	12 300	*	*
Third and fourth year	16 300	15 700	16 900	*	*

(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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