There is a marked difference between the salaries paid to Swiss citizens and foreign nationals, a new study reveals.
This finding, published recently by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), is not exactly groundbreaking: previous research into this subject also showed that wages of Swiss citizens are statistically higher than those of foreign nationals.
The new study, which is part of the FSO’s Work and Income survey, also found that “across the economy, the median monthly salary of Swiss employees was higher than that paid to foreign workers.”
Concretely, by the end of 2024, Swiss citizens earned a median salary of nearly 88,000 francs a year — over 4, 600 francs more than foreign nationals.
The disparities are greatest between Swiss and foreign men, with the former earning 18 percent more on average.
What’s more, these differences have remained steadfast since 2022: since that time, salaries have increased by 5.5 percent for Swiss employees, but only by 4.1 percent for foreigners.
“Overall, this wage differential in favour of Swiss employees over foreign workers was found regardless of the residence permit category,” the FSO noted.
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There are, however, exceptions
The FSO found that in senior positions, foreign employees were better paid than the Swiss.
Based on this official data, The Local reported in 2024 that “depending on the job and industry, foreigners (including cross-border workers) have higher salaries than the Swiss.”
For instance, in middle and upper management positions, those with a B permit have highest salaries: they earn 12,791 francs a month.
Next are those with a C permit, with 11,495 a month. G permit holders — that is, cross-border workers — earn 10,707 francs.
All of them have higher wages than the Swiss, who earn 10,476 a month.
“The fact that there are salary differences in certain sectors of economic activity between Swiss and foreigners is partly explained by the shortages in the labour market,” according to the FSO.
READ ALSO: In which jobs in Switzerland do foreign workers earn more than the Swiss?
While the FSO doesn’t explain why foreigners earn less than the Swiss in some cases and more in others, it could be determined not so much by nationality as by the type of jobs and market demand.
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What does the law say?
Switzerland’s labour legislation prohibits discrimination based on a person’s nationality, gender, religion, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
Additionally, the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP), by which Switzerland is bound, stipulates that EU citizens cannot be treated unfavourably, either in terms of access to jobs or salary, merely because of their nationality.
The same rule applies to EFTA nationals (Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein) with which Switzerland has a similar treaty.
READ ALSO: Can my Swiss employer pay me less because I am a foreigner?
