Austria
+18%
more for tertiary-educated employees (2025)
Graduate jobs and salaries in Switzerland
Updated Data years: 2024, 2025 How we use data
Quick answer
In Switzerland, employees with tertiary education earned a median of CHF 7,876 a month in 2025 (PPP$ 7,391) — +32% compared with all employees. Their unemployment rate was 3.6%, against 4.3% for all adults aged 25 and over (2025).
Sources: ILOSTAT (ILO) · OECD
- +32%degree premium: tertiary-educated vs all employees (2025)
- CHF 7,876median monthly pay with tertiary education (2025)
- 3.6%unemployment, tertiary-educated adults 25+ (all adults: 4.3%, 2025)
- 7.9%unemployment, tertiary-educated 15–24 year olds (2025)
Do graduates earn more in Switzerland?
| Education level | Local currency a month | PPP$ a month | vs all employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than basic education | CHF 4,670 | 4,383 | -22% |
| Basic education | CHF 3,000 | 2,815 | -50% |
| Intermediate education | CHF 5,416 | 5,083 | -10% |
| Advanced (tertiary) education | CHF 7,876 | 7,391 | +31% |
| Bachelor's or equivalent | CHF 7,301 | 6,852 | +22% |
| Master's or equivalent | CHF 8,366 | 7,852 | +40% |
| Doctoral or equivalent | CHF 10,401 | 9,761 | +74% |
| All levels | CHF 5,989 | 5,621 | — |
The degree premium ranks 87 of 128 countries with data. That is above the Europe and Central Asia median of +25%.
Earnings over time (PPP$ a month)
Advanced (tertiary) educationAll levels
PPP$ values are in current international dollars, so part of the rise reflects inflation.
Earnings compared with upper secondary education (OECD)
The OECD compares the earnings of adults aged 25–64 with each level of education to those who finished upper secondary school (= 100). Latest year: 2024.
| Education level | Index (upper secondary = 100) |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's or equivalent | 134 |
| Master's, doctoral or equivalent | 163 |
| All tertiary | 148 |
| Below upper secondary | 83 |
Source: OECD, Education at a Glance. Full-time, full-year earners.
Which occupations pay the most in Switzerland?
Median monthly earnings by occupation group in 2025, from highest to lowest. Examples link to our career profiles.
| Occupation group | Local currency a month | PPP$ a month | vs all employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managers Construction manager, Marketing manager, Project manager, Supply chain manager | CHF 10,037 | 9,419 | +68% |
| Professionals Software developer, Web developer, Data scientist, Data analyst | CHF 7,600 | 7,133 | +27% |
| Technicians and associate professionals IT support technician, Paramedic, Biomedical scientist, Paralegal | CHF 6,566 | 6,162 | +10% |
| Plant and machine operators and assemblers | CHF 5,850 | 5,490 | -2% |
| Craft and related trades workers | CHF 5,833 | 5,474 | -3% |
| Clerical support workers | CHF 5,385 | 5,054 | -10% |
| Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers | CHF 4,807 | 4,512 | -20% |
| Service and sales workers Police officer | CHF 3,770 | 3,538 | -37% |
| Elementary occupations | CHF 3,759 | 3,528 | -37% |
| All occupations | CHF 5,989 | 5,621 | — |
Are graduates less likely to be unemployed in Switzerland?
| Education level | Adults 25+ | Young people 15–24 |
|---|---|---|
| Basic education | 8.0% | 8.6% |
| Intermediate education | 4.1% | 9.0% |
| Advanced (tertiary) education | 3.6% | 7.9% |
| All levels | 4.3% | 8.8% |
Unemployment among tertiary-educated adults is the 51 lowest of 130 countries with data. The Europe and Central Asia median is 3.6%.
Unemployment over time, adults 25+
Advanced (tertiary) educationAll levels
Graduate employment by field of study in Switzerland
Employment rate of adults aged 25–64 with tertiary education, by field of study (OECD, 2024).
| Field of study | Employment rate |
|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary Agriculture, Veterinary science | 94.6% |
| Engineering, manufacturing and construction Aerospace engineering, Architecture, Chemical engineering, Civil engineering | 92.7% |
| Information and communication technologies Computer science | 90.6% |
| Education Education | 90.3% |
| Nursing and associate health fields Biomedical science, Nursing, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy | 90.2% |
| Health and welfare Biomedical science, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing | 90.1% |
| Medicine and dentistry Dentistry, Medicine | 89.7% |
| Law Law | 88.3% |
| Business and administration Accounting and finance, Business management, Marketing | 88.2% |
| Business, administration and law Accounting and finance, Business management, Law, Marketing | 88.2% |
| Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics Biology, Chemistry, Data science, Environmental science | 87.7% |
| Services Hospitality and tourism, Sports science | 87.6% |
| Humanities (except languages) History, Philosophy | 87.4% |
| Arts Design, Music | 86.8% |
| Social sciences, journalism and information Criminology, Economics, Geography, International relations | 86.4% |
| Arts and humanities Design, English literature, History, Modern languages | 86.3% |
| All fields | 89.5% |
Studying and working in Switzerland
Rules on student visas, work after graduation and recognition of qualifications change often. Use the official sources below and check the date on any advice you read.
Guide: how to choose a country to study in · Guide: getting your degree recognised abroad
Country context
- Population
- 9.1M (2025)
- GDP per person (PPP)
- $102,513 (2025)
- Tertiary enrolment (gross)
- 73.5% (2024)
Questions about graduate jobs in Switzerland
Do graduates earn more than non-graduates in Switzerland?
According to the International Labour Organization, employees in Switzerland with tertiary education earned a median of CHF 7,876 a month in 2025, compared with CHF 5,989 for all employees — +32%. The degree premium ranks 87 of 128 countries with data.
What is the unemployment rate for graduates in Switzerland?
In 2025, the unemployment rate for adults aged 25 and over with tertiary education in Switzerland was 3.6%, compared with 4.3% for all adults. Among young people aged 15–24 with tertiary education it was 7.9%.
Which jobs pay the most in Switzerland?
The best-paid occupation group in Switzerland in 2025 was “Managers”, with median monthly earnings of CHF 10,037 (PPP$ 9,419). Professionals, the group that includes most graduate careers, earned a median of CHF 7,600.
Where can I find official information about studying in Switzerland?
Start with the official study portal and immigration pages linked on this page. They set out entry requirements, student visas and any rights to work after graduating, which change more often than most guides are updated.
Compare with other countries in Europe and Central Asia
Compare Switzerland side by side
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Hungary
+30%
more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) -
Greece
+13%
more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) -
Sweden
+12%
more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) -
Portugal
+43%
more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) -
Czechia
+22%
more for tertiary-educated employees (2025)
Sources
- ILOSTAT — Median monthly earnings of employees by education — LFS - Labour Force Survey, 2025
- ILOSTAT — Median monthly earnings of employees by occupation — LFS - Labour Force Survey, 2025
- ILOSTAT — Unemployment rate by age and education — LFS - Labour Force Survey, 2025
- OECD — Education at a Glance, labour-market outcomes — Relative earnings and employment by field of study
- World Bank — World Development Indicators — Population, GDP per person (PPP) and tertiary enrolment
How to cite this page: CourseToJob (2026). Switzerland: graduate salaries, jobs and unemployment. https://coursetojob.com/countries/switzerland/ (accessed September 26, 2026)