Salary guide 2026
Salaries in Swiss healthcare.
Salary transparency in healthcare is overdue. This guide shows realistic gross salary bands (×13) by role, experience and region — based on collective agreements, public sources and our placements. Last updated: July 2026.
Care professionals
For care professionals, allowances, clinical specialisations and shift models often move pay more than the canton — the bands below show the base.
| Role | Entry | Experienced (5+ yrs) | Senior / specialised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse (HF/FH)Senior = clinical specialisation (ICU, ER, anaesthesia, OR) or specialist lead. Allowances on top. | CHF 6'000 – 6'400 | CHF 6'500 – 7'500 | CHF 7'300 – 8'500 |
| Healthcare assistant FaGe (EFZ)Senior = training responsibility, shift lead or long-term-care specialisation. Home care sometimes pays slightly more. | CHF 4'500 – 4'900 | CHF 5'000 – 5'500 | CHF 5'300 – 6'000 |
| Certified care assistant (SRK)Mostly in long-term and home care. Night-shift models raise effective pay substantially. | CHF 3'900 – 4'300 | CHF 4'200 – 4'600 | CHF 4'500 – 4'900 |
| Home care nurseSenior = specialist lead/RAI-HC or team lead. Usually no night allowances, day shifts instead. | CHF 6'200 – 6'600 | CHF 6'500 – 7'300 | CHF 7'000 – 7'800 |
All figures in CHF gross per month, 13 monthly salaries, full-time equivalent.
MPAs & practice teams
For MPAs & practice teams, X-ray, lab and coordination responsibility count: extra skills like TARDOC billing negotiate visibly higher.
| Role | Entry | Experienced (5+ yrs) | Senior / specialised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical practice assistant (MPA)Zurich cantonal recommendation 2026: CHF 4,600 entry. X-ray and trainer supplements: approx. CHF 200 each. | CHF 4'300 – 4'700 | CHF 4'700 – 5'200 | CHF 5'000 – 5'600 |
| Medical practice coordinator (MPK)With federal diploma, often including team lead and chronic-care delegation. | CHF 5'000 – 5'400 | CHF 5'400 – 6'000 | CHF 5'800 – 6'600 |
All figures in CHF gross per month, 13 monthly salaries, full-time equivalent.
Doctors & executives
For doctors & executives the bands are reference points: clinic, specialty and responsibility move packages substantially — we advise discreetly with real comparison data.
| Role | Entry | Experienced (5+ yrs) | Senior / specialised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident physicianPer VSAO recommendations, rising with each training year. Cantonal differences up to 10%. | CHF 7'900 – 8'400 | CHF 8'400 – 9'400 | CHF 9'400 – 10'500 |
| Attending / senior physicianSenior = department lead. Chief-physician packages are individual, often with fee components. | CHF 10'800 – 12'500 | CHF 12'500 – 15'500 | CHF 15'500 – 19'000 |
All figures in CHF gross per month, 13 monthly salaries, full-time equivalent.
Regional differences
Zurich, Basel-Stadt and Geneva pay above the Swiss average; central and eastern Switzerland slightly below. For the same role, cantonal differences reach up to 15% — before shift allowances and pension contributions. Comparing pays off.
What really moves your salary
- Allowances
- Night, weekend and on-call allowances quickly add 5–15% of annual salary in shift-based roles — ask for the exact rates.
- Specialisation
- Post-diploma titles (ICU, ER, anaesthesia, OR) shift the band upward by CHF 500–1,200 per month.
- Setting
- Home and long-term care sometimes pay differently from acute hospitals for the same qualification — with different shift models and predictability in return.
- Negotiation
- Salary bands have room — the bands above show how much. Walking in with those figures means negotiating over evidence rather than impressions.
Frequent salary questions
How much does a registered nurse earn in Switzerland per month?
In 2026, registered nurses (HF/FH) earn between CHF 6,000 (entry) and CHF 8,500 (specialised, e.g. ICU/anaesthesia) gross per month across 13 salaries. The median sits around CHF 6,750. Night, weekend and on-call allowances come on top — often 5–15% of annual salary in shift roles.
Which canton pays nurses the most?
Zurich, Basel-Stadt, Geneva and Zug pay the most — up to 15% more than eastern Switzerland or Ticino for the same role. What matters is the full package though: allowance rates, pension fund and education budgets vary more than base salaries.
What is the 13th month salary?
A 13th salary is standard in Swiss healthcare: the annual salary is paid in 13 parts, usually with the extra payment in November/December. All figures in this guide include it (×13).
How high are night-shift allowances?
The law grants a 10% time credit for regular night work. On top, institutions pay inconvenience allowances of typically CHF 5–8+ per night hour plus weekend and holiday supplements. Always ask for the exact rates — we do that for you.
Do I earn less with a foreign diploma?
No — after SRK or MEBEKO recognition, the same salary band applies as for Swiss qualifications. Without completed recognition, only assistant-level grading is possible at correspondingly lower pay. So: start recognition early — we help.
Want to know your worth?
Our recruiters give you an honest, free salary assessment — specific to your role, region and experience.
Free salary consultationSources & methodology
- Lohnbuch Zürich 2026 (cantonal scales)
- Collective agreements of hospitals, clinics and home-care organisations
- AGZ MPA salary recommendations 2026
- VSAO recommendations for residents and senior physicians
- FSO Swiss earnings structure survey
- Anonymised TakeCare placement data (ongoing)
Reference values based on collective agreements, cantonal pay systems, federal statistics and TakeCare placements. Individual cases may differ. Not legally binding.