Moving to Switzerland
In Switzerland, the median gross salary is €7,009 a month (2022) and a single worker on the average wage keeps 81.9% of gross pay after income tax and employee contributions (2025).
Switzerland had GDP per capita of US$114,769 in 2025 and life expectancy of 84.4 years in 2024. There were 4.477 doctors per 1,000 people in 2022. The national unemployment rate was 4.9% in 2025.
Can I move to Switzerland?
Across 198 passports, 93 passports enter visa-free and 105 passports need a visa for Switzerland. Check your passport below.
- Visa-free
- 93
- Visa required
- 105
Choose citizenship and purpose to see the relevant entry steps.
Entry.
Living & working.
Official requirements [59] · Visitor-entry rules
Residence rules and exceptions
| Citizenship / situation | Starting point |
|---|---|
| EU / EEA citizenship | Free movement; longer residence has conditions.[58] |
| Swiss citizenship | Separate Swiss arrangements, including residence documentation for longer stays.[58] |
| Other citizenship | Check work, study or family requirements.[59] |
| Existing status or family rights | A passport alone cannot establish your eligibility. Check the relevant authority’s guidance. |
These are national starting points, not an eligibility decision. Long-stay residence, work authorisation and in-country application rules differ by route; a visa-free visit never settles them. Check the route that matches your purpose and circumstances with the responsible authority.
Visa and entry rules
Sources checked through 3 Sept 2026.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in Switzerland?
The national unemployment rate was 4.9 % in 2025. Source: Eurostat — Unemployment by sex and age — annual data (une_rt_a)14
This is the Eurostat labour-force survey series used as the canonical national answer. Other published definitions exist and are shown in the table below.
What is the median gross salary in Switzerland?
The median gross salary was 7,009 EUR/month in 2022.
Half of employees earn less than this. Mean gross and national-accounts averages use different definitions and are shown in the table below.
Typical city (median): about 2.3%
Unemployment rate (%)
Typical city (median): about 8.8 µg/m³
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
Public employment service in Switzerland
Official job-search, registration, counselling and training routes. Private recruitment agencies are not included.
arbeit.swiss — Public employment service
A national service does not prove that an office exists in every city. City pages show an office only after an exact address is linked to that city. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Taxes in Switzerland
National rates and comparable published scenarios. Personal tax depends on income, household and residence circumstances.
Benefits newcomers may qualify for in Switzerland
Public schemes where an official source defines an eligible migration or residence status. Amounts and conditions are kept in their native terms.
| Programme | Published amount | Source and application |
|---|---|---|
Asylsozialhilfe — cantonal social assistance for asylum/protection profiles — Arrival and reception support | In-kind support | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThe current SEM page describes a cantonal in-kind social-assistance package for asylum seekers and temporarily admitted persons; the amount varies under cantonal law and no single national CHF rate is published. The current Swiss SEM page states in the exact source wording that ‘Mittellose Asylsuchende, vorläufig aufgenommene Personen und Flüchtlinge’ are supported by cantonal social assistance. The official SEM/FDJP FAQ gives the bounded status locators: ‘Personen in einem laufenden Asylverfahren (Ausweis N)’ receive the so-called asylum social assistance; ‘vorläufig aufgenommene Personen (Ausweis F); sie erhalten die sogenannte Asylsozialhilfe’; and ‘Flüchtlinge sind in Bezug auf die Sozialhilfe hingegen der einheimischen Bevölkerung gleichzustellen’. Applicant With N Permit In Switzerland Receiving Asylum Social Assistance, temporarily Admitted Person With F Permit In Switzerland Receiving Asylum Social Assistance and recognized Refugee In Switzerland Receiving Social Assistance. It does not generalise to tourists, persons without a residence status or every foreign resident. | ||
Asylsozialhilfe — Unterkunft als Teil der kantonalen Sozialhilfe — Housing support | Amount set per household by formula / Monthly | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThe current SEM FAQ states that social assistance secures basic provision including accommodation, is calculated by the cantonal or municipal social service from concrete need, and applies a generally lower rate to asylum seekers with permit N and provisionally admitted foreign nationals with permit F. The housing component is therefore locally assessed and source-defined; no unsupported nationwide CHF amount is asserted. The current official SEM FAQ gives the exact wording: ‘Dies gilt auch für Personen in einem laufenden Asylverfahren (Ausweis N) und für vorläufig aufgenommene Personen (Ausweis F); sie erhalten die sogenannte Asylsozialhilfe.’ The same current SEM FAQ states that social assistance secures basic provision including accommodation (‘Unterkunft’) and that the amount is calculated by the canton or municipality; Applicant With N Permit In Switzerland Receiving Asylum Social Assistance and temporarily Admitted Person With F Permit In Switzerland Receiving Asylum Social Assistance, without broadening to generic lawful residents. | ||
Family allowances (Familienzulagen / allocations familiales) — Family and child support | 215 CHF / Monthly | |
Eligibility and amount detailsFederal minimum child allowance is CHF 215 per child per month; cantons may set higher amounts or additional allowances. The official FSIO page's residence and contribution rules list three exact claimant categories: ‘Employees whose earnings on which they pay OASI contributions are at least CHF 630 per month’; ‘Self-employed persons who are registered with a family allowances compensation fund and whose income on which they pay OASI contributions is at least CHF 630 per month’; and ‘Persons not in gainful employment and on a low income, provided that they live in Switzerland’, with the published CHF 45,360 taxable-income and OASI/IV supplementary-benefit conditions. | ||
Sozialhilfe / aide sociale / assistenza sociale (cantonal social assistance) — Minimum-income support | Amount varies | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThere is no single national amount in the official federal description: social assistance varies by canton and is organised and determined by the cantons and municipalities under the applicable cantonal rules. The current-state locator is 2026-08-10. The official Swiss SEM FAQ states: ‘In der Regel erhalten Personen Sozialhilfe, die sich längerfristig rechtmässig in der Schweiz aufhalten und in einer finanziellen Notlage sind. Dies gilt auch für Personen in einem laufenden Asylverfahren (Ausweis N) und für vorläufig aufgenommene Personen (Ausweis F); sie erhalten die sogenannte Asylsozialhilfe.’ The same section lists exceptions: persons without a residence permit, persons without a Swiss residence, and persons with a final removal or revocation decision are excluded from ordinary social assistance and may claim emergency aid. These are the bounded lawful-long-term-resident, asylum-procedure and temporarily-admitted profiles. | ||
Unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosenentschädigung) — Unemployment support | Percentage-based / Daily | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThe official SECO unemployment-insurance directive with status 01.01.2026 gives a daily allowance of 80% of insured earnings when the published child, low-insured-salary or disability condition applies, and 70% in all other cases. The official arbeit.swiss FAQ states: ‘As a foreign national, you’ll need to have a valid temporary or permanent residence permit.’ The same eligibility section requires residence in Switzerland, registration with the RAV employment service and at least 12 months of contributions during the past 2 years. This is the bounded profile of a foreign national with a valid Swiss residence permit for unemployment benefit, subject to the unemployment, contribution and fitness-for-placement conditions. | ||
ImmigrationDB shows published rules; it does not decide personal eligibility. Confirm your status, contribution record and household circumstances with the responsible authority before applying. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.
Can migrants receive medical care in Switzerland?
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Switzerland under the published coverage rules.
Language courses and integration in Switzerland
Government programmes, public integration services and exact provider records. The section expands only from fields present in the source; missing prices, refunds or contacts are not replaced with estimates.
Cantonal integration programmes — Newcomer Adaptation
SEM and cantons
For migrants, refugees.
fide language promotion system — State Language Course
State Secretariat for Migration (SEM)
For adult migrants.
Swiss integration agenda — Newcomer Adaptation
SEM and cantons
For refugees and temporarily admitted persons.
Basic adult training including French in Lausanne — Municipal language course
Ville de Lausanne / Service de l'inclusion et des actions sociales de proximité
For adults needing basic training.
Canton Zurich integration offerings — Other
Fachstelle Integration, Kanton Zürich
For migrants in Canton Zürich.
French courses for non-French-speaking parents in Genève — Municipal language course
Etat de Genève / Ecole de parents
For parents of children in Geneva public schools, non-French-speaking parents.
Living and moving context for Switzerland
Average gross salary was €7,463 per month in 2024, while national median net income was €3,813 per month.
Switzerland cities by population
The largest published cities appear first. Population is taken from the reusable official city layer; hub labels come from the existing city taxonomy.
Rank Switzerland's cities by what a salary leaves each month
All published cities in Switzerland (453)
60 of 453 shownSearch all cities
Reports with this country
Accepted report pages with a row for this country.
What different occupation groups earn in Switzerland
Mean gross monthly earnings by ISCO-08 major group, from the Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey 2022 (employees in enterprises with 10–49 employees).
| Occupation group | Earnings | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Managers | ≈ 12,076 EUR/month (gross) | 2022 |
| Professionals | ≈ 9,453 EUR/month (gross) | 2022 |
| Technicians and associate professionals | ≈ 7,756 EUR/month (gross) | 2022 |
| Clerical support workers | ≈ 6,683 EUR/month (gross) | 2022 |
| Service and sales workers | ≈ 5,403 EUR/month (gross) | 2022 |
Source: Eurostat (Structure of Earnings Survey 2022 (earn_ses22_25)) · observed 2022 · checked 2026-07-30.
Method and sources for these figures
Mean gross monthly earnings in EUR from the Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey 2022 (earn_ses22_25); employees in enterprises with 10–49 employees; ISCO-08 major groups.
Eurostat — Structure of Earnings Survey 2022 (earn_ses22_25)
An occupation major group (ISCO or national equivalent) is not a job title: each figure is the average across all occupations in the group, so it is never a salary "for" one profession. Rows from different surveys, periods or statistics are shown as separate rows and are never merged or ranked against each other.
Profession pages for Switzerland: Nurse · Physician · Teacher · Engineer · Architect · Software developer · Accountant · Childcare worker.
Switzerland facts
Current source-backed observations, grouped the way the city pages are, with geographic scope and observation periods.
Population and profile
How many people live in Switzerland?
The published population was 9,005,582 people in 2024. Source: World Bank49
National, resident population scope. Foreign-resident and migration-background figures are separate metrics in the table below.
How many foreign residents live in Switzerland?
The foreign-resident population was 2,528,117 people in 2025. Source: Permanent and non permanent resident population by Year, Canton (-) / District (>>) / Commune (......), Population type, Citizenship (category), Sex and Age, 2010-2025 (PxWeb table px-x-0102010000_101)35
Residents without Switzerland citizenship. The migration-background population is a broader measure and appears in the table below.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign residents | 2,528,117 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Permanent and non permanent resident population by Year, Canton (-) / District (>>) / Commune (......), Population type, Citizenship (category), Sex and Age, 2010-2025 (PxWeb table px-x-0102010000_101)35Official · national figure |
| Population | 9,005,582 people | 31 Dec 2024 | World Bank49Official · national figure |
Legal, tax and other context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent deposit can be paid in instalments | 0 | 1 Sept 2023 | Code of Obligations (SR 220)3Official · national figure |
| Typical rent deposit | 3 months | 1 Sept 2023 | Code of Obligations (SR 220)3Official · national figure |
| Public healthcare access for foreign residents | Yes | 3 Aug 2026 | ch.ch — Swiss Confederation, cantons and communes portal2Official · national figure |
| Area | 41,291 km² | 31 Dec 2023 | World Bank50Official · national figure |
| Gross-to-net pay for a sample household | single person no children — 100,715 gross → 82,536 net a year (2025, national currency) | 31 Dec 2025 | Taxing Wages 2026 — labour taxation decomposition42Official · country household scenario |
| Population by year | 8,606,033 people (2020) | 1 Jan 2020 | Population on 1 January by age and sex (DEMO_PJAN)38Official · country annual series |
| Doctors per 1,000 residents | 4.48 per 1,000 | 31 Dec 2022 | World Bank indicator SH.MED.PHYS.ZS53Official · national figure |
| Household electricity price | 0.299 EUR/kWh | 31 Dec 2026 | ElCom electricity price cube (LINDAS) — Swiss Federal Electricity Commission raw tariff data, https://energy.ld.admin.ch/elcom/electricityprice/8Official · national figure |
| Employer social contribution rate | 6.4 % | 31 Dec 2025 | Informationsstelle AHV/IV in cooperation with the Federal Social Insurance Office, Switzerland24Official · national figure |
| Employed women | 2,213,400 people | 2025 | ec.europa.eu4Official · national figure |
| People in full-time employment | 2,813,100 people | 2025 | ec.europa.eu5Official · national figure |
| Employed men | 2,459,700 people | 2025 | ec.europa.eu4Official · national figure |
| People employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing | 116,880 people | 2025 | ec.europa.eu6Official · national figure |
| People employed in mining and quarrying | 4,550 people | 2025 | ec.europa.eu6Official · national figure |
| People employed in manufacturing | 649,810 people | 2025 | ec.europa.eu6Official · national figure |
| People employed in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning | 33,710 people | 2025 | ec.europa.eu6Official · national figure |
| People employed in water supply, sewerage and waste management | 21,450 people | 2025 | ec.europa.eu6Official · national figure |
| People employed in construction | 355,540 people | 2025 | ec.europa.eu6Official · national figure |
| People employed in wholesale and retail trade; motor vehicle and motorcycle repair | 594,370 people | 2025 | ec.europa.eu6Official · national figure |
| People employed in transportation and storage | 257,440 people | 2025 | ec.europa.eu6Official · national figure |
| People employed in accommodation and food services | 252,990 people | 2025 | ec.europa.eu6Official · national figure |
| People employed in information and communication | 190,530 people | 2025 | ec.europa.eu6Official · national figure |
| People employed in finance and insurance | 241,430 people | 2025 | ec.europa.eu6Official · national figure |
| People employed in real estate | 70,510 people | 2025 | ec.europa.eu6Official · national figure |
School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 4 to 15, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Einführungsklassen / integrative DaZ-Sprachförderung (per canton). How to enrol a child (edk.ch).
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.
Settling-in index
How the conditions a newcomer meets in Switzerland compare with the other 35 scored destinations: integration policy, getting by in English, an established foreign community and language courses. Every point comes from the component table below.
Above the median on integration policy and the size of the foreign community; below it on getting by in English.
| Component | Reading | Score (0–100) | Weight | Adds | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integration policy (MIPEX) | 63 of 100 | 63 | 35 | 27.6 | MIPEX 2020 |
| Getting by in English (EF EPI) | 564 EF EPI points | 57 | 25 | 17.8 | EF EPI 2025 |
| An established foreign community | 28.1% of residents | 100 | 20 | 25 | Permanent and non permanent resident population by Year, Canton (-) / District (>>) / Commune (......), Population type, Citizenship (category), Sex and Age, 2010-2025 (PxWeb table px-x-0102010000_101) 2025; population 2024 |
Working as… in Switzerland
Open a profession for its available regulation, recognition and work-route evidence.
Regions of Switzerland
Each region's page lists its published cities with population, rent, salary, unemployment and air quality.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
What is the unemployment rate in Switzerland?
The national unemployment rate was 4.9 % in 2025. Source: Eurostat — Unemployment by sex and age — annual data (une_rt_a).
How many people live in Switzerland?
The published population was 9,005,582 people in 2024. Source: World Bank.
What is the median gross salary in Switzerland?
The median gross salary was 7,009 EUR/month in 2022. Source: Eurostat (Structure of Earnings Survey, earn_ses_monthly).
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Moving to Switzerland: population, rent, salary, jobs, taxes [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 1d1004b1d425a3fc4a4c79b0ed9a8d15]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/countries/switzerland/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_moving-to-switzerland-population-rent-salary-jobs-taxes_3c2762e766a2,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Moving to Switzerland: population, rent, salary, jobs, taxes},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {1d1004b1d425a3fc4a4c79b0ed9a8d15},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/countries/switzerland/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Moving to Switzerland: population, rent, salary, jobs, taxes](https://immigrationdb.com/countries/switzerland/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 1d1004b1d425a3fc4a4c79b0ed9a8d15; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
Every number above comes from one of these records. Open the original source for its geographic scope and publication date.
- B-/L-Ausweis für Erwerbstätige EU/EFTA-Angehörige beantragen so.ch · checked 2026-10-11
- ch.ch — Swiss Confederation, cantons and communes portal ch.ch · ch.ch · checked 2026-08-03
- Code of Obligations (SR 220) fedlex.admin.ch · checked 2026-10-08
- ec.europa.eu ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-12
- ec.europa.eu ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-12
- ec.europa.eu ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-12
- EF EPI ef.com · checked 2026-08-03
- ElCom electricity price cube (LINDAS) — Swiss Federal Electricity Commission raw tariff data, https://energy.ld.admin.ch/elcom/electricityprice/ ElCom electricity price cube (LINDAS) · lindas.admin.ch · checked 2026-09-18
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-07
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
Show 49 more sources
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
- Eurostat — Distribution of income by household composition (ilc_di04) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
- Eurostat — Unemployment by sex and age — annual data (une_rt_a) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
- Eurostat (Structure of Earnings Survey, earn_ses_monthly) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
- Eurostat crim off cat (ICCS0101, NR) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-05
- Eurostat demo_pjan ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-05
- Eurostat ilc_di03 ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-06
- Eurostat lfsta_ewhuis — Usual weekly hours of work of full-time employees (sex total, 15-64, employees, main job) Eurostat lfsta_ewhuis · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-18
- FAQ – Einreise (SEM), questions 2.2 and 2.8 sem.admin.ch · checked 2026-10-08
- Federal Chancellery of Switzerland bk.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-02
- Globalization and World Cities (GaWC), Loughborough University gawc.lboro.ac.uk · checked 2026-08-03
- Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) data.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-13
- Informationsstelle AHV/IV in cooperation with the Federal Social Insurance Office, Switzerland ahv-iv.ch · checked 2026-08-03
- Kantonspolizei Bern / BFS — Swiss PKS 2025 national total Kantonspolizei Bern / BFS · police.be.ch · checked 2026-07-29
- Mean monthly earnings by sex, occupation and size class of the enterprise (2022) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-30
- Minimum wage and average salary ch.ch · checked 2026-09-17
- MIPEX mirovni-institut.si · checked 2026-08-03
- OECD sdmx-pp.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-03
- OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-03
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-05
- Permanent and non permanent resident population by Year, Canton (-) / District (>>) / Commune (......), Population type, Citizenship (category), Sex and Age, 2010-2025 (PxWeb table px-x-0102010000_101) pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-09-18
- Personenfreizügigkeit und Arbeitsbeziehungen seco.admin.ch · checked 2026-09-17
- Physicians (per 1,000 people) data.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-13
- Population on 1 January by age and sex (DEMO_PJAN) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-29
- Switzerland — compulsory education age range Switzerland · eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-20
- Switzerland — public school free Switzerland · eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-20
- Switzerland — school language support programme Switzerland · eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-20
- Taxing Wages 2026 — labour taxation decomposition Taxing Wages 2026 · sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-07-29
- UNdata Table 28 — Population by religion, sex and urban/rural residence UNdata Table 28 · data.un.org · checked 2026-07-30
- VAT rates in Switzerland estv.admin.ch · checked 2026-09-20
- Verordnung über Gebühren zur Bundesgesetzgebung über Ausländerinnen und Ausländer gesetzessammlung.sg.ch · checked 2026-10-11
- Wage levels in Switzerland in 2024 dam-api.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-07-26
- WHO GHO RS_196/RS_198 ghoapi.azureedge.net · checked 2026-09-05
- WHO GHO RS_196/RS_198 ghoapi.azureedge.net · checked 2026-09-05
- World Bank api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-02
- World Bank api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-02
- World Bank api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-02
- World Bank indicator NY.GDP.PCAP.CD api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
- World Bank indicator SH.MED.PHYS.ZS api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
- World Bank indicator SP.DYN.LE00.IN api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
- World Bank Open Data api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-07
- World Bank Open Data api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-07
- World Bank SP.POP.TOTL api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-09-05
- SEM — EU/EFTA citizens living and working in Switzerland
Official Switzerland starting point for EU/EEA/Swiss residence; national guidance only, not a personal eligibility decision.
- SEM — residence permits for non-EU/EFTA nationals
Official Switzerland national residence and immigration guidance; not a personal eligibility decision.