The high standard of living, low crime rates, and work-life balance make Switzerland one of the best places to live and work. If you are thinking of getting a job in Switzerland, we are here to help you figure out which are the best paying jobs, their responsibilities, and educational requirements.
Highest Paying Jobs in Switzerland
Switzerland has become home to many expats who fled their country to find a job. Although finding a job is tough, if you land yourself one, you can rest easy knowing that the minimum wage and average Swiss salary are among the highest in Europe, but so is the amount of work you’re expected to put in. Some of the highest-paying jobs are presented to you below.
IT Systems Architect
Average estimated salary: CHF 121,000 ($130,935)
IT system architecture is one of the highest-paid professions in Switzerland. Systems architects devise, configure, operate and maintain networking and computer systems on behalf of business clients and organizations, allowing a company to function efficiently.
A system architect typically deals with the following:
- Overall design
- Customization for customers needs and explaining in layman terms
- System definition requirements
- Cost analysis
- Integration constraints and solutions
- Adherence to standards
- Server cluster administration
- Provisioning and maintenance across multiple locations
- System backup management
- Troubleshooting/diagnosis
To become an IT systems architect, you will need a bachelor’s degree in a computer-related field and experience in a related occupation like network and computer systems administration.
Judge
Average estimated salary: CHF 167,000 ($180,622)
A judge is a legal professional who can pursue various career paths. They provide instructions to juries before their deliberation, and in case of trials, judges must decide the facts of the case and make a ruling. Additionally, judges are also responsible for sentencing convicted criminal defendants.
Some of the other responsibilities that judges have are:
- Interpreting the law
- Assessing the evidence
- Controlling how hearings and trials unfold in the courtroom
To become a judge, you will need educational background and skills. Judges typically have a law degree as well as work experience as a lawyer. In addition to this, federal administrative law judges must also pass a competitive exam.
Lawyer
Average estimated salary: CHF 127,084 ($137,581)
A lawyer is a licensed professional in advising and representing others in legal cases. The primary duties of a lawyer are to uphold the laws while protecting a client’s rights. A good lawyer should know the law well and be an effective communicator.
Some of the responsibilities of a lawyer are:
- Providing legal advice
- Writing contracts
- Meeting clients
- Attending court hearings
- Reading witness statements
- Collecting evidence and researching case studies
- Keeping up to date with changes in the law
- Representing clients in trails
To become a lawyer, you will need to have a law degree, attend law school, and then sit for a state’s written bar exam, which is necessary for obtaining a license to practice law.
Chief Executive Officer
Average estimated salary: CHF 203,436 ($220,240)
A chief executive officer (CEO) is the highest-ranking executive in a company. The board of directors elects them, and they report to the chair and the board, who shareholders appoint. CEO’s primary responsibilities are:
- Expanding the company
- Driving profitability
- Improving share prices
- Delegating and directing agendas
- Managing company organizational structure
- Communicating with the board
Chief executive officer positions often require education and training such as a bachelor’s degree and extensive business and industry experience.
Chief Financial Officer
Average estimated salary: CHF 178,462 ($193,203)
The term chief financial officer refers to a senior executive responsible for managing the financial actions of a company. Their primary responsibilities are:
- Tracking cash flow and financial planning
- Analyzing the company’s financial strengths and weaknesses
- Proposing corrective actions
- Return on investment
- Strategy and forecasting
- Reporting
In addition, a CFO needs to have a bachelor’s degree as well as experience in a business or financial occupation.
Physician
Average estimated salary: CHF 75,000 ($81,158)
A physician is a doctor who treats illnesses, acute critical conditions, and injuries and does routine check-ups on patients. The key responsibilities of these professionals are to
- Order tests and analyze their results
- Refer patients to specialists
- Create treatment plans
- Explain the side effects of medications and treatment options
- Perform basic medical procedures
- Record medical history
- Identify symptoms and diagnose patients
- Provide advice for improving patient health
Physicians should have background knowledge and skills to provide quality care for patients. They need to have a bachelor’s degree and a degree from a medical school, which takes an additional four years to complete. Depending on the specialty, they may need to complete an internship.
Bank Manager
Average estimated salary: CHF 110,000 ($119,086)
A bank manager is in charge of a bank or a branch of a bank and is involved in deciding whether or not to lend money to individuals or businesses. However, their responsibilities don’t end there; they also include:
- Hiring and training new employees
- Supervising staff and delegating tasks
- Overseeing credit
- Marketing the local branch to potential clients
- Keeping informed of changes in the financial industry that may affect bank performance
- Preparing the bank for operations by checking the amount of money available
- Counting the amount of money left at the end of the day
- Ensuring accuracy for transactions by checking the cash in teller’s stations
- Taking care of customer relations by answering questions and solving issues
- Monitoring a branch’s safety by locking the vault each night
- Setting and tracking sales goals
- Collaborating with higher management to discuss the bank’s performance
To become a bank manager, you should have an educational background. You will most likely need a bachelor’s degree in one of the following areas: marketing, business or business administration, finance or financial management, accounting, or business management.
Surgeon/Doctor
Average estimated salary: CHF 203,473 ($220,280)
Being a surgeon means operating on patients who suffer from injuries, diseases, or deformities. You can become a general surgeon or specialized surgeon in orthopedic, neurological, cardiovascular, or plastic surgery. A surgeon’s daily responsibilities are:
- Performing surgeries and managing the surgical team
- Developing preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative plans
- Discussing surgery results with patients and medical staff
- Examining patients to make diagnoses and treat illnesses and injuries
- Following all medical laws, guidelines, regulations, and standards
To become a surgeon, you will need to have a bachelor’s degree and a degree from a medical school which typically takes an additional four years to complete. You will also need 3 to 9 years in internship and residency programs.
Orthodontist
Average estimated salary: CHF 262,360 ($283,532)
An orthodontist is a dentist who completed advanced training in corrective appliances (such as braces) and tooth and jaw alignment. They are also trained in creating a healthy bite, developing proper alignment, and understanding the size of your upper and lower jaws.
Some of the daily responsibilities of orthodontists are to treat:
- Crowded teeth
- Teeth that meet improperly
- Teeth that don’t have a gap between them
- Protruding teeth
Before being able to practice orthodontics, you need a bachelor’s degree, a dental degree, and a certificate of orthodontics which is usually gained through a residency. You may also be required to get a master’s during this residency.
Actuary
Average estimated salary: CHF 119,315 ($129,111)
Actuaries are managers who evaluate risks and their potential financial consequences by using statistical techniques and mathematical theories. Some of the main responsibilities that actuaries have are:
- Analyzing statistical data to determine potential risks
- Preparing presentations and reports for clients
- Liaising with other managers, financial analysts, and stakeholders to set prices
- Keeping abreast with the latest economic developments to properly advise clients
Actuaries are required to have a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, actuarial science, statistics, or some other analytical field. Students need to complete coursework in subjects like applied statistics, economics, and corporate finance. Furthermore, they need to pass a series of exams to become certified.
Pilot
Average estimated salary: CHF 121,106 ($130,985)
Pilots fly passengers to destinations worldwide for leisure, business, or commercial purposes. Some daily responsibilities of pilots include:
- Considering aircraft performance, altitude, and weather conditions
- Using correct information to create a flight plan
- Carrying out pre-flight checks of instruments, engines, fuel, and safety systems
- Communicating and following instructions from air traffic control before take-off, during the flight, and after landing
- Checking data during the flight and adjusting the route where necessary
- Reacting quickly and appropriately to emergencies and environmental changes
- Communicating with passengers and cabin crew about the flight process
- Updating the logbook and writing reports about any in-flight issues
To be a pilot requires qualifications such as a bachelor’s degree in any field, including transportation, engineering, or business. That is, of course, not all. Pilots need to undergo a flight training program with independent FAA-certified flight instructors or at schools offering flight training.
Software Engineer
Average estimated salary: CHF 94,272 ($102,012)
Software engineers’ main responsibilities are planning, writing, developing, testing, and maintaining software that can be used for multiple purposes. Some other duties of a software engineer include:
- Working closely with clients, business developers, and other stakeholders to fully understand what their needs are and how the software can achieve them
- Clarifying requirements, resources, and timescales with the client and the development team
- Breaking down and mapping out in simple written terms what exactly each stage of the program is going to do
- Translating the design plan into a programmable language involves learning how to code online, where you can acquire essential skills and knowledge through various online courses, tutorials, and resources tailored to different programming languages and development frameworks.
- Running and testing the code to look for and correct any errors or issues and results
- Maintaining, amending, and supporting programs and systems once they are live and operating with minimal disruption to users
- Engineers can also pursue professional engineer salaries which depend on location, industry, and specialization.
To become a software engineer, you will need to have at least a bachelor’s degree. Studying computer science or other similar fields such as math, science, or engineering would be ideal for this profession.
Military Officer
Average estimated salary: CHF 95,000 ($102,749)
Being a military officer means taking part in peacekeeping missions and maintaining a civil defense militia. Military officers usually do the following:
- Plan, organize and lead troops and activities in military operations
- Manage personnel
- Operate and command aircraft, ships, or armored vehicles
- Provide medical, legal, engineering, and other services to personnel
In order to become a military officer, you will need to have your bachelor’s degree, and you will also have to undergo additional training to ensure you’re prepared to lead others successfully.
College Professor
Average estimated salary: CHF 151,804 ($164,187)
A college professor is an employee of a state or private college, university, or community college to instruct students in various areas. A college’s professor responsibilities are:
- Developing curriculum and program planning
- Preparing course materials
- Engaging in research in a chosen field and presenting findings
- Participating in faculty meetings
- Teaching advanced classes
- Mentoring teaching assistants
- Selecting or improving textbooks and learning materials
- Ensuring student engagement and awareness of course objectives
- Evaluating student progress and achievement
College professors need at least a master’s degree. However, in many cases, a doctoral degree is required too.
Conclusion
Switzerland is a country where you can pursue your dream career and make money in no time. But keep in mind that with each profession come responsibilities, so make sure you get the necessary education and skills so that nothing can stop you from getting your dream job.
