An initiative by OSAM
OBSERVATORY
OF SWISS SALARIESOSAM
SALARIES BY OCCUPATION · SOCIAL SERVICES

Social worker salary
in Switzerland

For a social work professional offer, compare the people supported, case responsibilities and institutional setting. The displayed salary is a broader occupational-family reference.

Average, median and salary trends in Switzerland. Refine your comparison by city, canton or region.

YOUR COMPARISON

Salary calculator: Social work professional

Adjust the location, employment percentage and pay period.

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Pay
All SwitzerlandFSO : Switzerland · 2024 · 100 %

Reference median salary

9’122CHF

Standardised gross monthly salary

FSO 2024 · CH-ISCO group 26
Switzerland

Reference average salary

9’971CHF

Gross monthly equivalent

Eurostat 2022 · ISCO major group 2
All Switzerland, regardless of the selected location

Change over 10 years2014–2024

+6.2%

Median for the occupational group

Nominal change
Not adjusted for inflation
What these figures measure

The median covers the occupational group ‘Legal, social and cultural professionals’ (CH-ISCO 26), to which this occupation belongs. Average coverage: ISCO major group 2 — professionals, Switzerland. These benchmarks cover groups broader than the individual occupation searched for. The two indicators have different populations and reference years.

OVER TIME

How has the reference salary changed?

Median for the occupational group · Switzerland · current francs

Salary over time

8’0008’3758’7509’1259’500201420162018202020229’122 CHF2024
Median salaryCHF gross / month
View the chart values
CHF gross / month · 100 % · Switzerland
YearP25MedianP75
20147’1238’59310’583
20167’0868’67010’643
20187’1228’74310’869
20207’2208’84111’059
20227’2688’82911’012
20247’5019’12211’412

FSO data retrieved: 1 November 2026. The survey is conducted every two years; intervening years are not invented. The five-year view shows the observations available within that window.

LOCATION MATTERS

Compare salaries across Swiss regions

The 26 cantons belong to the seven FSO major regions. The ranking covers this occupational group in the reference year 2024.

GEOGRAPHICAL COMPARISON

Where are median salaries highest?

Legal, social and cultural professionals · 2024

Ranking of the 7 FSO regions for this occupational group. The listed cantons make up each region; the amount is not a separate measurement for each canton.

  1. 1
    Zurich9’632 CHF
    Zurich
  2. 2
    Central Switzerland9’286 CHF
    Lucerne · Nidwalden · Obwalden · Schwyz · Uri · Zug
  3. 3
    Lake Geneva region9’107 CHF
    Geneva · Valais · Vaud
  4. 4
    Eastern Switzerland8’926 CHF
    Appenzell Innerrhoden · Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Glarus · Graubünden · St. Gallen · Schaffhausen · Thurgau
  5. 5
    Espace Mittelland8’895 CHF
    Bern · Fribourg · Jura · Neuchâtel · Solothurn
  6. 6
    Northwestern Switzerland8’612 CHF
    Aargau · Basel-Landschaft · Basel-Stadt
  7. 7
    Ticino8’083* CHF
    Ticino

CHF gross / month · 100%

Indicative ordering by descending median. * Statistically uncertain value: the regional order does not establish a statistically significant difference.

FSO checked on 1 November 2026
ASSESSING A JOB OFFER

Compare responsibility for assessment and support

This detailed occupation concerns social work professionals. Similar job titles can also describe associate roles, so the tasks and level of responsibility need to be clear.

People and situations

Identify the groups supported, the situations assessed and the expected duration of involvement. Ask how cases are allocated and when specialist support is available.

Case responsibility

Clarify assessment, support planning, referrals and record-keeping duties. Establish the decisions made independently and the coordination expected with other institutions.

Working arrangements

Compare the caseload, appointment schedule, visits and time for documentation. Check the employment percentage, supervision available and any out-of-hours responsibilities.

Occupational reference : FSO · Swiss Standard Classification of Occupations CH-ISCO-19. Comparison guidance: SalarioStat editorial team.

CONTINUE YOUR COMPARISON
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YOUR NEXT STEP

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THE WIDER PICTURE

Salary is only a starting point

YOUR QUESTIONS

Answers to your questions

Useful explanations to interpret the figures and prepare your comparison.

What is the salary for ‘Social work professional’ in Switzerland?

The benchmark shown is the median for the occupational group ‘Legal, social and cultural professionals’: CHF 9’122 gross per month at full-time hours in 2024. This is a group statistic, not a median isolating this occupation alone. Consider duties, responsibilities and employment conditions when comparing an offer.

How can salaries be compared by workplace location in Switzerland?

The calculator lets you select Switzerland as a whole, a major region, a canton or a city. For cities and cantons, the median displayed is that of their FSO major region. The average remains a national benchmark. Selecting a location does not turn these figures into a statistic for that municipality.

What is the difference between average and median salary?

The median divides jobs into two halves: one earns less and the other more. The average adds up earnings and divides them by the number of observations. Here, the Eurostat average (2022) covers ‘ISCO major group 2 — professionals, Switzerland’; it should not be compared directly with the FSO median for group 26 (2024).

Are the figures gross or net? Is the 13th-month salary included?

Amounts are gross. The FSO median is standardised to full-time work of 40 hours a week and includes one twelfth of the 13th-month salary and annual special payments. Its annual equivalent is calculated by multiplying by 12, without adding a 13th month. Net income depends on personal deductions and is not calculated here.

How does this page differ from the social work associate page?

The detailed classification here covers social work professionals, separately from social work associate professionals. Everyday titles can overlap, so compare assessment duties, case responsibility and institutional requirements. The salary reference is broader and does not set a fixed pay difference between the groups.

How are the data on this page updated?

This page uses the same official datasets as the main calculator. They are checked automatically each month; the last valid data are retained if a check fails. A recent check does not change the statistical year: surveys publish results according to their own schedules.

VERIFIABLE FIGURES

Sources and calculation method

Sources, populations and reference years remain visible for every indicator.

Full methodology
01 · FSO

Median, distribution and trends

Swiss Earnings Structure Survey. CH-ISCO group 26, all ages and sexes, public and private secondary and tertiary sectors. The primary sector is excluded. Data standardised to full-time employment; current francs.

Latest statistical year
2024
Last valid data retrieval
1 November 2026
View the FSO table
02 · EUROSTAT

Swiss reference average

Structure of Earnings Survey. Coverage: ISCO major group 2 — professionals, Switzerland. Mean gross annual earnings in full-time equivalents, divided by 12 for the monthly view. This group is broader than the FSO group. Economic activities B–S: primary sector excluded.

Statistical year
2022
Last valid data retrieval
1 November 2026
View the Eurostat table

Editorial team: SalarioStat, an OSAM initiative · Occupational content reviewed on 2 November 2026. Amounts follow the calculator’s latest validated datasets.