Reference median salary
9’697CHF
Standardised gross monthly salary
FSO 2024 · CH-ISCO group 23
Switzerland
Switzerland
SALARIES BY OCCUPATION · EDUCATION
Upper secondary teacher salary
in Switzerland
This page concerns upper secondary general education, including schools known as gymnasiums, collèges or lycées in different parts of Switzerland. Compare the full teaching assignment and employment percentage when assessing an offer.
Average, median and salary trends in Switzerland. Refine your comparison by city, canton or region.
Understanding the coverageThe detailed occupation and headcount concern upper secondary general education. They exclude vocational education and lower secondary teaching; the salary reference remains a broader occupational-family measure.
YOUR COMPARISON
Salary calculator: Upper secondary teacher — general education
Adjust the location, employment percentage and pay period.
Pay
All SwitzerlandFSO : Switzerland · 2024 · 100 %
Reference average salary
9’971CHF
Gross monthly equivalent
Eurostat 2022 · ISCO major group 2
All Switzerland, regardless of the selected location
All Switzerland, regardless of the selected location
Change over 10 years2014–2024
+4.7%
Median for the occupational group
Nominal change
Not adjusted for inflation
Not adjusted for inflation
What these figures measure
The median covers the occupational group ‘Teaching professionals’ (CH-ISCO 23), 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.
The detailed occupation and headcount concern upper secondary general education. They exclude vocational education and lower secondary teaching; the salary reference remains a broader occupational-family measure.
OVER TIME
How has the reference salary changed?
Median for the occupational group · Switzerland · current francs
Salary over time
Median salaryCHF gross / month
View the chart values
| Year | P25 | Median | P75 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 7’467 | 9’261 | 11’106 |
| 2016 | 7’997 | 9’447 | 11’086 |
| 2018 | 7’795 | 9’399 | 11’073 |
| 2020 | 7’742 | 9’421 | 11’224 |
| 2022 | 7’780 | 9’375 | 10’965 |
| 2024 | 8’117 | 9’697 | 11’302 |
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?
Teaching 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.
- 1Zurich10’340 CHFZurich
- 2Northwestern Switzerland10’084 CHFAargau · Basel-Landschaft · Basel-Stadt
- 3Espace Mittelland9’733 CHFBern · Fribourg · Jura · Neuchâtel · Solothurn
- 4Eastern Switzerland9’651 CHFAppenzell Innerrhoden · Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Glarus · Graubünden · St. Gallen · Schaffhausen · Thurgau
- 5Lake Geneva region9’458 CHFGeneva · Valais · Vaud
- 6Central Switzerland9’271 CHFLucerne · Nidwalden · Obwalden · Schwyz · Uri · Zug
- 7Ticino8’616 CHFTicino
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 2026ASSESSING A JOB OFFER
Account for teaching, assessment and pupil support
Lesson periods do not describe the whole assignment. The preparation involved, assessment duties and responsibilities beyond the classroom help put the proposed salary in context.
Subjects and teaching load
Clarify the subjects, classes and number of teaching periods. Ask how multiple year groups, teaching locations and responsibility for a class affect the assignment.
Preparation and assessment
Include preparation, marking, examinations and pupil guidance in the comparison. Establish the time expected for meetings, coordination and other school activities.
Employment and experience
Check the contractual employment percentage and the employer’s proposed salary placement. Ask how relevant experience is recognised and compare the actual documents for each offer.
Occupational reference : FSO · Swiss occupation nomenclature CH-ISCO-19. Comparison guidance: SalarioStat editorial team.
CONTINUE YOUR COMPARISON
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YOUR QUESTIONS
Answers to your questions
Useful explanations to interpret the figures and prepare your comparison.
What is the salary for ‘Upper secondary teacher — general education’ in Switzerland?
The benchmark shown is the median for the occupational group ‘Teaching professionals’: CHF 9’697 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. The detailed occupation and headcount concern upper secondary general education. They exclude vocational education and lower secondary teaching; the salary reference remains a broader occupational-family measure.
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 23 (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.
Does the upper secondary teaching headcount on this page also include vocational education or lower secondary teaching posts?
No. This detailed occupation concerns upper secondary general education, not vocational teaching or lower secondary education. The displayed salary reference covers a broader occupational family and does not set a canton’s pay scale. For an offer, check the employer’s classification, recognised experience and employment percentage.
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.
Median, distribution and trends
Swiss Earnings Structure Survey. CH-ISCO group 23, 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
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
Editorial team: SalarioStat, an OSAM initiative · Occupational content reviewed on 9 November 2026. Amounts follow the calculator’s latest validated datasets.