Doctor salary in Switzerland - What you can earn

As a doctor in Switzerland, you have the opportunity to earn an attractive salary. Your salary varies depending on your career level, speciality and working environment. In this article, you will find out what earning opportunities are open to you as a doctor in Switzerland and how your salary can develop over the course of your career.

In an international comparison, Switzerland is one of the countries with the highest salaries for doctors. While a medical specialist in Germany earns an average of around 98,000 euros per year, the salary in Switzerland is the equivalent of around 200,000 euros (approx. 227,000 CHF). Switzerland also compares favourably with the USA in terms of medical salaries: US specialists receive an average of USD 285,000 per year, while general practitioners earn USD 243,000. However, the different cost of living and working conditions must also be taken into account in this country comparison. Doctors in Switzerland therefore earn exceptionally well in an international comparison.

Salary development as a doctor in Switzerland

As a junior doctor in Switzerland, you can expect an average annual salary of CHF 110,000 at the start of your career. Depending on experience and position, salaries for assistant doctors typically range between CHF 100,000 and CHF 125,000 per year. However, with increasing age and professional experience, salaries for doctors in Switzerland rise sharply.

Employed medical specialists earn an average of around CHF 227,000 per year, with the top earners in this category even earning more than half a million Swiss francs per year. However, over 50 per cent of salaried physicians earn less than CHF 200,000. Salaries for self-employed doctors are even higher: On average, they earn around CHF 320,000 a year, while the top earners among them reach almost CHF 640,000. The lower half of self-employed doctors, on the other hand, have to be content with an annual salary of CHF 256,000.

The average annual salary by age

The table shows how your salary can develop with increasing age and professional experience:

In addition to age and professional experience, other factors such as speciality, specialisation and place of work also influence the level of a doctor's salary in Switzerland. The topic of salaries in the medical sector is therefore complex and cannot be generalised. What is certain, however, is that doctors in Switzerland have very good earning potential on average.

Assistant doctor salary in Switzerland

As a junior doctor in Switzerland, you can expect an attractive starting salary straight after your medical studies. On average, your starting salary is around 7,300 Swiss francs per month, which corresponds to an annual salary of around CHF 80,000. As you gain more professional experience, your salary as a junior doctor will increase continuously.

In your third year as a junior doctor, you will already earn a monthly income of 8,571 Swiss francs. In addition, you will usually receive a 13th monthly salary, which will increase your annual salary to between 101,452 and around 111,423 Swiss francs. After a few years of experience, you can expect a salary of between CHF 100,000 and CHF 125,000 as a junior doctor.

The exact amount of your assistant doctor salary depends on various factors, such as the region and the respective employer. Cantons such as Geneva and Zurich tend to have the highest starting salaries for junior doctors, with a median of CHF 95,000 per year and upwards. The type of institution you work in will also influence your salary as a future medical specialist.

Specialist doctor salary in Switzerland: what you earn

As a medical specialist in Switzerland, your starting salary depends largely on the institution in which you practise. In hospitals and clinics in the Swiss healthcare system, you will earn different amounts as an employed doctor depending on your position and responsibilities.

The following table provides an overview of the average monthly salaries of medical specialists in various hospital positions:

Salary of a doctor in Switzerland: by specialisation and employment relationship

Doctors in surgical specialities earn particularly high salaries. The average annual salary for surgeons in Switzerland is around CHF 355,000. Cardiologists also earn above-average salaries, with an average of CHF 285,000 per year. Anaesthetists have an average salary of around CHF 290,000 per year.

Salaries are somewhat lower in other specialisms. Neurologists earn an average of around CHF 175,000 per year, while radiologists have an average annual salary of CHF 205,000. Specialists in general internal medicine, who often work as general practitioners, earn an average salary of between CHF 250,000 and CHF 300,000 gross per year.

As the table shows, self-employed specialists generally earn significantly more than salaried specialists. For example, the average salary of a self-employed cardiologist is CHF 487,086, while an employed specialist in cardiology earns an average of CHF 265,896 per year. The differences in income between self-employed and employed doctors are also considerable in surgery and paediatrics and adolescent medicine.

Regional differences in doctor salaries in Switzerland

Although Switzerland is a relatively small country, there are considerable differences in the salaries of doctors depending on the region. One of the reasons for this is that the individual cantons often set their own guidelines for remuneration in the healthcare sector, for example through collective labour agreements. These regional differences are already clearly evident in the starting salary as a junior doctor:

There is therefore a difference of over 20 per cent between the cantons with the highest and lowest starting salaries. Regional salary differences also remain throughout the further course of a doctor's training and career. According to calculations by the Federal Office of Public Health from 2009 to 2014, medical specialists in Northwestern Switzerland earned an average of 101.69 per cent of the national average, compared to just 87.65 per cent in Ticino.

In addition to salaries, the cost of living and the tax burden also vary from canton to canton. The average top tax rate in the country is 33.8 per cent, but can rise to 46 per cent in the canton of Geneva. All these factors play a role in the financial attractiveness of a job as a doctor in the various regions of Switzerland. However, the quality of life is equally good in all cantons in Switzerland.

Comparison with other medical professions

Compared to other healthcare professions, the gross salary of doctors in Switzerland is significantly higher. This can be explained, among other things, by the longer and more demanding training and the high level of responsibility they bear in their profession. After completing their studies and residency, doctors can expect attractive starting salaries depending on their speciality and position.

While a nurse earns an average of around CHF 73,000 per year and a medical practice assistant around CHF 61,000, the average annual salary for doctors across all career levels is CHF 126,961. Collective labour agreements and regulations ensure fair pay that is based on qualifications and experience.

Salary as a doctor in private practice in Switzerland

According to a study by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), the average annual salary of self-employed medical specialists is around CHF 320,400. This corresponds to an average monthly income of around CHF 26,700. However, the costs for practice management, employees and insurance must also be taken into account.

The earnings of a doctor in private practice in Switzerland therefore amount to around 200,000 euros per year. In comparison, a doctor in private practice in Germany earns around 150,000 euros per year. This corresponds to a salary difference of around 33 percent in favour of Swiss doctors.

However, the salary as a doctor in private practice in Switzerland varies greatly depending on factors such as the number of patients, services offered and practice location. There are also differences between specialities:

Specialist doctors such as gastroenterologists or neurosurgeons tend to earn more than primary care providers such as general practitioners or paediatricians. The highest salaries are earned by practising specialists in Central Switzerland with an average of CHF 29,000 per month.

Is there a gender pay gap among doctors in Switzerland?

Even though the salaries of male and female doctors in Switzerland are high by international standards, there is still pay inequality between men and women. According to a study by the Federal Office of Public Health, female doctors earn on average 10.5% less than their male colleagues. Part of this difference can be explained by factors such as part-time work and the lower presence of women in management positions.

But even with comparable professional experience, position and specialisation, there are differences in salary. For example, a male doctor aged between 45 and 55 earns an average of CHF 185,000 per year, while a female doctor in the same age group earns just CHF 156,250. There are many reasons for this discrepancy - from different career paths and discrimination to the poorer negotiating positions of women.

Overall, however, the gender pay gap for male and female doctors in Switzerland is lower than in the economy as a whole, where women earn on average 19% less than men. Nevertheless, equal pay between the sexes remains an important issue in the medical sector, which requires continued attention and measures to ensure fair pay regardless of gender.