A person working as Design Engineer in Zurich typically earns around 125,000 CHF. Salaries range from 58,700 CHF (lowest) to 197,000 CHF (highest).
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Design Engineer salaries in Zurich vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
![]() 58,700 CHF |
![]() 118,000 CHF |
![]() 197,000 CHF |
Salaries for the position Design Engineer in Zurich range from 58,700 CHF (starting salary) to 197,000 CHF (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.
With a median salary of 118,000 CHF, half of the professionals who work as Design Engineer in Zurich earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.
The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Design Engineer in Zurich earn less than 95,900 CHF, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 136,000 CHF while 25% earn more.
To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Design Engineer in Zurich compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 71,800 CHF to 103,000 CHF. About 20% of salaries are below the 71,800 CHF mark, while 10% fall within the range of 103,000 CHF to 118,000 CHF. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 118,000 CHF.
0 - 2 Years | 67,700 CHF | |
2 - 5 Years | +38% | 93,300 CHF |
5 - 10 Years | +42% | 133,000 CHF |
10 - 15 Years | +22% | 162,000 CHF |
15 - 20 Years | +6% | 171,000 CHF |
20+ Years | +9% | 186,000 CHF |
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Design Engineer and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 67,700 CHF.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 93,300 CHF, 38% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 133,000 CHF, 42% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 162,000 CHF, 22% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 171,000 CHF, 6% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 186,000 CHF, 9% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Bachelor's Degree | 93,300 CHF | |
Master's Degree | +83% | 171,000 CHF |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position Design Engineer in order to make a comparison.
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 93,300 CHF.
At this level, the average salary becomes 171,000 CHF, 83% more than the previous level.
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Switzerland costs anywhere from 51,800 CHF to 155,000 CHF and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch to a higher-paying job. The numbers seem to support the theory. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Design Engineer in Switzerland, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 4%.
Male | 121,000 CHF | |
Female | -4% | 116,000 CHF |
Individuals working as Design Engineer in Switzerland are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately % every months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 15 months.
The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency
Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.
100% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while % said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from % to % of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | % | |
No Bonus | 100% |
The most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
The main two types of jobs | |
Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Design Engineer in Zurich is 28 CHF. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Engineering | ![]() | |
3D Printing Engineer | 108,000 CHF | ![]() |
Acoustics Engineer | 119,000 CHF | ![]() |
Assembly Engineering Technician | 99,300 CHF | ![]() |
Assistant Chief Engineer | 146,000 CHF | ![]() |
Associate Engineer | 113,000 CHF | ![]() |
AutoCAD Drafter | 74,200 CHF | ![]() |
Autocad Operator | 80,700 CHF | ![]() |
Automation Engineer | 129,000 CHF | ![]() |
Avionic System Support Engineer | 115,000 CHF | ![]() |
Biochemical Engineer | 115,000 CHF | ![]() |
BMS Engineer | 120,000 CHF | ![]() |
Bridge and Lock Tender | 66,100 CHF | ![]() |
Broadcast Engineer | 121,000 CHF | ![]() |
CAD Design Engineer | 124,000 CHF | ![]() |
CAD Designer | 75,900 CHF | ![]() |
CAE Engineer | 124,000 CHF | ![]() |
Ceramics Engineer | 109,000 CHF | ![]() |
Chemical Engineer | 127,000 CHF | ![]() |
Civil Drafter | 81,300 CHF | ![]() |
Civil Engineer | 124,000 CHF | ![]() |
Civil Site Engineer | 123,000 CHF | ![]() |
Civil Technician | 73,300 CHF | ![]() |
Cognitive Engineer | 113,000 CHF | ![]() |
Commissioning Engineer | 118,000 CHF | ![]() |
Communications Engineer | 134,000 CHF | ![]() |
Condition Monitoring Engineer | 112,000 CHF | ![]() |
Contract Associate Engineer | 117,000 CHF | ![]() |
Contract Engineer | 119,000 CHF | ![]() |
Control Systems Engineer | 124,000 CHF | ![]() |
Controls Engineer | 125,000 CHF | ![]() |
Controls Software Engineer | 112,000 CHF | ![]() |
Corrosion Engineer | 118,000 CHF | ![]() |
Design Engineer | 125,000 CHF | ![]() |
Director of Engineering | 245,000 CHF | ![]() |
Drafter | 79,700 CHF | ![]() |
Drafting Manager | 148,000 CHF | ![]() |
Drilling Engineer | 120,000 CHF | ![]() |
Drilling Foreman | 36,600 CHF | ![]() |
Electrical Draughtsman | 65,900 CHF | ![]() |
Electrical Engineer | 137,000 CHF | ![]() |
Electrical Engineering Manager | 181,000 CHF | ![]() |
Electromechanical Engineering Technologist | 129,000 CHF | ![]() |
Electromechanical Equipment Assembler | 63,600 CHF | ![]() |
Energy Engineer | 132,000 CHF | ![]() |
Engine Assembler | 56,700 CHF | ![]() |
Engineer | 135,000 CHF | ![]() |
Engineering Account Manager | 139,000 CHF | ![]() |
Engineering Chief Designer | 135,000 CHF | ![]() |
Engineering Consultant | 175,000 CHF | ![]() |
Engineering Key Account Manager | 183,000 CHF | ![]() |
Engineering Lab Technician | 115,000 CHF | ![]() |
Engineering Manager | 166,000 CHF | ![]() |
Engineering Planning Manager | 167,000 CHF | ![]() |
Engineering Production Manager | 232,000 CHF | ![]() |
Engineering Project Analyst | 146,000 CHF | ![]() |
Engineering Project Coordinator | 152,000 CHF | ![]() |
Engineering Project Director | 263,000 CHF | ![]() |
Engineering Project Leader | 154,000 CHF | ![]() |
Engineering Project Manager | 175,000 CHF | ![]() |
Engineering Research and Development Manager | 203,000 CHF | ![]() |
Engineering Safety Coordinator | 95,000 CHF | ![]() |
Engineering Sales Manager | 167,000 CHF | ![]() |
Engineering Technician | 97,000 CHF | ![]() |
Engineering Technologist | 95,400 CHF | ![]() |
Environmental Engineer | 126,000 CHF | ![]() |
Equipment Engineer | 119,000 CHF | ![]() |
Equipment Engineering Manager | 157,000 CHF | ![]() |
Estimator | 107,000 CHF | ![]() |
Fabrication Specialist | 84,900 CHF | ![]() |
Fabricator | 55,200 CHF | ![]() |
Facade Engineer | 117,000 CHF | ![]() |
Fiber Analyst | 71,000 CHF | ![]() |
Field Engineer | 125,000 CHF | ![]() |
Field Engineering Manager | 206,000 CHF | ![]() |
Fire Engineer | 121,000 CHF | ![]() |
Fitter and Turner | 39,200 CHF | ![]() |
Forestry Strategic Planner | 142,000 CHF | ![]() |
Generation Engineer | 127,000 CHF | ![]() |
Genetic Engineer | 133,000 CHF | ![]() |
Geological Engineer | 128,000 CHF | ![]() |
Geotechnical Engineer | 131,000 CHF | ![]() |
Heavy Equipment Mechanic | 63,800 CHF | ![]() |
Highway Engineer | 124,000 CHF | ![]() |
HSE Professional | 113,000 CHF | ![]() |
Human Machine Interface Engineer | 116,000 CHF | ![]() |
HVAC Engineer | 134,000 CHF | ![]() |
HVAC Supervisor | 112,000 CHF | ![]() |
Industrial Engineer | 123,000 CHF | ![]() |
Industrial Engineering Technologist | 125,000 CHF | ![]() |
Instrument Engineer | 124,000 CHF | ![]() |
Instrument Technician | 69,600 CHF | ![]() |
Instrumentation and Control Engineer | 127,000 CHF | ![]() |
Instrumentation Designer | 109,000 CHF | ![]() |
Instrumentation Engineer | 118,000 CHF | ![]() |
Instrumentation Manager | 129,000 CHF | ![]() |
Irrigation Engineer | 125,000 CHF | ![]() |
Licensed Aircraft Engineer | 133,000 CHF | ![]() |
Locomotive Engineer | 120,000 CHF | ![]() |
Maintenance Engineer | 122,000 CHF | ![]() |
Maintenance Fitter | 43,900 CHF | ![]() |
Maintenance Manager | 130,000 CHF | ![]() |
Manufacturing Engineer | 115,000 CHF | ![]() |
Marine Engineer | 121,000 CHF | ![]() |
Materials Engineer | 119,000 CHF | ![]() |
Materials Researcher | 114,000 CHF | ![]() |
Materials Technician | 87,600 CHF | ![]() |
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer | 128,000 CHF | ![]() |
Mechanical Design Engineer | 138,000 CHF | ![]() |
Mechanical Designer | 113,000 CHF | ![]() |
Mechanical Engineer | 131,000 CHF | ![]() |
Mechanical Engineering Manager | 175,000 CHF | ![]() |
Mechanical Inspector | 120,000 CHF | ![]() |
Mechatronics Engineer | 134,000 CHF | ![]() |
Mining Engineer | 128,000 CHF | ![]() |
Nanotechnology Engineer | 137,000 CHF | ![]() |
Natural Language Processing Engineer | 132,000 CHF | ![]() |
Oil and Petrochemical Engineer | 139,000 CHF | ![]() |
Optical Engineer | 121,000 CHF | ![]() |
Optical Instrument Assembler | 63,900 CHF | ![]() |
PCB Assembler | 45,600 CHF | ![]() |
Photonics Engineer | 138,000 CHF | ![]() |
Photonics Technician | 114,000 CHF | ![]() |
Pipeline Engineer | 112,000 CHF | ![]() |
Piping Designer | 67,000 CHF | ![]() |
Piping Engineer | 114,000 CHF | ![]() |
Planning Engineer | 123,000 CHF | ![]() |
Pressure Vessel Inspector | 58,100 CHF | ![]() |
Principal Cost Engineer | 125,000 CHF | ![]() |
Principal Engineer | 127,000 CHF | ![]() |
Principal Support Engineer | 128,000 CHF | ![]() |
Process Engineer | 127,000 CHF | ![]() |
Process Operator | 75,400 CHF | ![]() |
Product Development Engineer | 135,000 CHF | ![]() |
Product Development Technician | 89,600 CHF | ![]() |
Product Engineer | 124,000 CHF | ![]() |
Product Safety Engineer | 115,000 CHF | ![]() |
Production Engineer | 121,000 CHF | ![]() |
Project Engineer | 127,000 CHF | ![]() |
Proposal Manager | 155,000 CHF | ![]() |
Purchasing Engineer | 120,000 CHF | ![]() |
Quality Assurance Engineer | 120,000 CHF | ![]() |
Rail Engineer | 124,000 CHF | ![]() |
Regional Field Engineer | 139,000 CHF | ![]() |
Remote Sensing Engineer | 129,000 CHF | ![]() |
Robotics Engineer | 138,000 CHF | ![]() |
Robotics Technician | 101,000 CHF | ![]() |
Safety Engineer | 124,000 CHF | ![]() |
Safety Inspector | 94,500 CHF | ![]() |
Safety Manager | 142,000 CHF | ![]() |
Safety Officer | 65,500 CHF | ![]() |
Sales Engineer | 133,000 CHF | ![]() |
Scheduling Engineer | 115,000 CHF | ![]() |
Security Engineer | 130,000 CHF | ![]() |
Service Engineer | 136,000 CHF | ![]() |
Smart Home Engineer | 139,000 CHF | ![]() |
Solar Engineer | 135,000 CHF | ![]() |
Staff Engineer | 119,000 CHF | ![]() |
Static Equipment Engineer | 120,000 CHF | ![]() |
Stationary Engineer | 109,000 CHF | ![]() |
Stress Engineer | 118,000 CHF | ![]() |
Structural Analysis Engineer | 126,000 CHF | ![]() |
Structural Designer | 109,000 CHF | ![]() |
Structural Engineer | 128,000 CHF | ![]() |
Structural Technician | 76,400 CHF | ![]() |
Subsea Engineer | 158,000 CHF | ![]() |
Supply Chain Specialist | 118,000 CHF | ![]() |
Surveyor | 96,400 CHF | ![]() |
Technical Affairs Officer | 63,400 CHF | ![]() |
Technical Assistant | 65,500 CHF | ![]() |
Technical Engineer | 107,000 CHF | ![]() |
Technical Support Engineer | 112,000 CHF | ![]() |
Tender Engineer | 112,000 CHF | ![]() |
Test Development Engineer | 123,000 CHF | ![]() |
Test Engineer | 128,000 CHF | ![]() |
Transportation Engineer | 119,000 CHF | ![]() |
Urban Engineer | 121,000 CHF | ![]() |
Validation Engineer | 112,000 CHF | ![]() |
Verification Engineer | 121,000 CHF | ![]() |
Wastewater Engineer | 123,000 CHF | ![]() |
Wind Energy Engineer | 124,000 CHF | ![]() |
Wind Energy Operations Manager | 164,000 CHF | ![]() |
Wireless Engineer | 133,000 CHF | ![]() |
Work Planner | 89,300 CHF | ![]() |
City | Average Salary |
Zurich | 125,000 CHF |
Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in Switzerland is 4% on average across all career fields.
Private Sector | 122,000 CHF | |
Public Sector | +4% | 127,000 CHF |
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 118,000 CHF and 136,000 CHF. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.
The base salary for a careers like Design Engineer in Zurich ranges from 58,700 CHF to 95,900 CHF. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
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