Public schools in Switzerland are operated by cantons, so teacher salaries will vary (and sometimes by much) from one canton, and often school district as well, to another.

Then, there are different pay scales based on educational levels – for instance, kindergarten teachers make less money than those working in high school.

According to Watson news platform, which culled information from the teacher salary data of eastern and northwestern cantons, as well as from education departments of individual cantons, this is what teachers are paid in Switzerland in 2024.

Let’s look at the kindergarten first

The average starting salary for kindergarten classes (children ages from 4 to 6) is 79,638 francs a year in 2024.

The maximum wage is 119,778 francs.

The highest wages can be found in largest (and most expensive) cities like Zurich and Geneva, where average annual salaries for kindergarten teachers are 100,000 francs; as a comparison the employees in Graubünden earn, on average, 62,483 francs.

Primary schools (ages 6 to to 14)

At this level, salaries range from 81,464 to 122,439 francs.

Here too, Zurich and Geneva teachers are best off in terms to their pay: between 105,068 and nearly 151,000 in the former, and 124,669 to 135,713 francs in the latter canton.

The lowest wages – from 68,500 to 96,278 francs – are paid to primary school teachers in Ticino.

Moving on to secondary schools (ages 14 to 16)

Here, average salaries range from 94,576 to just over 141,000 francs, with Geneva teachers earning 136,436 to 148, 213 francs, followed by their colleagues in yes, Zurich – between 103,636 and 161,420 francs.

In other Swiss cantons, these averages fall between about 88,000 and 130,000 francs.

Post obligatory education (ages 16 to 19)

At these schools, which prepare students for universities (Gymnasium in German, Gymnase in French, and Liceo in Italian), teachers earn more than their counterparts in “lower” levels.

The range is from 106,191 to 162’087 francs.

Zurich has the highest wage at between 155,063 and 192,760 francs, while in Ticino it ranges between 95,616 to 137,838 francs.

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