Minimum wage in Switzerland 2026: five cantons, up to CHF 24.59

The five cantons with a minimum wage, and who is exempt

Each canton writes its own rules, so the exemptions differ more than the rates do:

• Geneva: CHF 24.59 an hour, with a lower CHF 18.07 for agriculture and floriculture. The rate is indexed automatically every year.
• Basel-Stadt: CHF 22.20 an hour; the law has applied since July 1, 2022. It does not cover employees under generally binding collective agreements (GAV) or standard contracts that set their own minimum, short internships, au pairs, on-call work of up to 70 hours a year, and some integration schemes.
• Jura: CHF 21.40 an hour since July 1, 2024, under a law from February 1, 2018. CCT-covered sectors, standard contracts for sales, agriculture and domestic work, family members and trainees are excluded. Holiday and public-holiday pay is owed on top, while a 13th salary counts toward the minimum.
• Neuchatel: CHF 21.35 base rate, CHF 18.15 for agriculture, viticulture and horticulture.
• Ticino: rates by sector between CHF 20.00 and CHF 20.50, set by annual executive decree at 55% of the national median wage.

City minimum wages in Zurich and Winterthur have been reported by secondary sites, but we did not find them confirmed as in force on official pages, so we do not list them.

Other minimum wage rates in Switzerland

Switzerland minimum wage history

What the cantonal minimums pay per month

Swiss law has no federal standard week, so monthly pay depends on contracted hours. Geneva itself publishes the conversion: CHF 24.59 equals CHF 4,262.27 a month on a 40-hour week or CHF 4,368.82 on 41 hours.

Even Geneva's floor is 60.68% of the CHF 7,024 national median, and it sits close to what whole sectors pay. The Federal Statistical Office's 2024 survey puts the median at CHF 4,496 a month in personal services, CHF 4,715 in accommodation, CHF 4,744 in gastronomy and CHF 5,214 in retail. More detail is on our Swiss salary page.

What employers pay where no canton sets a minimum

In Zurich, Bern, Vaud or Zug there is no legal hourly floor. Pay is set by the employment contract and, in many trades, by a collective agreement (GAV) with its own minimum scale. We have not checked 2026 GAV scales, so ask your provider which agreement covers the role and what its scale says. As a market yardstick, the Zurich region median is CHF 7,502 a month and the national median CHF 7,024.

Changes announced for 2027

Geneva will move to CHF 24.73 an hour in 2027, with agriculture and floriculture at CHF 18.17. On a 40-hour week that is CHF 4,286.53 a month. Ticino's executive decree of October 7, 2026 sets the sector range at CHF 20.50 to CHF 21.00 from January 1, 2027. Basel-Stadt, Neuchatel and Jura had not published 2027 rates on the pages we read. The history table shows how slowly the indexed rates move: Neuchatel's base went from CHF 20.08 in 2022 to CHF 21.35 in 2026.

Employer contributions on top of the wage

The only employer contribution we could confirm from an official source is the AHV/IV/EO social security share of 5.3%, matched by 5.3% from the employee, with no wage cap (2025 edition of the official AHV/IV leaflet; we have not confirmed the 2026 edition). On a Geneva minimum wage of CHF 51,147.20 a year (CHF 24.59 x 40 hours x 52 weeks), that is CHF 2,710.80. Unemployment insurance (ALV), occupational pension (BVG), accident insurance (UVG) and the family allowance fund all add more, but we have not confirmed their 2026 rates, so the real on-cost is higher than 5.3%. That is also why Switzerland is not yet in our country cost index.

Paying a Swiss employee through an EOR

Without a Swiss entity, an employer of record hires the person, applies the cantonal minimum or GAV scale, and runs the AHV, pension and accident filings. Published list prices run from $99 (Native Teams, whose help center says EUR 99) to $699 (Oyster) a month per employee (EOR pricing compared); Deel lists $599 (checked October 16 and 18, 2026).

Notice is 7 days during probation, then one month in the first year, two months in years two to nine and three months from year ten, each to the end of a month. Our Switzerland EOR guide covers probation and the contributions we could confirm, our EOR rankings compare providers, and Germany's minimum wage and France's minimum wage are the neighboring national rates.