Doctor Salary in Switzerland: Everything You Need to Know .. 2023
What is the doctor’s salary in Switzerland? How much salary does each specialist earn? How to become a doctor in Switzerland? The answer to all these questions is in this article.
The doctor salary in Switzerland is relatively high compared to other countries. But anyone who wants to become a doctor in Switzerland or in another country has many hurdles to overcome and a long training path ahead of them. What does a doctor earn after training as an intern and then as a trained specialist?
How to Be a Doctor in Switzerland?
If you want to study medicine, you must first pass the Matura (university entrance exam). As a rule, it is not enough just to pass the Matura, but a particularly good grade point average is required. This is because admission to medical studies is restricted.
There are always more applicants than vacant places. Only those who have a correspondingly good grade point average and successfully complete the aptitude test for medical studies in Switzerland (EMS) can receive one of the coveted places. This is followed by a six-year medical course, at the end of which the federal examination is taken, which is a prerequisite for compulsory further training.
If the federal examination has been passed, he will work as an intern. During this time, further training to become a specialist doctor takes place in a specific specialist field such as surgery, internal medicine or anesthesia. The duration of training depends on the subject area and usually lasts 5-6 years. At the end of the training, the specialist examination takes place and you can finally call yourself a specialist.
Also read: Doctor salary in Germany, France and US.
Medical Schools in Switzerland
In Switzerland, the following universities offer medical studies:
- University of Basel
- University of Bern
- University of Fribourg
- University of Geneva
- University of Lausanne
- University of Neuchatel
- University of Zurich
The language of instruction depends on the language of the canton. So it can be German (as in Basel or Zurich) or French. In Freiburg, for example, it is a bilingual course.
Doctor Salary in Switzerland
Intern Salary in Switzerland
After completing medical studies, each prospective medical professional will initially work as an intern for several years. Since you are an intern in training and at the lowest career level, wages are correspondingly lower than for specialist doctors. Nevertheless, it must of course be borne in mind that a resident doctor has already completed a long training path.
Specialist Doctor Salary in Switzerland
In line with the long training as a specialist doctor and specialization in one specialty, the doctor’s salary as a specialist is significantly higher than as an intern. Various factors play a role here, such as professional experience and specialist specialization.
In total, a distinction is made between more than thirty specialist disciplines. In addition, the most important factor for the doctor’s salary is the employment relationship. As a result, self-employed doctors earn significantly more than employed doctors.
Also read: Best 27 Hospitals in Switzerland
Average monthly salaries for doctors in Switzerland by position
| Position | Starting salary (CHF) | Starting salary (Euro)* |
|---|---|---|
| Resident/Assistant doctor | 7,350 | 7,050 |
| Specialist doctor | 8,050 | 7,750 |
| Senior doctor | 8,650 | 8,300 |
| Chief physician | 13,000+ | 12,500+ |
Average monthly incomes for self-employed specialist doctor in Switzerland by specialty
| Rank | Specialty | Income (CHF) | Income (Euro)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gastroenterology | 57,000 | 55,000 |
| 2 | Oncology | 50,000 | 48,000 |
| 3 | Anesthesiology | 45,000 | 44,000 |
| 4 | Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery | 45,000 | 44,000 |
| 5 | Radiology | 45,000 | 43,000 |
| 6 | Urology | 43,000 | 42,000 |
| 7 | Ophthalmology | 43,000 | 42,000 |
| 8 | Hand surgery | 41,000 | 39,000 |
| 9 | Cardiology | 41,000 | 39,000 |
| 10 | Intensive care medicine | 39,000 | 37,000 |
| 11 | Angiology | 38,000 | 37,000 |
| 12 | Surgery | 38,000 | 36,000 |
| 13 | Gynecology | 35,000 | 33,000 |
| 14 | Otolaryngology | 34,000 | 32,000 |
| 15 | Dermatology and Venereology | 31,000 | 30,000 |
| 16 | Plastic surgery | 29,000 | 28,000 |
| 17 | Pulmonology | 29,000 | 28,000 |
| 18 | Neurology | 26,000 | 25,000 |
| 19 | Allergology/Immunology | 26,000 | 25,000 |
| 20 | Rheumatology | 25,000 | 24,000 |
| 21 | Physical and Rehabilitative Medicine | 25,000 | 24,000 |
| 22 | Diabetology/Endocrinology | 24,000 | 23,000 |
| 23 | General Internal Medicine | 22,000 | 22,000 |
| 24 | Pediatrics | 22,000 | 21,000 |
| 25 | General Practice | 19,000 | 18,000 |
| 26 | Psychiatry and Psychotherapy | 18,000 | 18,000 |
| 27 | Child and Adolescent Psychiatry | 16,000 | 15,000 |
| Other** | 44,000 | 42,000 |
*Exchange rate: 1 CHF = 0.96 Euro **Specialties with too few respondents were combined into “Other”: Occupational Medicine, Hematology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Neurosurgery.
Average Monthly Earnings by Region for Nonspecialist Physicians in Switzerland (in CHF)
| Region | Average Monthly Earnings |
|---|---|
| Central Switzerland | 29,000 |
| Ticino | 27,000 |
| Espace Mittelland | 27,000 |
| Zurich | 27,000 |
| Lake Geneva Region | 27,000 |
| Eastern Switzerland | 26,000 |
| Northwestern Switzerland | 25,000 |
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