Swiss gender pay gap narrows to 15.7 per cent in 2024

The pay gap between women and men in Switzerland narrowed again in 2024, but women still earned 15.7 per cent less on average than men, SRF reported, citing the Swiss Federal Statistical Office. The gap stood at 16.2 per cent in 2022, 18 per cent in 2020 and 19 per cent in 2018.

The figures are based on standardised gross monthly salaries converted to full-time positions. In the private sector, the average gap fell from 17.5 per cent in 2022 to 17.2 per cent in 2024. It varied significantly by industry, from about 8 per cent in hospitality to around 17 per cent in retail and machinery manufacturing, and nearly 31 per cent in banking and insurance.

The gap also narrowed in the public sector, from 13.8 per cent in 2022 to 12.8 per cent in 2024. It stood at 15 per cent in 2020 and 18.1 per cent in 2018.

Some of the difference can be explained by structural factors such as education, years of service, management responsibilities and occupational field. However, women and men with the same profile still had an unexplained pay gap of 6.5 per cent in 2024, equivalent to an average of 640 Swiss francs gross per month. In 2022, the figure was 7 per cent, or 657 francs.

In the private sector, the unexplained gap fell from 7.2 per cent to 6.7 per cent. It amounted to about 1,506 francs per month in banking and insurance, 829 francs in machinery manufacturing, 606 francs in retail and 191 francs in hospitality. In the public sector, it fell from 6.7 per cent to 5.9 per cent, equivalent to 574 francs per month.

The unexplained gap was larger in small companies and at higher management levels. It stood at 8.6 per cent in businesses with fewer than 20 employees, compared with 5.8 per cent in companies with at least 1,000 employees. Among workers without management responsibilities, it was 6.1 per cent, rising to 12.4 per cent among senior managers.

The gap also increased with age, from 2.2 per cent among workers under 30 to 8.3 per cent among those over 50. It was lowest, at 3.8 per cent, among people with a degree from a university of applied sciences or a university of teacher education. The figure was 6.6 per cent among people with completed vocational training.

Marital status was also associated with differences in pay: the unexplained gap was 2.7 per cent among single workers and 8.1 per cent among married workers. The Federal Statistical Office said characteristics such as marital status and family situation may be used to describe pay differences but must not be used to justify them.