Robert Half publishes salary overview 2024
The international recruitment consultancy Robert Half has published its 2024 salary survey for Switzerland. It shows the current salary levels for positions in the finance and accounting, commercial and IT sectors. In addition, the salary survey provides in-depth insights into the benefits and additional services that are in high demand among employees, further training opportunities and assessments of how greater salary transparency would affect the corporate culture.
Market outlook: Sentiment remains positive
Despite economic uncertainty and multiple global crises, the overwhelming majority of companies across all sectors surveyed still want to hire new employees or at least maintain staff levels across the board. To this end, companies are also facing the challenge of attracting new employees for future expenditure. 80% of the employers surveyed and 83% of employees in companies are concerned that this will be possible in 2024.
In addition to salary, employees are focusing more on benefits and additional services as well as training opportunities. One of the many preferred options here is temporary secondments to customers or business partners in order to gain new insights and impetus.
Salaries in the IT sector, in the commercial sector and in finance and accounting are for the most part already above 100,000 Swiss francs, in some positions even in the 25th percentile: If employees have the necessary requirements, certificates and qualifications, they can already earn six-figure annual salaries when they start in a position, three examples:
- Helpdesk (1st, 2nd level) -> 110,000 Swiss francs (25th percentile)
- Business Analyst -> 102,000 Swiss francs (25th percentile)
- HR Manager -> 103,250 Swiss francs (25th percentile)
In the IT sector, annual salaries of more than 100,000 Swiss francs will be common in all positions in 2023.
The staff shortages in the IT sector in particular are significantly exacerbating the situation and the competition for the best specialists. Starting salaries of 100,000 Swiss francs are already being paid for certain positions:
- Systems Engineer -> 100,500 Swiss francs plus
- Data Scientist -> 100,000 Swiss francs plus
- Software Developer (Java, C#/C++, . Net, Python) -> 101,500 Swiss francs plus
"The pressure on HR managers in IT is immense, with many vacancies and few available staff. The salaries paid in Switzerland are a reflection of this development," says Renata von Gottberg, Director and Branch Manager Zurich at Robert Half Switzerland. The importance of IT will continue to increase in the coming years and, above all, will result in a specialization of the areas that are supposed to find and recruit these experts. "It is also clear that the whole area of IT security will play a central role, especially now that the first new technologies in terms of automation or artificial intelligence are finding their way into companies."
The importance of accounting is reflected in significantly rising salaries
In addition to traditional tasks, the finance and accounting sector is increasingly confronted with challenges in connection with increasing regulatory requirements. For employees, this means significantly higher salary levels across the board and, conversely, a more complex range of tasks.
- Accounting Manager -> 153,000 Swiss francs plus (75th percentile)
- Compliance Manager -> 168,000 Swiss francs plus (75th percentile)
- Payroll accountant -> 132,500 Swiss francs plus (75th percentile)
"The shortage of skilled workers, as well as companies' requirements for figures and reporting, are catapulting salaries for the entire accounting department into new spheres," says Eva Mahoney, Director Permanent at Robert Half in Switzerland. "It is not only the constantly increasing and more complex regulations, but also the use of the latest technological tools that are driving the demand for new specialists and experts in the departments."
The commercial area is experiencing a new importance in companies
Salaries for important key positions in the commercial sector will be significantly higher in 2023 than in 2022. In particular, positions that are close to management or the board of directors or are directly responsible for recruiting new employees will see significant salary increases.
- Personal / Executive Assistant -> 115,250 Swiss francs plus (75th percentile)
- HR Business Partner -> 142,750 Swiss francs plus (75th percentile)
- HR Specialist -> 122,500 Swiss francs (75th percentile)
"Recruiting new skilled workers is at the top of the agenda for decision-makers in companies. This has a direct impact on those in the organizations who are tasked with finding this personnel. They have now become rare experts themselves and are also paid more than they were a year ago," says Julia Meir Lawi, Director and Branch Manager Geneva at Robert Half Switzerland.
Benefits and additional options are becoming more important
Overall, it is clear that benefits and additional services continue to gain in importance and that supply and demand are not yet fully synchronized. For example, companies primarily offer in-house training, while staff want opportunities to gain new perspectives and experience at the customer's premises or in other departments.
Source: www.roberthalf.ch
