Why everyone wants to work in Switzerland
In my first winter I looked at my payslip every month like it was a lottery ticket. I had never earned that much in a kitchen.
Then came the room, food, health insurance and taxes. I still kept more than at home. But not as much as I first thought.
An imagined voice. This is how seasonal workers often describe their first winter in the mountains.Few countries get as many applications from hospitality workers as Switzerland. Employers in Zermatt, Gstaad or Lenzerheide often get dozens of applications for one job. Some now even ask people to send fewer.
The reason is simple: the minimum wage in hospitality is much higher than in Austria or Germany. And often you get a room too. We do the honest maths on what that means and tell you what you need to know before you start.
What is left at the end of the month
What the minimum wage says
In Switzerland, minimum wages are set by the national collective agreement for hospitality (L-GAV). It covers almost all hotels and restaurants, including seasonal ones. These monthly wages are gross for full-time work and apply since 1 January 2026, in seasonal businesses from the 2026 summer season:
- 3,713 francsWithout vocational training, for example kitchen helper, waiter/waitress or housekeeping (level Ia).
- 4,070 francsWith two-year basic training and a vocational certificate (level II).
- 4,528 francsWith a completed apprenticeship, for example as a cook (level IIIa).
- 5,293 francsWith a higher professional exam (level IV). Interns get at least 2,390 francs.
On top of that you get a 13th month's salary, or a part of it if your job is shorter. If you leave during the trial period, you don't get it.
Room and board: the honest deduction
If you live in staff housing and eat at work, your employer takes this from your wage. The maximum amounts come from the rates of the AHV (Swiss social security) and the tax office: 11.50 francs per day for the room, 3.50 for breakfast, 10 for lunch and 8 for dinner. For a full month with a room and all meals, that is no more than 990 francs.
So from 3,713 francs you keep about 2,720 francs before social contributions and taxes. In return, you don't have to look for a flat, pay a deposit or buy groceries. In holiday resorts, where flats are rare and expensive, that is a real advantage.
Photo Wengen: chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons · Iseltwald: Andrew Bossi, CC BY-SA 2.5Switzerland, Austria, Germany compared
The starting wage without training, gross, in hospitality. As of October 2026.
Switzerland
CHF 3,713per month, 13 salaries a yearabout €4,000 at €1 = CHF 0.92. Room and board no more than CHF 990 per month.
Austria
€2,096.50per month, 14 salaries a yearHelpers, Tyrol wage scale from 1 October 2026. A trained cook starts at €2,232.
Germany
€13.90per hour, legal minimum wageat 40 hours about €2,410 per month. From 2027 it will be €14.60 per hour.
Switzerland pays the most on paper. But life there is also more expensive, especially in holiday resorts. You keep the most when room and food are included and you don't spend much.
What are 3,713 francs in your currency?
Enter a monthly wage in francs or tap one of the minimum wages.
European Central Bank reference rates of 28 Oct 2026. Rates change daily.
Why everyone wants to go to Zermatt, and where people are still needed
Why the famous places are so popular
- 1The name: a season in Zermatt, St. Moritz or Gstaad looks good on your CV.
- 2International guests and teams, often with English every day.
- 3Big hotels with staff housing, often paying above the minimum wage.
- 4Many people only know these names, so everyone applies there.
Where your chances are often better
- Smaller towns and valleys that are less well known.
- Kitchen: cooks and chefs de partie are wanted almost everywhere.
- Housekeeping and helpers, especially before the season starts.
- If you speak German or French, you have a clear advantage in the region.
Your route to Switzerland
What you need to know as an EU citizen
Permit
For up to three months, your employer registers you online. For 3 to 12 months you get a short-term permit L, for one year or more a permit B. There are no quotas for EU and EFTA citizens.
Registration
Register with the local council (Gemeinde) within 14 days, and always before your first day of work.
Health insurance
If you work in Switzerland, you must take out Swiss health insurance within three months. You still need cover for the journey and the first weeks.
Withholding tax
With a permit L or B, your employer usually takes the tax directly from your wage. The amount depends on the canton and your personal situation.
Job reporting rule
Some jobs must first be reported to the job centre (RAV), since 2026 also for cooks and cleaning staff. Only then can the business advertise them publicly. That is why a job offer sometimes takes a few days longer.
Language
In Valais and Grisons German often matters, in the west French, in Ticino Italian. In big hotels English is sometimes enough.
Sources: L-GAV hospitality, minimum wage insert 2026 (l-gav.ch); GastroSuisse, minimum wages 2026; AHV and tax office rates for benefits in kind; arbeit.swiss, job reporting rule from 2026; WKO, wage scale for restaurants and hotels in Tyrol from 1.10.2026; German Minimum Wage Act; EUR/CHF exchange rate of 28.10.2026. Not legal or tax advice.
Is Switzerland worth it?
For many people, yes, but not because of the big number on the contract. It's worth it if room and food are included, if you stay for a whole season and if you don't spend every franc in the resort.
Then at the end you keep clearly more than in Austria or Germany, and you've lived a season in the mountains. The jobs below are current, with accommodation and directly from the business.
Today on Job & Stay
- 445
- current jobs with accommodation
- 19
- countries
- 19 %
- of jobs with free accommodation
Current jobs in Switzerland
Six jobs with accommodation, directly from the employer.
Images without a source credit are partly AI-generated illustrations.
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