Becoming a cook in Switzerland

The sector

• 45,000 cooks active in Switzerland
• 130 Michelin stars spread across the country
• Bocuse d'Or: Switzerland regularly medalled
• Hospitality-restaurant CLA (CCNT): protects conditions

CFC apprenticeship

• Cook CFC: 3 years in dual apprenticeship
• Cook in system catering (chain): 2 years
• Apprentice salary: CHF 800-2,000/month
• Professional route: majority route, opens whole sector

Career evolution

• Commis → Chef de partie → Sous-chef → Head chef → Executive Chef
• Federal cook diploma: 1-2 years post-CFC
• Federal expert in restoration diploma
• Lausanne Hotel School (EHL): premium management route

Salaries

• Starting commis: CHF 4,100-4,800/month
• Qualified cook: CHF 4,800-6,500/month
• Chef de partie: CHF 5,500-7,500/month
• Sous-chef: CHF 6,500-9,000/month
• Head chef: CHF 8,500-15,000/month (by classification)
• Palace executive chef: CHF 12,000-25,000/month
• Senior Michelin starred: CHF 15,000-30,000/month + profit-share

Specialisations

• Pastry: distinct route, comparable salaries
• Starred cuisine: alpine palaces (Verbier, St. Moritz, Zermatt)
• Collective catering: nursing homes, hospitals, schools
• Event catering: UEFA, FIFA, FFR events

Tips

• Internships in palaces during apprenticeship
• Master French + German: bridge between French/German Switzerland
• Fluent English: essential in international palaces
• Mobility: a cook who moves progresses 2x faster
• Seasonality: 1-2 seasons in mountains (winter) + lakes (summer) = impressive resume