The sector
- Swiss construction: 320,000 jobs
- Major sites: Léman 2030 (SBB), Alpine tunnels, energy renovation
- Leading cantons: Vaud, Geneva, Zurich, Bern, Ticino
- Players: Implenia, Marti, Frutiger, Losinger, HRS Real Estate
Training
- HES Bachelor in civil engineering: 3 years, HES-SO, ZHAW, BFH
- EPFL/ETHZ Master in civil engineering: 5 years, executive route
- Federal diploma of site manager: practical route
Skills
- Structural calculation: static, dynamic, seismic
- Software: Autodesk Robot, ETABS, SCIA, Allplan, Revit
- BIM: Building Information Modeling — essential 2026
- SIA standards: Swiss reference
- Project management: Microsoft Project, Primavera
Salaries
- Junior HES: CHF 80-95K
- Junior EPFL/ETHZ: CHF 90-105K
- Mid (5-10 years): CHF 110-145K
- Project manager: CHF 140-180K
- Senior structures architect: CHF 160-200K
- Technical director: CHF 200-280K
Self-employed / Engineering office
After 5-7 years, possibility of:
- Independent engineering office: CHF 150-250K/year net
- Project owner on major projects
- Expert witness for courts
Tips
- Construction CLA: salary minimums by canton
- English + German: essential outside Romandy
- BIM: Autodesk certifications valued
- Networking: SIA (Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects)
