In hospital
Hospital doctors follow a federal grid (FMH/SIWF) progressing by level:
- Resident (years 1–5 post-graduation): CHF 90,000–115,000
- Senior registrar / chief resident (in final specialisation, FMH+): CHF 130,000–160,000
- Attending / consultant: CHF 180,000–260,000
- Senior consultant / head of service: CHF 280,000–450,000+
- Tenured professor (head of CHU department): CHF 400,000–600,000+
In private practice (net after costs)
- GP self-employed: CHF 170,000–280,000 net
- Specialist (cardio, gynae, derm, ortho): CHF 250,000–450,000+ net
- Surgeon: CHF 300,000–600,000+ net (with operating activity in clinics)
- Radiologist, anaesthesiologist, ophthalmologist: CHF 350,000–700,000+ net
Incomes depend heavily on TARMED volume billed, canton (Zurich, Geneva higher; Jura, Ticino lower) and accepted supplementary insurances.
Best-paid specialities (private)
- Radiology
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopaedic surgery
- Interventional cardiology
- Gastroenterology / endoscopy
- Cosmetic dermatology
- Anaesthesiology (combined with private hospital activity)
Hospital allowances
- On-call shifts: lump sum + overtime
- Standby: variable lump sum
- Night/weekend: top-ups like nursing staff
- Private activity (senior consultants): fees on private patients
Private practice: costs and constraints
- Patient list purchase: CHF 100,000–500,000
- Office rent: CHF 30,000–80,000/yr
- Staff (MPA, reception): CHF 80,000–150,000/yr
- Professional liability: CHF 5,000–15,000/yr
- FMH + LCA fees: CHF 4,000–10,000/yr
Expect 3–5 years to break even and build a stable patient list.
Career tips
- Moving from hospital salary to private practice can double income over a few years, but with heavy hours and administrative load
- EU/EFTA foreign doctors: MEBEKO recognition + at least 3 years supervised practice to obtain authorisation to open a practice (numerus clausus by canton)
- Non-EU/EFTA doctors must pass the Swiss federal exam