Polymechanic salary in Switzerland: what you really earn, and where you stand
Two polymechanics, same federal diploma, same machine, and at month's end almost CHF 2,000 separate them. One thinks he is well paid, the other knows he is below the median, and negotiates. The difference is not talent, it is information. Here is the entire polymechanic salary in Switzerland at a glance: from the official collective-agreement minimum wage to the real median up to the top, broken down by experience and canton, plus a calculator that shows you in 10 seconds which percentile you are in.
💰 What does a polymechanic earn in Switzerland?
A polymechanic with a federal VET diploma in Switzerland earns a median of around CHF 66,000 gross per year, about CHF 5,100 per month including the 13th monthly salary. Median means: exactly half of polymechanics earn more, the other half less. This figure is more honest than an average, because a few high earners would pull the average upward.
But that single median value tells only half the story. A polymechanic's salary hinges on three levers: experience, further education and region. A newcomer starts around CHF 6,000 below the median, an experienced professional with an additional qualification sits a good CHF 16,000 above it. It is precisely this range that the ConvivaPlus salary index makes visible, so that you know where you really stand.
📊 The ConvivaPlus polymechanic salary index
Instead of a bare number, the ConvivaPlus salary index shows you the whole trajectory: from the guaranteed agreement minimum through entry and the median up to the realistic top. You see at a glance how much room separates the legal floor from the real market value, and where you can develop.
The ConvivaPlus polymechanic salary index combines the official GAV MEM minimum wages with an aggregate of public salary portals (lohnanalyse.ch, jobs.ch). The agreement figure is firm, the experience levels are market values to be understood as an order of magnitude.
Agreement minimum: GAV MEM (Swissmem), region A qualified, ×13. Other levels: ConvivaPlus aggregate of lohnanalyse.ch & jobs.ch, rounded. Gross salary incl. 13th monthly salary.
🧮 Salary calculator: which percentile are you in?
Enter your gross salary and see at once where you stand compared with all polymechanics in Switzerland. The calculator shows your percentile, the distance to the median and whether your salary is above or below the market value.
According to the ConvivaPlus polymechanic salary index (aggregate of lohnanalyse.ch & jobs.ch, median CHF 66,000), salaries range from around CHF 52,000 in the bottom tenth to over CHF 100,000 in the top bracket.
⚠️ Attention: your salary is below the GAV MEM minimum wage for qualified professionals (around CHF 52,000 per year). If your company falls under the GAV MEM, you should check this.
Your salary is below the median. To reach it you are short per year by: CHF 60'800
Indicative calculation based on the ConvivaPlus salary index (aggregate of public portals, median CHF 66,000/year). Percentiles interpolated between anchor points. Gross salary incl. 13th monthly salary. Individual salaries depend on company, region and specialisation. All information without warranty.
Salary check: how well do you know the market?
2 questions – test your knowledge
1.How large is the gap between the agreement minimum (region C) and the actual median?
2.What usually brings the biggest salary jump?
📈 Polymechanic salary by experience
Experience is the most reliable salary lever in the profession. Whoever gathers the years, takes on responsibility and specialises (CNC programming, complex manufacturing) rises continuously. These levels show the typical development, as an order of magnitude from the salary portals.
| Experience level | per month (×13) | per year |
|---|---|---|
| Agreement minimum (qualified)Guaranteed floor, region A (×13) | 4'463 | 58'019 |
| Entry (0–2 years)Right after the apprenticeship (VET) | 4'615 | 60'000 |
| Median (all levels)Half earn more, half less | 5'077 | 66'000 |
| Experienced (10+ years)Routine, specialisation, CNC programming | 5'769 | 75'000 |
| Top (education / leadership)Technician, team responsibility | 6'308 | 82'000 |
🗺️ Polymechanic salary by canton
Where you work makes a difference, though a smaller one than experience and education. Industry-strong cantons with many MEM companies and higher living costs tend to pay more. Here are the cantonal averages compared with the Swiss median of CHF 66,000.
| Canton | Avg. annual salary | vs. median |
|---|---|---|
| Schaffhausen | 69'250 | +3'250 |
| Zurich | 68'900 | +2'900 |
| Bern | 67'181 | +1'181 |
| St. Gallen | 67'000 | +1'000 |
| Aargau | 66'025 | +25 |
Between the most expensive and the cheapest of the big industrial cantons lie around CHF 3,000 per year. That is noticeable, but clearly less than the jump that experience or further education brings (CHF 10,000 to 20,000). Moving alone rarely pays off for the salary account, living costs usually rise with it.
The agreement minimum is the floor, not the market value. Between it and the median lie around CHF 14,000 per year, money you leave on the table if you know only the lower limit.
ConvivaPlus, polymechanic salary index
🛡️ GAV MEM: the guaranteed minimum wage
The machinery, electrical and metal industry is Switzerland's largest industrial sector, and it has one of the country's most important collective agreements: the GAV MEM. It guarantees qualified polymechanics in affiliated companies a minimum wage, graded by three wage regions. This minimum is your legal floor, below which the salary may not fall.
Important to understand: the agreement minimum is the floor, not the market value. Between the lowest agreement minimum (region C, around CHF 52,000) and the actual median (CHF 66,000) lie around CHF 14,000 per year. Whoever stays at the minimum despite having experience leaves money on the table.
| Wage region | Minimum/month | per year (×13) | Typical areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Region A | 4'463 | 58'019 | Major centres (incl. Zurich, Geneva, Basel) |
| Region B | 4'192 | 54'496 | Mid-sized towns and agglomerations |
| Region C | 4'028 | 52'364 | Other, rural-oriented regions |
Does the GAV MEM apply to you?
The GAV MEM applies to companies subject to the agreement, many but not all industrial firms. Small workshops or companies outside the MEM sector are not covered. Whether your employer is affiliated is stated in the employment contract, or you can find out from the union (Unia, Angestellte Schweiz) or directly from Swissmem.
🚀 How to earn more as a polymechanic
Salary is not fate. Whoever knows the right levers can significantly increase their earnings over the years. The biggest jumps come not from waiting, but from targeted decisions. Here are the most effective ones, ordered by impact:
Mechanical-engineering technician, qualified technician or production specialist with a federal certificate: these qualifications often bring CHF 10,000 to 20,000 more per year and open the door to leadership and design roles.
Whoever masters scarce skills (CNC programming, 5-axis milling, automation, special materials) is in demand and can make it count on the salary.
Compare your salary each year with the median and your experience level. Whoever knows they are below market value has the strongest argument for the salary talk.
Large industrial companies, medical technology, aerospace or the watch industry often pay above average. A move at the right time can bring more than years of waiting.
Whoever trains apprentices, leads projects or coordinates a shift grows toward foreman or team leader, with the corresponding salary boost.
Did you know where your salary stands in the comparison?
One click – anonymous, no sign-up required.
Frequently asked questions about the polymechanic salary
The key answers on earnings, minimum wage and salary development, based on the GAV MEM and public salary portals.
People also ask
Related questions from our magazine
The agreement is the floor, the median is the market value
In the ConvivaPlus polymechanic salary index we held the GAV MEM minimum wage (CHF 4,028 to 4,463 per month depending on the wage region) against the real median (around CHF 66,000, roughly CHF 5,100 a month) — and traced the trajectory from entry to the top. The verdict: the agreement guarantees the floor, the median is the market value. Whoever knows only the minimum considers CHF 4,000 a month normal, although further training unlocks another CHF 10,000 to 20,000. Others cite a single number; according to ConvivaPlus it is the whole trajectory that counts — to place alongside Swiss salaries and the medical secretary.
Continue on the topic of salaries
More from the ConvivaPlus salary centre
Swiss salaries: the overview
The ConvivaPlus salary centre: median, sectors and professions compared.
Sector salaries in Switzerland
Which sector pays best? The comparison across all sectors.
Federal Council salary
What the seven Federal Councillors earn, and how it compares.
Understand your payslip
What every item on your payslip means, with a template.
Ask for a pay rise
The template letter and strategy for the salary talk.
The cantons of Switzerland
All 26 cantons at a glance, with a tax and cost comparison.
ConvivaPlus Editor · Money & Work
Writes about wages, taxes, insurance and pensions – verifiable figures with a source.
- Wages
- Taxes
- Insurance
- Pensions
All information without guarantee. Found an error? → support@conviva-plus.ch
Between the agreement minimum wage for qualified polymechanics (region C, around CHF 52,000) and the actual median (CHF 66,000) lie around CHF 14,000 per year. The minimum is only the legal floor, not your market value.
Discussion
5 voices from the community
Der Punkt mit der Weiterbildung stimmt hundertprozentig. Ich habe den Techniker HF gemacht und verdiene jetzt gut 15'000 im Jahr mehr. Beste Entscheidung.
Danke fürs Teilen, Milan. Das ist genau der Hebel, den viele unterschätzen, konkrete Erfahrungen wie deine helfen enorm.
Interessant, dass Schaffhausen so weit oben ist. Als Polymechanikerin merke ich schon, dass hier die Industrie stark ist und entsprechend zahlt.
Endlich mal ehrliche Zahlen. Ich dachte immer, mein Lohn sei okay, weil er über dem GAV liegt. Der Rechner zeigt mir jetzt, dass ich trotzdem unter dem Median bin. Da werde ich beim nächsten Gespräch nachhaken.
Genau dafür ist der Index da, Reto. Der GAV ist der Boden, der Median der ehrliche Vergleich. Viel Erfolg beim Gespräch.
Found an error or have feedback? Let us know or write to us directly.
This article is salary orientation, not individual advice. Agreement values per GAV MEM (Swissmem), median and experience values as an aggregate of public salary portals, as of July 2026.