Some do have and some don’t...and some of those who do not have any degree get more than I get...but on the other hand they are working for more years in the company....I get upset because I think that they take advantage of the ignorance foreign people have regarding Swiss standards.

The cleaning lady may not have a prestigious UK degree but she just looks better than you, sorry.

Don't get the whole "masters degree from good university" (I corrected the spelling for you) thing. Woman could have just cracked the unified field theorem - she's a claims handler, basically customer support. Prime candidate for Philippine outsourcing really. Which is more than I can say for her office cleaner.

Hey first dont get upset As being upset wont bring you any good. You may want to go talk to your manager first. I also remember that in Insurance companies, there are those prof. qualification exams. maybe thats why some are paid higher than you? If so, maybe you can consider to go thru these exams. I was working for an insurance firm too, when i first started my career in CH, it was in ZH. I can still confirm you, your salary is not good, but it is common.

And just IMO, try to hang out there for one more year if you can. 2 years experiences will not value much, while starting from 3 + will be more helpful

I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but I don't understand why someone would post their salary in a public forum. Perhaps people believe the anonymity of the internet will keep them safe, but if you ever intend to meet anyone from this community at a social event, now they know what you make. I'd have thought that would be personal information.

You have to remember though, a job is a job...I mean, you cannot expect much from your first year..the key point is to work towards where you want to be. I for instance am a male stripper and an occasional escort (Boo, if you're reading this don't worry..you know I'm just joking...)...basically, I'm a stud, but it's hard work nevertheless...evetually, my hard work will pay off and I will be appointed CEO of a large multinational firm....key to everything is perseverance. Hang in there...maybe try to move up within the company or look for another job with a more suitable compensation.

ah.. calc.exe doesn't take into account some other facts: I'm talking fresh grad. OP has been there 2 years. Previous salary (last year) was CHF5000 x 13. So 2 years ago, OP was getting slightly below that, no?

Anyway, salary is usually based on job and not qualification. Like I said, if others can do the job without qualificaiton, then why should they pay you more. I suggest talking to the boss and ask what is the career plan and if there are any moves possible to somewhere where the qualifications would be useful. Problem here though is that moves within the same company usually means no salary increase.

I am not trying to be a jerk either but I find stupid this top secret attitude in relation to the salary!!! Yes, velocolo and evrybody who red this thread knows how much tesla earns. So what?????? And even if I meet people from the forum in a social event what matters that they know how much I earn??? People will or will not like me because of my salary ???For those I don’t care at all!!!!!!! Besides in the meantime I might get an increase … hehehhe

..are there options to move up within the company?

no, but I Know that every year there will be an increase....

If I go to discuss abt it, how can I be more credible as there are no standards provided by law, which In that case I could have said "I checked the law and I am underpaid"...should I say that I have consulted the Swiss Federal Statistical Office FSO for Wages and working conditions? Actually I did so and they advised me to use the salarium, salary calculator, which results already mentioned in previous post. Do you think this will be a strong argument?

I wouldnt ,
Remember that the tool is an estimate.... I would just go in and talk and see what can be worked out. Tell them that you are not all that happy with the pay and that you did some searching around for similar positions with people being paid higher....

Be carefull tho

Sorry for being so smug before, but you really should approach this differently altogether. Your job does not need your qualification level, and there are of course no laws against you accepting a job that is below your educational level, and therefore salary. You'd better find another job where you can use your skills, and you'll automatically earn a much better wage, whether you bargain for it or not. You should know that most HR managers have a certain bandwith they can offer to you, but it is rather limited if you aren't in higher management, so all you can do is get a new job, you'll never get a sufficient payrise to stop you being underpaid.

This is very much a matter of culture. In parts of the US for example it is completely normal to openly discuss salary with strangers. In parts of Switzerland one would divulge one's bank card PIN code before one's salary statement.

Because people do not expect you to nick the card... and then you could simply look up the salary...

But to be honest: the salary is pretty much an average graduate starter salary. I earned less at the beginning (I came here straight after school as well, but a different industry) Your problem is not the money, but the career path: Where will you be in three or four years in your company? Still on the same seat making the same tasks for nearly the same money? If the answer is yes, leave as soon as possible, three years is enough for a good first reference.

Hi everyone,
I just received my EU passport and became a citizen of Italy. I am also a US citizen out of work. I was hoping to take a leap and move to Switzerland to teach Business English or English as a Second Language (in Swiss case probably 5th language). I am a certified ESL teacher and hold a BA in English from San Diego State University. I am studying Italian and would like to live in Ticino somewhere. Do any of you know what kind of salary I might expect from this field? I also have 15 years experience in Project Management and technical training development and delivery in the telecommunications industry. Do you think there are better opportunities in that industry versus teaching? Since I am not fluent yet in Italian and really struggle with German, will that be a show stopper?
Thanks for any info you can offer.