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Are you looking for an easy way to calculate your hourly wage? We have an hourly wage calculator for you that will even calculate your salary per week and minute. You can also use it to convert your hourly wage into a monthly wage. Anyone who thinks the calculator is superfluous forgets that not every month has the same number of working days! The formula for our hourly wage calculator takes this into account.
Furthermore, you will learn in this article how vacation compensation looks like in hourly wages and you will get tips to "keep" more of your salary. Let's start right away with the calculator!
Note on calculating the hourly wage: The calculator takes into account that not all months have the same number of working days. For this purpose, the hourly wage is calculated from the annual salary, for example, as follows:
The factor 52 stands for the number of weeks per year - so months of different lengths are automatically equalised. This calculation corresponds to the usual conversion in Switzerland based on 52 weeks per year and is also used in many salary systems.
The Swiss hourly wage calculator can also be used backwards to convert an hourly wage into a monthly wage or an hourly wage into an annual wage. Since you know your hourly wage in this case, simply move the slider from the monthly wage or annual wage until your hourly wage is correct. Set your personal weekly working hours correctly beforehand. You can then read off your calculated monthly wage or annual wage from the slider.
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You can use the calculator above to calculate your hourly vacation compensation. However, there are other points to keep in mind:
Hourly workers who expect vacation pay and compensation on public holidays are not always happy in Switzerland. On public holidays, for example, hourly workers do not receive mandatory wage payments - except on the national holiday of August 1. Here, there is a legal obligation to pay wages, but not on all other holidays. Of course, the employer can always arrange for wages to be paid voluntarily.
The situation is different for vacations, hourly wages Vacation compensation is clearly regulated. Since in hourly wages work is exchanged for wages, no compensation is due during vacation periods. For this there is a Hourly wage vacation compensation of at least 8.33%, to compensate for holidays not taken. Public holidays are not automatically covered and must be arranged separately (if paid).
Here, however, one must now be a little more precise. According to Art. 329d para. 2 CO
May vacations not be compensated by cash benefits. Therefore, if the vacation was never taken, the employer must compensate the employee for it upon termination of the employment relationship. again remunerate.
Exception: In the case of irregular employment and part-time employees, holidays may be compensated, in which case the hourly holiday pay must be listed separately in the individual employment contract.
Example of holiday allowance calculation:
With an hourly wage of CHF 41.67 (based on CHF 7,000 monthly salary, 42 hours/week, with 13th monthly salary), this results in
With 4 weeks holiday: 8.33% surcharge = + CHF 3.47 per hour → Effective hourly wage CHF 45.14
With 5 weeks holiday: 10.64% supplement = + CHF 4.43 per hour → Effective hourly wage CHF 46.10
With 6 weeks holiday: 13.04% supplement = + CHF 5.43 per hour → Effective hourly wage CHF 47.10
To avoid discussions, it is recommended that the vacation allowance is not paid on an ongoing basis, but only when the vacation is actually taken. The listing on the pay slip should nevertheless contain the calculation of the vacation allowance on a monthly basis.
By the way, if you want to calculate the AHV contributions for hourly wage earners, you can find helpful online calculators from most cantons. Here is the link to the AHV calculator of the SVA Zurich.
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If you would like to use the above formula from the Swiss hourly wage calculator yourself, we have it here for you. We have not created a Calculate hourly wage Excel template for this purpose, as the formula is very simple.
For the calculation of the hourly wage from the monthly wage, calculate:
Tip: Replace the numbers with cell references (e.g. =B2*13/52/B3) for a reusable calculator.
| Monthly wage | 42h/week. | Hourly wage | Annual salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHF 4'500 | 42h | CHF 26.79 | CHF 58'500 |
| CHF 5'000 | 42h | CHF 29.76 | CHF 65,000 |
| CHF 5'500 | 42h | CHF 32.74 | CHF 71,500 |
| CHF 6'000 | 42h | CHF 35.71 | CHF 78,000 |
| CHF 6'500 | 42h | CHF 38.69 | CHF 84,500 |
| CHF 7'000 | 42h | CHF 41.67 | CHF 91,000 |
| CHF 7'500 | 42h | CHF 44.64 | CHF 97'500 |
| CHF 8'000 | 42h | CHF 47.62 | CHF 104,000 |
| CHF 9'000 | 42h | CHF 53.57 | CHF 117,000 |
| CHF 10'000 | 42h | CHF 59.52 | CHF 130,000 |
Note: The values are based on a separate evaluation of the wage structure survey and may differ slightly from the interactive comparative data in the calculator. Calculation with 13th monthly salary: Monthly salary × 13 ÷ 52 ÷ 42. Source: Own calculation.
| Branch | Median wage/mth. | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| Banks | CHF 10'723 | CHF 63.83 |
| Pharmaceutical industry | CHF 10'159 | CHF 60.47 |
| Research and Development | CHF 9'139 | CHF 54.40 |
| Machinery industry | CHF 7'632 | CHF 45.43 |
| Wholesale | CHF 7'478 | CHF 44.51 |
| Aviation | CHF 7'134 | CHF 42.46 |
| Building trade | CHF 6'616 | CHF 39.38 |
| Metal production | CHF 6'279 | CHF 37.38 |
| retail trade | CHF 5'214 | CHF 31.04 |
| Gastronomy | CHF 4'744 | CHF 28.24 |
| Accommodation | CHF 4'715 | CHF 28.07 |
| Personal services | CHF 4'496 | CHF 26.76 |
Hourly wage calculated with 42h/week and 13th monthly salary. Source: FSO, Swiss Salary Structure Survey (LSE) 2024.
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We have compiled our top selection for you from all our tests and experience reports:
Calculating the hourly wage is very easy, especially if you use our hourly wage calculator. To get as much as possible out of your salary, there are tips such as simplified payroll accounting. This saves you tax, for example, if you work part-time.
There are still points to consider for the payroll and the AHV contributions, but the above links are very helpful. An inexpensive bank account for your salary which will save you many fees annually, you will find in the financial tips.
We have picked up some figures and legal topics and can therefore not guarantee accuracy or timeliness - so here you will find the most important sources:
To convert your hourly wage into a monthly wage, your salary is first extrapolated to a year and then distributed to the month.
With 13th monthly salary:
Monthly wage = hourly wage × weekly hours × 52 ÷ 13
Without 13th monthly salary:
Monthly wage = hourly wage × weekly hours × 52 ÷ 12
The factor 52 stands for the number of weeks per year and ensures that months of different lengths are correctly taken into account.
Example (with 13th monthly salary):
CHF 45 × 42 × 52 ÷ 13 = CHF 7,560 monthly salary
Important: The calculated monthly salary corresponds to a gross salary. Holiday allowances or supplements (e.g. 8,33% for 4 weeks' holiday) are not included and are added separately.
Would you like to reduce your workload from 100% to 60% and are wondering what will happen to your salary?
You can do this conveniently with our Percentage calculator and enter your previous salary and the desired workload.
Alternatively, here is the formula:
Previous salary x 0.6 = 60% salary
An 80% workload is exciting for many, but you should know the impact of missing a day on your salary.
Use our Percentage calculator and enter your desired 80% workload and your previous gross salary. You will then see your new salary, which is 20% lower.
Alternatively, here is the formula:
Previous salary x 0.8 = 80% salary
Hourly wage = monthly wage × 13 ÷ 52 ÷ weekly hours (with 13th monthly wage) Hourly wage = monthly wage × 12 ÷ 52 ÷ weekly hours (without 13th monthly wage)
Example with 13th monthly salary: CHF 6,000 for 40 hours per week: CHF 6,000 × 13 ÷ 52 ÷ 40 = CHF 37.50 per hour
Example without 13th monthly salary: CHF 6,000 for 40 hours per week: CHF 6,000 × 12 ÷ 52 ÷ 40 = CHF 34.62 per hour
Eric is the founder of Schwiizerfranke.com and certified IAF wealth advisor. Since 2019, he has been helping Swiss citizens to organise their finances comprehensibly, independently and efficiently.
📌 Note: This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute personalised investment advice.
Good day
Permanent position Monthly salary 8100 /Working hours per week 41 hours / (calculated without 13th month's salary) Holidays 5 weeks
Change to hourly wage:
45.59 CHF gross hourly wage, + 10.64% holiday pay + 4.42% public holiday pay = 52.455 CHF
39.48 CHF net hourly wage + 10.64% holiday pay + 4.42 % public holiday pay = 45,420 CHF
My question is: Which approach do you take, the gross or the net hourly wage?
(Which rate is multiplied by the hours worked and then the AHV and ALV etc. are deducted?)
Thank you for your answer.
Hello Eric
Why do you use the incorrect formula in the FAQ
Hourly wage x number of working hours per week x 4 = monthly wage
If a month has an average of 4.3333 weeks, the formula in the FAQ
Hourly wage x number of working hours per week x 4.3333 = monthly wage
should read. The rest of the article is otherwise correct.
Update: Formulas in the article and calculator are now corrected. Thanks for the hint!
Hello Eric
I have a net hourly wage of 45.00, how do I calculate the gross wage? AHV + holiday allowance 8.33 %
Thank you for your answer
Hello Heidy,
The easiest way is probably to look at your payslip.
Otherwise you could use a gross/net calculator backwards. You can find other suitable calculators via Google.
Dear greetings
Eric
Good day
2 questions:
a) We calculate the year 2023 for hourly-paid employees in the pension fund. Now we need to determine the degree of employment. Are the hours worked set in relation to the gross or net annual hours for the calculation of the BG?
b) Are daily sickness benefits received also to be taken into account when determining the annual hours and converted into hours?
Thank you for your feedback
Hello
Had a gross salary of 6800.-fr
I still have 128 rest days too few and 142 hours of overtime to calculate.
Good day
I have hired my employee on an hourly wage (for administrative reasons, changing working hours etc.) but she should not have any disadvantages compared to a monthly wage. Is the calculated hourly wage the so-called basic hourly wage, to which I have to add the 13th and holidays or is this already included in the calculation? Thank you very much for your answer.
Kind regards
Nina Baumann, Flora di Berna
Hello Nina
The hourly wage calculator is based on the annual salary. Depending on whether you have fixed this at 12 or 13 parts, it is converted to the month 🙂
Good day
Can you help me with my example?
Case: Employment on an hourly wage. Let us assume that Mr. Mustermann earns 50.-/hour.
With a working week of 45 hours.
How do you get the net value if you want to include 20 days' holiday and a 13th month's pay?
I look forward to their reply, thank you very much!
Hello Franziska
here is another good one Wage calculator. I hope it helps you at least partially!