Au pair pocket money 2026: how much, and what it costs gross

Salvador JovellsUpdated 25 September 2026Source: Pro Filia

Pocket money per monthCHF 800

CHF 400CHF 1'000

Your au pair keeps net

CHF 570.31 /month

after AHV, ALV, accident and 5 % withholding tax

It really costs you

CHF 942 /month

pocket money plus employer contributions; room, board and language course come on top

Annual compensation-office bill

CHF 4,460

all contributions, once a year, payable within 30 days. Set a twelfth aside each month.

AHV wage (pocket money + room & board): CHF 1,790Simplified-procedure ceiling: CHF 22,680

Simplified procedure: one settlement a year, 5 % withholding tax, no occupational pension.

Example canton of Zurich, simplified procedure with VAVplus, room and board CHF 990 (AHVV Art. 11). Computed with the same rates as the Clino payslip.

Next question: how does this pocket money go into the au pair contract?

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The limit hardly anyone thinks of

Above CHF 900 gross pocket money, pocket money plus room and board exceed CHF 22,680 a year. The ordinary procedure with occupational pension then applies to the whole calendar year, instead of the single annual bill.

Pro Filia recommends CHF 600 to 700 net a month, depending on the canton, plus room, board and a language course. The word most people skip is "net": AHV, accident insurance and source tax are calculated on pocket money plus room and board (CHF 990) but deducted from the pocket money alone. So CHF 600 to 700 net takes roughly CHF 835 to 950 gross.

Young woman smiling at the desk in her room with a green notebook, a bookshelf, macramé hanging and bed behind her

Room and board

990francs a month

For the AHV, room and board count as wage, on top of the pocket money.

AHVV Art. 11: CHF 33 a day for full board and lodging. With CHF 800 pocket money that gives an AHV wage of CHF 1,790 a month or CHF 21,480 a year, still below the CHF 22,680 limit of the simplified procedure.

From the pocket money come AHV/IV/EO 5.3 %, ALV 1.1 %, non-occupational accident 1.432 % and 5 % source tax, calculated on the CHF 1,790. From CHF 800 that leaves CHF 570.31 net. Once your au pair is registered, both sides' contributions arrive as one annual bill from the compensation office, about CHF 4,460 at CHF 800: best set a twelfth aside each month.

Is there a minimum amount?

Not a federal one. As long as all au pair criteria are met, no cantonal minimum wage applies: that is in the law in Ticino, Basel-Stadt and Neuchâtel, and in the Tripartite Commission's fact sheet in Zurich. Geneva is the exception: its standard contract for au pairs sets a minimum wage of CHF 24.59 per hour. For the other cantons we found no published rule; if in doubt, ask the cantonal labour office.

The criteria are strict: at most 30 hours a week, evening care and light housework included, a language course, an own room, and one parent at home for at least half of the working time. If one fails, legally it is a nanny on the NAV wage: CHF 20.35 per hour, roughly CHF 2,646 a month at 30 hours. The difference can be claimed back.

Au pair or nanny? The direct comparison

What belongs in the budget besides pocket money

Language course
A course in the local language, guide value 120 hours a year. Usually the host family pays the course or a fixed contribution; put the share in the contract.
Accident insurance (UVG)
Mandatory from the first working day, cannot be taken out retroactively. If the policy is missing, the Ersatzkasse UVG pays the benefits and bills you the premiums up to five years back (Art. 95 UVG).
Daily sickness benefits, by canton
In Zurich the NAV for domestic work requires daily sickness benefits insurance (Art. 12); Ticino does not. Check your canton before the first sick day.
Health insurance
Your au pair takes out Swiss health insurance within three months of taking up residence (KVG Art. 3). For an au pair from a third country, according to Pro Filia the family pays the premium, as well as travel, social contributions and source tax.
Holidays
Five weeks a year until the age of 20, four after that (OR Art. 329a). Pocket money, room and board keep running.

Daily sickness benefits duty: all cantons at a glance

Frequently asked questions

Is Pro Filia's recommendation gross or net?

Net: CHF 600 to 700 a month, depending on the canton. Because deductions are calculated on pocket money plus room and board (CHF 990), that equals roughly CHF 835 to 950 gross. At CHF 800 gross, CHF 570.31 net remain.

Does this also apply to an au pair from a third country?

Pro Filia names the same CHF 600 to 700 net. On top, the family pays travel, health insurance, social contributions and source tax. Add the permit before entry and a licensed placement organisation as a requirement (Art. 48 VZAE); the au pair permit guide explains the steps.

Do I have to pay the language course?

The language course is part of the au pair model, guide value 120 hours a year. Usually the host family pays the course or a contribution; for third countries, cantons such as St. Gallen want proof of payment in the application.

What happens above 30 hours a week?

Then it is no longer an au pair but a nanny on the NAV wage: CHF 20.35 per hour, roughly CHF 2,646 a month at 30 hours. Not registering at all risks back payments, as a rule up to five years, and a monetary penalty of up to 180 daily units (AHVG Art. 87).

Sources

Pro Filia, "Au-pair aus der EU" and "Au-pair aus Drittstaaten": net wage CHF 600 to 700 by canton, language course at least 120 hours (profilia.ch, read 25.09.2026).
AHVV Art. 11 and AHV leaflet 2.06: full board and lodging CHF 33 a day / CHF 990 a month.
Au pairs and minimum wage: LSM Ticino Art. 3, MiLoG Basel-Stadt § 2, RSalMin Neuchâtel Art. 3, TPK Zurich fact sheet; Geneva: CTT-TPMaj Art. 9 (CHF 24.59 per hour).
SECO / NAV domestic work: minimum wage unskilled CHF 20.35; NAV domestic work ZH Art. 12 (sick pay).
OR Art. 329a (holidays), Art. 95 UVG (Ersatzkasse UVG), AHVG Art. 88 (fine), KVG Art. 3.

Overview, not legal advice. 2026 rates, example canton of Zurich, simplified procedure with VAVplus; computed with the same data as the Clino payslip.