What does a cleaner cost per month? CHF 552-712 at 4 hours a week, all-in, depending on the canton
Your canton, your hours
CHF 689Zurich, per month, all-in: usual wage CHF 34/h, holiday supplement and employer contributions
CHF 43 above the average of the 26 cantons
30 days free, then CHF 19.90/month · cancel anytime
Work it out with your own wage ↓
At 4 hours a week you pay CHF 552 to 712 a month depending on the canton, at the wage that is usual there. That includes the 8.33% holiday supplement and 7.9 to 9.8% employer contributions (AHV, ALV, accident, family allowances). Dearest: Nidwalden. Cheapest: Ticino.
Full-time (42 h/week) a cleaner in Switzerland earns about CHF 4'900 to 6'350 gross per month, depending on the canton.
All 26 cantons: what a cleaner costs per month
| Canton | Wage → all-in, CHF/h | 2 h/wkCHF/month | 4 h/wkCHF/month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nidwalden | 35 → 41.10 | 356 | 712 |
| Graubünden | 34 → 39.93 | 346 | 692 |
| Thurgau | 34 → 39.89 | 346 | 691 |
| Zug | 34 → 39.87 | 346 | 691 |
| Zurich | 34 → 39.75 | 345 | 689 |
| St. Gallen | 33 → 38.86 | 337 | 673 |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden | 33 → 38.79 | 336 | 672 |
| Appenzell Innerrhoden | 33 → 38.79 | 336 | 672 |
| Lucerne | 33 → 38.70 | 336 | 671 |
| Schwyz | 33 → 38.68 | 335 | 670 |
| Uri | 32 → 37.65 | 326 | 652 |
| Basel-Stadt | 32 → 37.63 | 326 | 652 |
| Bern | 32 → 37.58 | 326 | 651 |
| Aargau | 32 → 37.56 | 326 | 651 |
| Obwalden | 32 → 37.54 | 326 | 651 |
| Glarus | 32 → 37.54 | 326 | 651 |
| Solothurn | 32 → 37.49 | 325 | 650 |
| Average of the 26 cantons | 323 | 646 | |
| Valais | 31 → 36.83 | 319 | 638 |
| Schaffhausen | 31 → 36.36 | 315 | 630 |
| Basel-Landschaft | 31 → 36.34 | 315 | 630 |
| Neuchâtel | 30 → 35.55 | 308 | 616 |
| Jura | 29 → 34.48 | 299 | 598 |
| Fribourg | 29 → 34.32 | 298 | 595 |
| Vaud | 28 → 33.25 | 288 | 576 |
| Geneva | 28 → 33.15 | 287 | 575 |
| Ticino | 27 → 31.83 | 276 | 552 |
From the dearest to the cheapest canton. Wage: the usual hourly wage in the canton (quitt, Schweizer Haushaltshilfen-Report 2026, 2025 data). All-in: plus the 8.33% holiday supplement, AHV/IV/EO, ALV, occupational accident and the canton's FAK (in Geneva with maternity insurance), 52/12 weeks a month. Without the Clino subscription and without the small admin fee of the compensation office.
What every franc of it is, and what an agency or a platform charges for the same hours: what a domestic helper really costs. What she earns per hour at least and usually: hourly wage of a cleaner.
Work it out with your own wage, cell by cell
Paying more or less than the canton average? Type your hourly wage into the yellow cell: the sheet works out every row, with the formula in the formula bar.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canton | ||||||
| 2 | Hourly wage (CHF) | ||||||
| 3 | Weeks per month | 4.33 | |||||
| 4 | Holiday supplement | 8.33% | |||||
| 5 | Hours per week | Gross wage CHF/month | AHV/IV/EO 5.3% | ALV 1.1% | UVG-BU 0.505% | FAK 1.025% | Employer cost CHF/month |
| 6 | 2 h | 319.34 | 16.93 | 3.51 | 1.61 | 3.27 | 344.66 |
| 7 | 4 h | 638.30 | 33.83 | 7.02 | 3.22 | 6.54 | 688.91 |
| 8 | 6 h | 957.64 | 50.75 | 10.53 | 4.84 | 9.82 | 1'033.58 |
| 9 | 8 h | 1'276.97 | 67.68 | 14.05 | 6.45 | 13.09 | 1'378.24 |
| 10 | 10 h | 1'595.94 | 84.58 | 17.56 | 8.06 | 16.36 | 1'722.50 |
| 11 | |||||||
| 12 | yellow = input |
Swipe right for the total cost (column G).
Next step: create the employment contract with this wage, free, no accountAHV/IV/EO 5.3% + ALV 1.1% + UVG-BU 0.505% + cantonal FAK ZH 1.025%. Without the Clino subscription. Estimate using official contribution rates (2026). Plus a small compensation-office admin fee. For the exact figure use the salary calculator.
Interactive Salary Map: Cleaner Costs per Canton
TI27NW35Select canton
Click on a canton to see cleaner costs and salary ranges.
Minimum wages are mandatory - the highest applicable one wins
Cantonal minimum wages: how much of it reaches a household
Five Swiss cantons have a statutory minimum wage. What your household owes is always the highest floor that is applicable to your employee - and that is not everywhere the cantonal one: in Ticino the cantonal figure sits below the NAV, and in Jura the NAV takes precedence from 5 h/week. The amounts below are the floor that actually binds in each canton. The exact amount for your employee also depends on her experience and weekly hours: the minimum wage check for your cleaner works it out.
Cantonal minimum wage of CHF 24.59/h, the highest in Switzerland - fully applicable in a private household.
Cantonal minimum wage of CHF 21.35/h, with no carve-out for private households - it applies here in full.
Cantonal CHF 22.20/h, but from 5 h/week the NAV applies, according to the cantonal control office: you pay CHF 20.35/h. Under 5 h/week, CHF 22.20/h applies.
Cantonal CHF 21.40/h, but from 5 h/week the NAV takes precedence: you pay CHF 20.35/h. Under 5 h/week, CHF 21.40/h applies.
Cantonal CHF 20.00/h and therefore lower than the NAV. In a private household you pay CHF 20.35/h.
Tip: Clino automatically calculates the correct salary based on your canton - including minimum wage check. Learn more about properly registering your cleaner or find the guide for your canton.
When must I register? - Thresholds, exceptions and deadlines.
Methodology & Sources
- Cantonal minimum wages: The minimum wages shown (GE, BS, JU, NE, TI) are taken from official cantonal regulations as of 2026 and are indexed to the national consumer price index. The amount shown per canton is the floor that actually binds a private household - in Ticino, and in Basel-Stadt and Jura (from 5 h/week), that is the federal NAV.
- Average hourly wages: quitt, Schweizer Haushaltshilfen-Report 2026 (2025 data). These are the average gross hourly wages in 10'971 active contracts, across all household help (cleaning, childcare, care), rounded to whole francs. We count as fair CHF 2 below to CHF 3 above the canton average, never under the minimum wage. Monthly costs come from Clino's own payroll engine: 52/12 weeks, the holiday supplement and the canton's employer contributions.
- quitt, Schweizer Haushaltshilfen-Report 2026 (PDF)
Cantonal minimum wages last verified: May 2026.
Compiled by the Clino editorial team. Clino helps private households legally employ domestic staff in Switzerland.
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Media, blogs and associations are welcome to use the salary map freely - with attribution and a link to Clino.
Good to know: the background
You have your number above. This is why wages differ so much and what else moves the hourly rate.
Why Do Cleaner Wages Differ by Canton?
Switzerland is small, but household wages are far apart: canton averages run from CHF 27 (Ticino) to CHF 35 (Nidwalden). The dividing line is the language border: in German-speaking Switzerland households pay CHF 31 to 35, in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino CHF 27 to 31.
Cost of Living
High rents do not automatically mean high wages. Zurich (CHF 34) and Zug (CHF 34) are above the Swiss average of CHF 33, while Geneva, despite its high living costs, is below it at CHF 28. According to quitt, the south and west pay less because the general wage level is lower and many cross-border workers there often work for less.
Supply and Demand
Major cities have more demand for domestic helpers, but also more providers. In the countryside the market is smaller, but wages are not necessarily lower: households in Nidwalden pay CHF 35 on average, in Graubünden CHF 34.
Cantonal Minimum Wages
Five cantons have their own minimum wages. They raise the floor, not the average: Geneva has the highest minimum wage in Switzerland at CHF 24.59/h, yet the usual wage there is CHF 28, less than the Swiss average.
City vs. Countryside
Even within a canton there are differences: in Bern city, wages are higher than in the Bernese Oberland. The map shows cantonal averages.
What comes on top of the hourly wage, from holidays to accident insurance, is set out in the guide to a household helper's total cost.
What Influences a Cleaner's Salary?
Beyond the canton, these factors also affect the hourly rate.
Experience and References
A cleaner with years of experience and good references can charge CHF 3-5/hr more than a beginner.
Language Skills
Multilingual candidates often earn CHF 1-2/hr more.
Additional Tasks
Ironing, cooking, childcare, or gardening - additional tasks justify a higher hourly wage.
Regularity
Fixed weekly slots mean lower rates - one-off jobs often cost more.
Registration and Insurance
Those who properly register their cleaner pay social contributions but avoid heavy fines for undeclared work. Total costs are often lower than expected.
Interested in working as a cleaner yourself? Read our guide Working as a Cleaner in Switzerland.
Without Registration (Undeclared Work)
- •Penalty up to 180 daily units if caught
- •No insurance coverage for accidents
- •No OASI contributions for your helper
- •Criminal proceedings and back payments possible
With Proper Registration
- •Full insurance coverage (AIA, OASI)
- •Only 7.9-9.8% employer contributions on the gross wage
- •Your helper receives OASI pension
- •Clino prepares your payroll and paperwork - CHF 19.90/mo
Frequently Asked Questions About Cleaner Costs by Canton
How much does a cleaner cost per month?
At 4 hours a week and the Swiss average of CHF 33 an hour, the gross wage is CHF 620 a month, holiday supplement included. With employer contributions you pay CHF 669 to 680, depending on the canton. At your own canton's average wage: CHF 552 to 712.
What does a cleaner cost for 2 hours a week?
CHF 276 to 356 a month depending on the canton, all-in: the wage that is usual in the canton, the 8.33% holiday supplement and the employer contributions. In Zurich it is CHF 345, in Geneva CHF 287, in Vaud CHF 288. Every canton is in the list above.
Is Geneva the most expensive canton?
No. Geneva has the highest minimum wage in Switzerland at CHF 24.59/h, but the usual wage there is CHF 28 an hour (fair: CHF 26-31), less than the Swiss average of CHF 33. Households pay the most in the canton of Nidwalden: CHF 35.
Do social contributions come on top of the hourly wages?
Yes. On top of the gross wage come the 8.33% holiday supplement (part of the wage) and 7.9 to 9.8% employer contributions (AHV/IV/EO, ALV, accident insurance, family allowances). At CHF 30 an hour, each hour costs you CHF 5.08 to 5.67 more, depending on the canton. Use the calculator with every contribution for your exact figures.
Is there a nationwide minimum wage for cleaners?
For cleaners in private households, yes: from an average of 5 h/week with the same employer, the federal NAV Hauswirtschaft (standard employment contract for domestic work) applies and cannot be contracted away: at least CHF 20.35/h (unskilled), in every canton except Geneva. There is no general national minimum wage. Five cantons (GE, BS, JU, NE, TI) have their own minimum wages; which amount binds there is shown above under cantonal minimum wages.
Do living costs influence the wage?
Absolutely. The cost of living in Switzerland varies by up to 30% depending on the canton. Only part of that reaches wages: in Zug and Zurich households pay more than average, in Geneva less, despite the high rents.
More on Cleaner Wages in Switzerland
Wherever you live: registering correctly works everywhere.
Tap your region to see what is national and what your canton sets. Clino fills it in automatically.
Canton of Zurich
German-speaking CH
AHV from
the 1st franc national
Minimum wage
from 20.35/h NAV, guideline
FAK contribution
cantonal 0.80 to 2.95%
Register within
30 days after start
No minimum wage of its own, the NAV applies. Clino sets FAK and NAV from your address.
From a city rooftop to a mountain village: one fair solution for the whole of Switzerland. CHF 19.90 a month, 30 days free.
Register, nothing charged before day 30Exact minimum wage for your canton: register correctly now.
As of 2026, guideline. Minimum wages vary by canton. NAV 2026: unskilled from CHF 20.35/h, after 4 years 22.30/h, with EFZ 24.55/h. Cantons with their own statutory minimum: Geneva 24.59/h, Basel-Stadt 22.20/h (since 2026, from 5 h/week the NAV applies), Ticino 20.00/h (NOGA division 97, private households) and therefore below the NAV, here the higher NAV 20.35/h applies, plus Neuchâtel and Jura (in Jura the NAV applies from 5 h/week). AHV/IV/EO 5.3% per side, ALV 1.1% per side, FAK cantonal 0.80 to 2.95%. AHV from the 1st franc, register within 30 days of the first working day. Illustrative, not legal advice.