Gross, net and total cost of your caregiver: hourly or live-in.
What does a caregiver really cost you? Net for her, total cost for you: exact for your canton, including salary in kind, BVG and presence time.
Example: 24h care in Zurich
- Cash wage per month
- CHF 4'500
- Board & lodging (salary in kind)
- + CHF 990
- AHV-relevant gross wage
- CHF 5'490
Net and total cost: in the calculator below, exact for your canton.
To the calculatorTypical for 24h care: CHF 3'500 to 5'500 gross (cash wage, excluding board & lodging).
Compensated at +25% per the SECO model NAV; fix the exact rate in the contract.
Determines the BVG contribution rate (7–18%).
Board & lodging = salary in kind, CHF 990/monthCHF 4'500.00 + 990.00
If the caregiver lives in the household, meals and lodging count as salary in kind at the official AHV rate of CHF 33/day: breakfast 3.50, lunch 10, dinner 8, lodging 11.50. These CHF 990/month are ADDED to the cash wage for AHV and social insurance purposes, but they are not paid out in cash.
CHF 33/day = breakfast 3.50 + lunch 10.00 + dinner 8.00 + lodging 11.50.
Gross wage (AHV-relevant) / month
CHF 5'490.00
incl. salary in kind CHF 990
Net to the caregiver
CHF 4'813.65
of which CHF 990 as board & lodging, rest in cash
Total employer cost
CHF 6'191.63
incl. Clino CHF 19.90/mo
Where does your employer franc go?
Breakdown of the monthly total cost (CHF 6'191.63).
Net wage (to caregiver)
CHF 4'813.65 · 77.7%
Caregiver deductions (AHV/ALV/UVG/source tax/BVG)
CHF 676.36 · 10.9%
Employer contributions
CHF 681.73 · 11.0%
Clino flat fee
CHF 19.90 · 0.3%
Annual projection (Zürich)
Gross wage / year
CHF 65'880.00
Net wage / year
CHF 57'763.74
Total cost / year
CHF 74'299.50
FAK rate Zürich: 1.02% · UVG-NBU active (≥ 8 h/week) · FSIO/Suva rates 2026
BVG (pension fund) is mandatory here
The annual wage exceeds CHF 22'680; occupational pension (2nd pillar) is mandatory and already included in the net / employer cost above. For a live-in caregiver this is practically always the case.
Simplified procedure? Not available here.
The annual wage exceeds CHF 22'680; the simplified settlement procedure is therefore excluded. Registration runs through the ordinary procedure with individual withholding tax. Clino detects the threshold automatically and handles the ordinary settlement for you.
You know the numbers. Clino prepares the paperwork.
Contract, AHV registration, payslips with salary in kind and withholding tax: all for CHF 19.90/month.
Save the cost plan as PDF
Your numbers + the 6-step hiring checklist. Perfect for discussing the decision with your family.
Up to CHF 22'680 gross wage/year the calculator uses the simplified procedure (flat 5% withholding tax). Above that, practically always for live-in care, settlement runs through the ordinary procedure with individual withholding tax. Clino detects this automatically.
What do gross, net and employer cost mean?
Gross wage (AHV-relevant)
The wage before deduction of social insurance and withholding tax. For a live-in caregiver, the salary in kind for board & lodging (CHF 990/month, at the official AHV rate of CHF 33/day) is mandatorily part of it, even though it is not paid in cash.
Net wage (what the caregiver receives)
From the gross wage, AHV/IV/EO (5.3%), ALV (1.1%), and above 8 hours/week UVG-NBU (1.432%), plus the flat 5% withholding tax in the simplified procedure, are deducted. With board & lodging the in-kind share is not paid out: in cash, the caregiver receives the net minus CHF 990.
Total employer cost
On top of the gross wage come the employer contributions (AHV/IV/EO 5.3%, ALV 1.1%, UVG-BU 0.5%, FAK depending on the canton), for wages above CHF 22'680/year the employer half of BVG, plus the Clino flat fee of CHF 19.90/month. This is what the care actually costs you per month.
Presence time and 13th-month salary
Presence time (e.g. night on-call in the household) must be compensated under the SECO model NAV for 24h care. The calculator uses +25% on the hourly rate, you fix the exact rate in the contract. The 13th-month salary is not legally required but is common in care work.
More on care at home
Register a caregiver in Switzerland: step by step
Contract, AHV registration, UVG, board & lodging, presence time: the complete guide.
To the guide →TemplateEmployment contract for care (template)
Template with all mandatory details, including wage, board & lodging, presence time and workload.
To the template →MandatoryAccident insurance (UVG)
Occupational and non-occupational accidents: what the coverage costs and how Clino handles it automatically.
To accident insurance →Sister calculatorHousehold-help salary calculator
Cleaner or household help hired by the hour? Calculate gross, net and contributions here.
To the calculator →Sister calculatorNanny salary calculator
Childcare instead of senior care? Gross, net and total cost for your nanny.
To the calculator →Frequently asked questions
How is a caregiver's net wage calculated in Switzerland?
What does 24h care in a private household really cost?
Do board & lodging count as wage?
Do I have to pay for presence time (night on-call)?
Can I settle a caregiver via the simplified procedure?
Sources for this calculator:
- FSIO — AHV/IV/EO and ALV contribution rates 2026: bsv.admin.ch
- AHV/IV — Leaflet 2.06 Domestic work (salary in kind board & lodging CHF 33/day i.e. CHF 990/month): ahv-iv.ch
- Suva — UVG premiums domestic work (VAVplus): suva.ch
- SECO — standard employment contracts domestic work and model NAV 24h care: seco.admin.ch
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