Quick answer: jobs.ch puts the average full-time data scientist in Switzerland at CHF 100,000 a year, including bonuses and the 13th salary, from 1,395 entries. Glassdoor's header average base pay is CHF 110,000, PayScale's 2026 average base salary is CHF 100,279, and Basel-Stadt averages CHF 120,000 on jobs.ch. This Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland guide keeps every source separate.
Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland — Pay by Level, Canton and Source
Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland pay is best read from several sources at once, because no single survey covers the whole market. Job-board entries show what employers report for advertised roles, employee submissions show what people in post say they earn, and modelled benchmarks show what recent listings imply. This guide never blends those markets into one number. All figures are gross annual salaries in Swiss francs, before income tax and social contributions, unless labelled net, total compensation, or in US dollars. Figures are the latest 2026 benchmarks; 2027 is outlook only, never current published pay.
jobs.ch — Average and Experience Ladder — Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland
The headline figure for this Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland guide comes from jobs.ch: a full-time data scientist throughout Switzerland earns an average gross salary of CHF 100,000 a year, based on 1,395 entries, updated one day before research on 1 November 2026. It includes bonuses and the 13th salary, so it is not base pay alone. The full range, CHF 10,000–210,000, is quoted only as a warning: it mixes part-year and outlier entries with full-time roles.
| Experience (jobs.ch, Switzerland) — Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland | Average gross |
|---|---|
| 0–2 years, no experience | CHF 88,000 |
| 3–5 years | CHF 98,364 |
| 6–8 years | CHF 109,250 |
| 9–11 years | CHF 120,000 |
| 12–21 years, peak on this ladder | CHF 126,000 |
| 21+ years | CHF 111,800 |
Experience moves pay from CHF 88,000 with no experience to CHF 126,000 at 12–21 years, before falling to CHF 111,800 at 21+ years. That late fall reflects the sample, not a rule that senior people earn less.
Cantons and Cities — Where Pay Moves Most — Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland
Canton is the biggest geographic split in this Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland guide. On jobs.ch, Basel-Stadt averages CHF 120,000, Zug CHF 113,700, Berne CHF 110,488, and Zurich CHF 106,000, all above the CHF 100,000 national average. At the other end, Ticino averages CHF 68,250, Vaud CHF 98,000, and Geneva CHF 99,750.
| Canton (jobs.ch) — Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland | Average gross | Entries |
|---|---|---|
| Basel-Stadt | CHF 120,000 | 85 |
| Zug | CHF 113,700 | 20 |
| Berne | CHF 110,488 | 87 |
| Zurich | CHF 106,000 | 431 |
| St. Gallen / Fribourg / Lucerne | CHF 105,900 / 104,500 / 101,291 | — / 20 / — |
| Geneva | CHF 99,750 | 142 |
| Vaud / Aargau / Neuchâtel / Ticino | CHF 98,000 / 95,000 / 85,166 / 68,250 | — / 18 / — / — |
Two warnings apply. Several cantons show CHF 0 on jobs.ch, meaning no usable entries, not a CHF 0 salary, so they are omitted. Small samples move: Zug and Fribourg rest on only 20 entries each, while Zurich rests on 431 and Geneva on 142.
Zurich averages CHF 106,000 from 431 entries, from CHF 90,000 at 0–2 years to CHF 131,000 at 12–21 years. Geneva averages CHF 99,750 from 142 entries, from CHF 81,750 with no experience to CHF 123,000 at 9–11 years. Canton tax varies, so higher gross does not automatically mean higher take-home pay.
Glassdoor — Employee-Reported Base Pay — Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland
Glassdoor measures a different market: salaries submitted anonymously by data scientist employees. Its Switzerland page, checked 1 November 2026, shows a header average base pay of CHF 110,000 a year, range CHF 100,000–124,000, plus average additional pay of CHF 10,000 (range CHF 5,000–14,000). Base pay excludes additional pay.
The same page carries a second, higher reading in its FAQ text: an average of CHF 120,000, a typical range of CHF 105,000 (25th percentile) to CHF 137,625 (75th percentile), and a 90th percentile of CHF 156,900, based on 829 salaries as of November 2026. The header and FAQ do not agree.
| Glassdoor measure — Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland | Figure |
|---|---|
| Header average base pay, Switzerland | CHF 110,000 |
| Header base-pay range, Switzerland | CHF 100,000–124,000 |
| FAQ typical range, Switzerland (829 salaries, Nov 2026) | CHF 105,000–137,625 |
| FAQ 90th percentile, Switzerland | CHF 156,900 |
| Zurich FAQ average (396 salaries, Nov 2026) | CHF 119,500 (range CHF 105,000–134,000) |
| Geneva FAQ average (100 salaries, Oct 2026) | CHF 110,000 (range CHF 98,500–135,500) |
Zurich's FAQ average of CHF 119,500 sits above its jobs.ch average of CHF 106,000: Glassdoor's sample is self-reported and tech-heavy, while jobs.ch covers advertised roles across sectors. Geneva's FAQ average of CHF 110,000, from only 100 salaries, is less stable. Senior pay is separate: Glassdoor's Senior Data Scientist FAQ average is CHF 140,200, typical range CHF 127,250–164,000, 90th percentile CHF 178,700, from 169 salaries.
PayScale — A Smaller, Lower Self-Reported Sample — Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland
PayScale's Switzerland page, checked 1 November 2026, gives an average base salary of CHF 100,279 in 2026, base range CHF 50,000–140,000, bonuses CHF 2,000–20,000, and total pay CHF 51,000–144,000. Its headline sample size is not published on the page checked, so treat the average as indicative.
PayScale's experience figures carry sample sizes. Entry-level pay (under one year) averages CHF 85,743 in total compensation, based on 28 salaries, while early-career pay (1–4 years) averages CHF 98,697, based on 89 salaries. That brackets the jobs.ch entry figure of CHF 88,000 well. The CHF 50,000 bottom likely reflects junior, academic, or part-year roles.
Jobicy — Modelled Benchmark, Demand, and a Currency Warning — Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland
Jobicy is the most different source in this Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland guide, and it needs the clearest warning. Its report, updated 21 October 2026, gives an estimated average of $158,400 a year in US dollars, not Swiss francs. It is a modelled benchmark from up to 1,000 recent listings plus community signals, shaped by 2,839 listings and reports. Do not convert it at a spot rate and quote it as a Swiss salary.
| Jobicy level (US dollars, modelled) — Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland | Range |
|---|---|
| Junior, 0–2 years | $95,800–122,100 |
| Mid-level, 3–5 years | $128,800–197,000 |
| Senior, 6+ years | $189,800–277,500 |
| Estimated average | $158,400 |
Jobicy's demand signal is more useful than its dollar average. It classifies demand as very high, with 25% annual growth, and reports average compensation up 10.3% over the past 12 months, from $143,600 to $158,400 on its own modelled series. Those labels describe the tracked listing market, not a Swiss official statistic. Do not use Jobicy's modelled take-home of $10,560 a month after an assumed flat 20% tax rate as a Swiss net figure.
Levels.fyi — Total Compensation in Zurich — Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland
Levels.fyi measures total compensation — base salary plus stock grants plus bonus — so its figures run above base-pay averages by design. For Zurich, it reports a median yearly total compensation of CHF 116,612, based on 39 salaries, updated 1 November 2026.
That Zurich median sits between the jobs.ch average of CHF 106,000 and the Glassdoor FAQ average of CHF 119,500. For official context only, the Federal Statistical Office's 2024 survey puts the gross median monthly wage across all occupations at CHF 7,024, or about CHF 84,288 a year — not a data scientist figure.
2027 Outlook Only — Projected, Not Published Pay — Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland
Nothing in this section is current published pay. Robert Half's 2027 Switzerland Salary Guide for IT, checked 1 November 2026, describes its benchmarks as reflecting projected market trends for 2027. Its Switzerland data scientist job-details page, in the text version checked, did not expose a CHF salary band, so this guide quotes no Robert Half CHF band for this role.
What can be quoted as outlook is growth: data scientist pay growth of 3.8% is expected, above the 2.1% average for technology and IT, behind machine learning engineer at 3.9% and ahead of data manager at 3.6%. Secondary reporting notes Zurich roughly 10% above the national average and Geneva about 6% above, labelled secondary because it was not verified on a primary Robert Half table. Use the outlook only as a reason to expect upward pressure, not as a figure to demand today.
What CHF 100,000 Gross Means Before Income Tax — Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland
Worked example, labelled exactly as it must be read: an independent estimate for 2026, for a single employee aged 25–34, not the site calculator's output, and before income tax. It is not take-home pay. The method uses AHV/IV/EO at 5.3% of gross and ALV at 1.1% up to CHF 148,200 a year. Pension is illustrated at the legal-minimum age band only.
| CHF 100,000 breakdown (independent 2026 estimate) — Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross salary | CHF 100,000 |
| Employee AHV/IV/EO (5.3%) | −CHF 5,300 |
| Employee ALV (1.1%) | −CHF 1,100 |
| Coordinated salary (CHF 100,000 − CHF 26,460 deduction) | CHF 73,540 |
| Illustrative employee pension, 3.5% of coordinated salary (age 25–34) | −CHF 2,574 |
| After social contributions and illustrative pension, before income tax | CHF 91,026 a year (about CHF 7,586 a month) |
That CHF 91,026 figure explicitly excludes income tax, which varies by canton, municipality, marital status, and permit. It also excludes non-occupational accident insurance and compulsory health insurance, paid separately and not a payslip deduction. Pension is age-dependent and fund-specific. To get a take-home figure, run your exact gross and canton through the Switzerland salary calculator, and budget health insurance on to
What This Guide Does Not Include, and How to Use It — Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland
This Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland guide does not include contractor day rates or equity vesting schedules beyond the Levels.fyi median. It does not split pay by industry beyond jobs.ch indications, because most cells are tiny: legal and business advice at CHF 117,000 rests on 3 jobs, chemicals and pharmaceuticals at CHF 113,728 on 19 jobs, and medical technology at CHF 110,150 on 15 jobs.
- Match your offer to the same source, level, and canton before comparing it.
- Check whether the headline includes bonuses and a 13th salary: jobs.ch averages do, Glassdoor base pay does not.
- Judge a senior-title offer against the Glassdoor senior band of CHF 127,250–164,000.
- Run your exact gross and canton through the Switzerland salary calculator, and budget health insurance separately.
- If an offer sits below the Glassdoor typical range, ask what it includes first.
When you use the figures for a job offer, bring the source with you. An employer is more likely to move on a published jobs.ch average for the same canton and experience band than on a round number from memory.
Related Salary Calculators and Guides — Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland
Frequently Asked Questions — Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland
Sources — Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland
Job-board data: jobs.ch — Switzerland (CHF 100,000, 1,395 entries, incl. bonuses and 13th salary), jobs.ch — Zurich (CHF 106,000, 431 entries) and jobs.ch — Geneva (CHF 99,750, 142 entries).
Employee-reported pay: Glassdoor — Switzerland (base CHF 110,000; FAQ range CHF 105,000–137,625, 829 salaries), Glassdoor — Zurich (FAQ CHF 119,500, 396 salaries), Glassdoor — Geneva (FAQ CHF 110,000, 100 salaries) and Glassdoor — Senior (FAQ CHF 140,200, 169 salaries).
Survey, modelled benchmark and total compensation: PayScale (base CHF 100,279), Jobicy (modelled $158,400; demand very high, 25% growth), Levels.fyi — Zurich (median total compensation CHF 116,612, 39 salaries).
Outlook and method: Robert Half — IT Salaries Switzerland 2027 (growth 3.8% vs 2.1% IT average; projected for 2027), Robert Half — Data Scientist, Zurich 2027 (no CHF band in text version checked), Karpeo (AHV/IV/EO 5.3%, ALV 1.1%), Teamed (BVG 7% at 25–34, deduction CHF 26,460) and Federal Statistical Office — Survey 2024 (median CHF 7,024 a month; all occupations). Figures in this Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland guide are planning estimates, not guarantees; 2027 figures are outlook only.
Disclaimer: All figures here are survey and job-ad benchmarks for planning only. Actual pay depends on employer, canton, experience, title and benefits. This Data Scientist Salary in Switzerland guide is not a salary guarantee and does not replace the source surveys or a qualified adviser.