Average Corporate Counsel Salary in Switzerland for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Corporate Counsel salary for 2024 in Switzerland and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the Swiss franc. To keep things simple, we are using the CHF currency code instead of the currency symbol Fr..

How Much Does a Corporate Counsel Make in Switzerland?

A Corporate Counsel working in Switzerland will typically earn around 183,600 CHF per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 83,000 CHF to the highest average salary of 293,500 CHF.

Average Annual Salary
183,600 CHF
Average Monthly Salary
15,300 CHF

Lowest Annual Salary
83,000 CHF
Lowest Monthly Salary
6,916 CHF

Highest Annual Salary
293,500 CHF
Highest Monthly Salary
24,458 CHF

These are average salaries for a Corporate Counsel in Switzerland and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Corporate Counsel to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Corporate Counsel salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Corporate Counsel Salaries in Switzerland

So we've looked at the average salaries a Corporate Counsel will earn in Switzerland. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Corporate Counsel can earn between 83,000 CHF and 293,500 CHF on average in Switzerland. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Corporate Counsel in Switzerland is 199,700 CHF. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 199,700 CHF, and 50% of the population earn more than 199,700 CHF.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Corporate Counsel salary in Switzerland, 25% of the population are earning less than 127,600 CHF while 75% of the population earn more than 127,600 CHF.

75% of the population earn less than 265,800 CHF, and 25% of the population earn more than 265,800 CHF.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Corporate Counsel Salary by Experience Level in Switzerland

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average corporate counsel salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Corporate Counsel in Switzerland that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 94,300 CHF.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Corporate Counsel salary would increase to 127,600 CHF.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Corporate Counsel, the average salary would be 191,500 CHF.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 231,400 CHF.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Corporate Counsel with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 253,400 CHF.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Corporate Counsel with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 274,000 CHF.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
94,300 CHF
2-5 Years +34%
127,600 CHF
5-10 Years +48%
191,500 CHF
10-15 Years +22%
231,400 CHF
15-20 Years +9%
253,400 CHF
20+ Years +8%
274,000 CHF

Corporate Counsel Salary by Education Level in Switzerland

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Corporate Counsel in Switzerland based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Corporate Counsel in Switzerland with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 108,200 CHF.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Corporate Counsel in Switzerland with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 172,300 CHF.

  • Master's Degree. A Corporate Counsel in Switzerland with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 290,200 CHF.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Certificate or Diploma
108,200 CHF
Bachelor's Degree +57%
172,300 CHF
Master's Degree +68%
290,200 CHF

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in Switzerland is around 51,600 to 155,000 CHF and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Corporate Counsel Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Switzerland, a male corporate counsel will earn an average of 189,800 CHF, while a female corporate counsel will earn around 180,500 CHF.

This means that a male corporate counsel earns approximately 5% more than a female corporate counsel for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Switzerland

Male
189,800 CHF
Female -5%
180,500 CHF

Corporate Counsel Average Pay Raise in Switzerland

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Corporate Counsel in Switzerland is around 12% every 15 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Switzerland is around 9% every 15 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 12 ÷ 15 ) × 12  = 10%

What this means is that a Corporate Counsel in Switzerland can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 10% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Switzerland for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in Switzerland.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
3%
Energy
6%
Information Technology
9%
Healthcare
3%
Travel
6%
Construction
9%
Education
3%

Corporate Counsel Bonus and Incentive Rates in Switzerland

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Corporate Counsel is a low bonus based job, with 37% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

63% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4%.

Received Bonus
37%
No Bonus
63%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in Switzerland earn approximately 5% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
127,700 CHF
Private Sector -5%
121,800 CHF

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Corporate Counsel

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Corporate Counsel in Switzerland.

Job Title Category Salary
Administrative Law Judge Legal 354,600 CHF
Arbitrator Legal 152,900 CHF
Associate Attorney Legal 165,900 CHF
Attorney Legal 245,600 CHF
Bailiff Legal 76,800 CHF
Barrister Legal 69,400 CHF
Candidate Attorney Legal 142,300 CHF
Conciliator Legal 123,000 CHF
Contracts Associate Legal 85,500 CHF
Contracts Manager Legal 148,300 CHF
Contracts Negotiator Legal 114,900 CHF
Contracts Specialist Legal 75,900 CHF
Conveyancing Secretary Legal 67,900 CHF
Counsel Legal 172,100 CHF
Court Clerk Legal 60,400 CHF
Court Judicial Assistant Legal 100,300 CHF
Court Liaison Specialist Legal 114,300 CHF
Court Reporter Legal 92,600 CHF
Court Representative Legal 74,100 CHF
Crown Prosecution Service Lawyer Legal 346,600 CHF
General Counsel Legal 325,900 CHF
Immigration Executive Legal 172,100 CHF
In House Counsel Legal 176,300 CHF
Intellectual Property Specialist Legal 119,700 CHF
Judge Advocate Legal 280,600 CHF
Law Clerk Legal 59,000 CHF
Lawyer Legal 254,400 CHF
Legal Administrative Assistant Legal 69,400 CHF
Legal Advisor Legal 160,700 CHF
Legal Assistant Legal 67,400 CHF
Legal Associate Legal 114,300 CHF
Legal Consultant Legal 147,900 CHF
Legal Consultant Legal 153,700 CHF
Legal Counsel Legal 189,800 CHF
Legal Editor Legal 121,800 CHF
Legal Executive Legal 233,800 CHF
Legal Executive Secretary Legal 73,100 CHF
Legal IP Officer Legal 64,900 CHF
Legal Officer Legal 74,700 CHF
Legal Secretary Legal 69,600 CHF
Legal Services Director Legal 286,400 CHF
Legal Services Manager Legal 296,400 CHF
Legal Support Worker Legal 49,400 CHF
Legislative Liaison Legal 114,900 CHF
Litigation Attorney Legal 302,100 CHF
Litigation Paralegal Legal 148,300 CHF
Magistrate Judge Legal 381,100 CHF
Paralegal Legal 96,600 CHF
Patent Attorney Legal 193,400 CHF
Staff Attorney Legal 205,700 CHF

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in Switzerland, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Basel 195,500 CHF
Bern 175,100 CHF
Biel 164,100 CHF
Geneve 191,100 CHF
Lausanne 189,800 CHF
Lugano 175,100 CHF
Luzern 177,100 CHF
St. Gallen 167,100 CHF
Winterthur 185,900 CHF
Zurich 209,700 CHF

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