Jobs in French-speaking Switzerland: Licorn reveals what candidates want in 2026
What do job seekers in French-speaking Switzerland really ask for? Which salary, which workload, how much remote work, which type of contract, and from where? Public surveys measure what companies pay. They say nothing about what candidates require before signing. Licorn knows, because every registered candidate sets their conditions in their profile before recruiters can contact them.
This barometer is drawn from the complete profiles created on the Licorn app between its launch on 19 August 2026 and 19 October 2026. All data are anonymised and aggregated, expressed in percentages and medians, with no total count. It will be updated every quarter on this page.
Method: where these figures come from
- The base. Candidate profiles created on Licorn between 19 August and 19 October 2026, extracted on 19 October 2026 in anonymised form: no name, no e-mail, no usable identifier. We keep only complete profiles, i.e. those visible to recruiters. Profiles still being created, whose conditions are not all set yet, are excluded.
- Residence. The locality is mandatory in the profile. Country and canton are derived from it, then checked against swisstopo’s official directory of localities. The level of education is given by 85% of complete profiles; age, status and requirements by all of them.
- The salaries. These are the gross annual target salaries entered by candidates, as they ask for them. Values below CHF 20,000 or above CHF 400,000, clearly entered on another basis, were discarded. We give the median and, where useful, the quartiles and the threshold of the 10% most demanding (P90).
- The publication threshold. No figure is published for a group of fewer than 30 profiles. Data on proposals received and accepted are not yet published: the volume is too small to be representative. They will be in a future edition.
- What this barometer is not. It describes the candidates registered on Licorn, not the whole working population of French-speaking Switzerland. The base is younger and more oriented towards sales, administration and logistics than the working population. For wages actually paid, see our top 10 highest-paid jobs, based on the FSO survey.
Who the job seekers on Licorn are
Six in ten live in Switzerland, four in ten in neighbouring France
Residence: Switzerland 61%, France 38%, other countries 1%. Candidates living in France come first from the Genevois and the Chablais: Annemasse, Thonon-les-Bains, Annecy, Saint-Julien-en-Genevois, Ferney-Voltaire, Gex. They look for a job in French-speaking Switzerland just like residents.
Among Swiss residents, Vaud and Geneva in the lead
Canton of residence of candidates living in Switzerland: Vaud 46%, Geneva 20%, Fribourg 13%, Valais 8%, Neuchâtel 6%, Bern 3%, Zurich 2%, Jura 1%. The base is more than 95% from French-speaking Switzerland.
A young base: 54% are under 35
25-34 years 32%, 35-44 years 23%, 16-24 years 22%, 45-54 years 17%, 55 and over 6%. The over-45s nevertheless represent nearly a quarter of candidates.
Education: half are higher-education graduates
Among profiles that stated their education: higher education 51%, vocational training 37%, basic education 12%.
Four candidates in five actively searching, one in five on standby
Active search 79%, “listening” 21%. The fifth on standby are employed and send no applications: they can only be reached by a proposal that meets their conditions.
The most represented industries
Sales 27%, administration and secretarial work 23%, purchasing and logistics 19%, IT 14%, industry and production 13%, accounting and tax 12%, building and construction 12%, marketing and media 10%, catering 10%, caretaking and cleaning 8%, company management 7%. A profile can tick several industries.
What salary do candidates expect for a job in French-speaking Switzerland?
CHF 72,000 a year at the median
Half of candidates ask for less, half for more. The least demanding quarter is below CHF 60,000, the most demanding quarter above CHF 95,000, and the 10% most demanding above CHF 130,000. The minimum salary below which they will not go is CHF 65,000 at the median.
Vaud ahead, Valais and neighbouring France behind
Median by residence: Vaud CHF 84,000, Fribourg 78,000, Bern 72,800, Geneva 72,000, Neuchâtel 72,000, Valais 70,000, neighbouring France 70,000. Geneva does not exceed Vaud: the Geneva base has more profiles in sales and services, the Vaud base more qualified profiles. Jura does not reach the threshold of 30 profiles.
The degree is worth CHF 28,000
Median by education: higher education CHF 90,000, vocational training CHF 70,000, basic education CHF 62,400. The gap between vocational training and higher education is CHF 20,000 on the salary asked.
The expected salary peaks between 35 and 54
Median by age: 16-24 years CHF 62,400, 25-34 years 72,000, 35-44 years 84,000, 45-54 years 84,000, 55 and over 78,000. Candidates over 55 ask for CHF 6,000 less than those aged 35 to 54.
Candidates on standby ask for CHF 12,000 more
Median of CHF 84,000 for “listening” profiles, against CHF 72,000 for those actively searching. Those who already have a job negotiate higher, and will not move for less.
Against wages paid: a measurement gap to know
CHF 72,000 a year is CHF 6,000 a month over twelve months, or CHF 5,538 over thirteen. The median wage paid in the Lake Geneva region is CHF 6,998 gross standardised per month according to the FSO (2024 survey), but it covers all employees, older and more qualified on average than our base. The two figures are not directly comparable.
The industries where candidates ask for the most
CHF 100,000 and above
Company management CHF 126,000, IT and telecommunications CHF 115,000, science and research CHF 100,000, law CHF 100,000. For management, the most demanding quarter asks for more than CHF 160,000; for IT, more than CHF 140,000.
Between CHF 80,000 and 100,000
Marketing and media CHF 90,000, accounting and tax 90,000, human resources 90,000, banking and economics 85,000, pharma and chemistry 80,000, insurance 80,000.
Between CHF 70,000 and 80,000
Real estate CHF 75,400, sport 75,000, administration and secretarial work 72,000, industry and production 72,000, training and education 72,000, construction 72,000, art and culture 72,000, health 72,000, sales 70,000, purchasing and logistics 70,000, social work 70,000, watchmaking 70,000, crafts 70,000.
Below CHF 70,000
Security CHF 66,000, hospitality 62,400, caretaking and cleaning 60,000, catering 60,000. These are also the industries where candidates living in France are most present.
The signal for recruiters
In IT, the median salary asked (CHF 115,000) is almost at the level of the median paid to ICT professionals in the Lake Geneva region according to the FSO (CHF 9,799 a month, i.e. CHF 117,588 over twelve standardised months): expectations are aligned with the market. In health, candidates ask for CHF 72,000 while the market pays professionals CHF 8,266 a month: the Licorn base there consists mainly of intermediate and assistant profiles.
Workload, remote work, contract: the conditions set
56% want full-time only
Workload required: 100% only for 56% of candidates. The remaining 44% accept part-time, and 15% go down to 50% or less. An 80% position therefore reaches nearly one candidate in two.
85% are open to remote work, 1% require it full-time
Remote work: open 85%, no remote work wanted 14%, 100% remote required 1%. Fully remote work is marginal in requirements; one candidate in seven explicitly prefers the office.
94% accept a permanent contract, 58% a temporary assignment
Types of contract accepted: permanent 94%, temporary assignment 58%, freelance 14%, internship 7%, apprenticeship 4%. A profile can tick several: 37% want a permanent contract only, 38% accept permanent or temporary.
Remote work goes with the highest salaries
Candidates open to remote work ask for CHF 75,000 at the median, those who decline it CHF 65,000. The gap is due to industries: field occupations, which pay less, are those that do not need remote work.
Candidates living in France are more often full-time
64% of them want full-time only, against 50% of Swiss residents. They are also younger (63% are under 35, against 48%) and more often actively searching (83% against 76%). Our guide to living in France and working in Switzerland details their status.
What these figures change, for recruiters and for candidates
If you are hiring. One complete candidate in five is employed and on standby: they answer no job ad, but they have set their conditions, and they ask for CHF 12,000 more than the others. A proposal that meets them is the only way to reach them. On salary, think by industry and by education: the overall median of CHF 72,000 tells you nothing about an IT profile at CHF 115,000 or a logistics profile at CHF 70,000. On conditions, workload and type of contract make more difference than remote work. And nearly four candidates in ten live in neighbouring France: a position reserved for Swiss residents forgoes them.
If you are looking for a job. Place your salary expectation within your industry and age group, then compare it with wages actually paid in our top 10 highest-paid jobs. If your occupation is in our top 10 most in-demand jobs, you can aim for the upper quartile. And think in total remuneration: the 13th salary and bonuses count, see our advice on negotiating your salary. For a job in a specific canton, our pages on jobs in Geneva, jobs in the canton of Vaud, jobs in Fribourg, jobs in Valais, jobs in Neuchâtel and jobs in the Jura detail the sectors that are hiring.
The Licorn method: conditions first, applications never
The candidate sets their requirements
Annual salary, workload, remote work, contract, location: everything is in the profile before the first contact. That is what makes these figures possible, and what avoids pointless interviews.
The recruiter makes a proposal
They receive no applications, they send a specific position to profiles whose conditions they already know. Licorn generates the CV from the profile.
The profile stays invisible to the current employer
That is what allows the 21% of candidates on standby to be present without risk, and to capture opportunities without searching.
Frequently asked questions about the Licorn job market barometer
CHF 72,000 gross a year at the median, with a quarter of candidates below CHF 60,000 and a quarter above CHF 95,000. The median rises to CHF 90,000 for higher-education graduates, CHF 115,000 in IT and CHF 126,000 for management profiles. These amounts are those candidates enter in their Licorn profile, not wages actually paid.
44% accept a workload below 100%, and 15% go down to 50% or less. The remaining 56% want full-time only. A position open at 80% therefore reaches nearly one candidate in two, against a little more than one in two for a strictly full-time position.
No. 85% of candidates are open to it, but only 1% require fully remote work, and 14% prefer not to do any at all. Remote work is an appreciated plus, rarely a condition.
The barometer is published in percentages and medians, without headcounts, and no figure is given for a group of fewer than 30 profiles. Data on proposals received and accepted are still too few to be representative: they will appear in a future edition, with the same rule.
Yes. 38% of complete candidates live in neighbouring France, mainly in the Genevois and the Chablais, and look for a job in French-speaking Switzerland like residents. We present them separately when their profile differs: they are younger, more often full-time, and ask for CHF 70,000 at the median against CHF 84,000 for Vaud residents.
Not directly: the FSO measures wages paid, standardised to a 40-hour full-time week with the 13th salary included, for all employees; the barometer measures salaries asked by registered candidates, younger and more present in sales, administration and logistics. The barometer is updated every quarter on this page, with the extraction date stated.
In short
Job seekers in French-speaking Switzerland ask for CHF 72,000 a year at the median, 56% want full-time, 85% are open to remote work without requiring it, 94% accept a permanent contract and 58% a temporary assignment. One in five is employed and on standby, and they ask for the most. Nearly four in ten live in neighbouring France. Education and industry make the expectation vary twofold.
Next edition in January 2027, with data on proposals.
Sources
- Licorn, complete candidate profiles created on the app between 19 August and 19 October 2026, anonymised extraction of 19 October 2026 (internal aggregated data, threshold of 30 profiles per group)
- swisstopo, official directory of localities, used to check the country and canton of residence (in French)
- FSO, STAT-TAB: Gross monthly wage by major region, occupational group, age and sex (ESS 2024), used for the comparison with wages paid
- FSO, press release of 25 November 2025: first results of the 2024 Swiss Earnings Structure Survey (in French)
