Salary by experience
View as table
| Experience | Salary (CHF) |
|---|---|
| 0-2 yrs | CHF 54'091 |
| 3-5 yrs | CHF 54'600 |
| 6-8 yrs | CHF 56'066 |
| 9-11 yrs | CHF 57'287 |
| 12-21 yrs | CHF 60'000 |
| 21+ yrs | CHF 62'792 |
Top HR
Swiss professionsHospitality & Hotels
Koch/Köchin EFZ
You create dishes and design culinary experiences for guests
01 · Overview
What this profession is about
You prepare meals, plan menus, and ensure hygiene in the kitchen.
The kitchen is your daily workplace. You prepare fresh dishes, plan menus according to season and budget, and follow strict hygiene standards. With creativity, organisational skills, and a good sense of taste, you create culinary experiences for guests in restaurants, hotels, or canteens. Your team works at a fast pace, but your love for cooking drives you forward.
FieldHospitality & Hotels
Education pathVocational Training (Apprenticeship)
IndustryHospitality: Kitchen
Swissdoc 0.220.13.0
02 · Salary
What you can earn
✓ Exact salary match
Salaries reflect Swiss market data. Range covers entry to senior. Salary reference based on Cook. Based on 5,992 observations, updated 7 months ago.
Salary trend
+3% over decadeView as table
| Period | Salary (CHF) |
|---|---|
| 2014-2016 | CHF 58'177 |
| 2017-2019 | CHF 55'000 |
| 2020-2022 | CHF 55'900 |
| 2023-2025 | CHF 60'000 |
Top earning cantons
View as table
| Canton | Salary | Obs. |
|---|---|---|
| Appenzell I. | CHF 71'500 | 27 |
| Appenzell A. | CHF 62'400 | 23 |
| Aargau | CHF 59'800 | 311 |
| Solothurn | CHF 59'415 | 139 |
| St. Gallen | CHF 59'363 | 262 |
| Zurich | CHF 59'031 | 989 |
Top paying industries
View as table
| Industry | Salary | Obs. |
|---|---|---|
| Education | CHF 65'525 | 22 |
| Chemicals / Pharmaceuticals | CHF 62'400 | 7 |
| Health care / Social services | CHF 62'364 | 295 |
| Industry various | CHF 61'883 | 20 |
| Public administration / Associations | CHF 61'533 | 42 |
| Banking / Financial institutions | CHF 61'500 | 10 |
03 · Pathway
How to enter and grow
- 🎓 Koch/Köchin EFZ
- ⏱ 3 Jahre
Official education path
The training is a 3-year apprenticeship in a catering business with integrated vocational school classes.
Typical training path
Koch/Köchin EFZ
Curriculum
- Zubereiten und Präsentieren von Speisen und Gerichten
- Umsetzen der Vorgaben zur Sicherheit und Nachhaltigkeit
- Umsetzen
- Betrieblicher und wirtschaftlicher Abläufe
- Auftreten und Kommunizieren
Prerequisites
- obligatorische Schule abgeschlossen
Requirements
- Enjoyment of working with food and cooking
- Ability to coordinate workflows
- Creativity and love of experimenting
- Dexterity
- Strong hygiene awareness
- Good sense of smell and taste
- Resilience in hectic situations
- 1Zubereiten und Präsentieren von Speisen und Gerichten
- 2Umsetzen der Vorgaben zur Sicherheit und Nachhaltigkeit
- 3Umsetzen
- 4Betrieblicher und wirtschaftlicher Abläufe
- 5Auftreten und Kommunizieren
Where this can lead
A career change is often possible if you already have related initial training or lots of professional experience.
04 · Skills & fit
What it takes
Required skills
- Culinary creativity
- Organisational skills
- Hygiene awareness
- Teamwork
Personality fit
- Swiss career path
- Career transition
- Professional growth
05 · Daily reality
What the work feels like
Typical day
You stand at the kitchen counter chopping fresh vegetables. In the background, pans sizzle and the team coordinates.
- You carefully prepare fresh ingredients and cook menus according to season and budget.
- You create new recipes and test specific fresh ingredients and flavours.
- You use different cooking methods to make dishes healthy, balanced, and appetising.
- You plan guest offerings, calculate costs, and check food freshness.
- You keep workspaces clean, store goods correctly, and dispose of waste responsibly.
- You coordinate the kitchen team and hand over plated dishes to the service staff on time.
Working conditions
You work in restaurants, hotels, canteens, hospitals, or on ships. Your team works at a fast pace with irregular hours.
Where to learn
- GastroSuisse Verband für Hotellerie und RestaurationBlumenfeldstrasse 20, 8046 Zürich
- HotellerieSuisseMonbijoustrasse 130, 3001 Bern
- Hotel & Gastro formation Eichistrasse 20Postfach 362, 6353 Weggis
Strengths
- Culinary creativity
- Organisational skills
- Hygiene awareness
- Teamwork
Trade-offs
- Irregular working hours
- Physical strain
- Fast work pace
- Responsibility for hygiene
06 · Similar
