Salary by experience
View as table
| Experience | Salary (CHF) |
|---|---|
| 0-2 yrs | CHF 58'500 |
| 3-5 yrs | CHF 60'000 |
| 6-8 yrs | CHF 65'000 |
| 9-11 yrs | CHF 68'250 |
| 12-21 yrs | CHF 74'328 |
| 21+ yrs | CHF 78'000 |
Top HR
Swiss professionsMetal, Machinery & Watchmaking
Uhrmacher/in EFZ
You repair and calibrate precision watches with great dexterity.
01 · Overview
What this profession is about
As Uhrmacher/in EFZ, you assemble watch movements, repair them, and ensure exact timekeeping accuracy.
Precision is your passion. As Uhrmacher/in EFZ, you assemble complex watch movements, repair historical models, and calibrate modern timepieces. You work with focus at your workbench, carry out laboratory tests, and advise customers on maintenance and repair. Whether in a manufactory or a specialist shop: you combine traditional craftsmanship with modern technology.
FieldMetal, Machinery & Watchmaking
Education pathVocational Training (Apprenticeship)
IndustryArt & Crafts
Swissdoc 0.556.13.0
02 · Salary
What you can earn
✓ Exact salary match
Salaries reflect Swiss market data. Range covers entry to senior. Salary reference based on Watchmaker. Based on 1,055 observations, updated 7 months ago.
Salary trend
+18% over decadeView as table
| Period | Salary (CHF) |
|---|---|
| 2014-2016 | CHF 56'000 |
| 2017-2019 | CHF 62'556 |
| 2020-2022 | CHF 63'200 |
| 2023-2025 | CHF 66'000 |
Top earning cantons
View as table
| Canton | Salary | Obs. |
|---|---|---|
| Lucerne | CHF 71'640 | 14 |
| Zurich | CHF 69'000 | 21 |
| Geneva | CHF 68'770 | 177 |
| Berne | CHF 65'000 | 127 |
| Neuchâtel | CHF 64'350 | 271 |
| Vaud | CHF 62'632 | 112 |
Top paying industries
View as table
| Industry | Salary | Obs. |
|---|---|---|
| Recruitment agency / Staffing | CHF 71'500 | 5 |
| Retail trade / Wholesaling | CHF 71'000 | 28 |
| Media / Printing / Publishing | CHF 69'457 | 18 |
| Consumer / Luxury goods industry | CHF 65'520 | 379 |
| Commercial operation / Skilled crafts | CHF 64'646 | 338 |
| Education | CHF 64'500 | 6 |
03 · Pathway
How to enter and grow
- 🎓 Uhrmacher/in EFZ
- ⏱ 4 Jahre
Official education path
The 4-year apprenticeship teaches practical craftsmanship and theoretical knowledge at the vocational school.
Typical training path
Uhrmacher/in EFZ
Curriculum
- Fertigen von branchenspezifischen Werkzeugen und Ausrüstung, Anwenden der Richtlinien bezüglich
- Arbeitssicherheit, Gesundheits- und Umweltschutz
- Zusammensetzen von Einzelteilen
- Regulieren und Feineinstellen
- Reparieren und Instandsetzen
- Durchführen von Analysen
Prerequisites
- Completed compulsory school
Requirements
- Manual dexterity
- Ability to visualize objects spatially
- Logical thinking
- Good comprehension
- Technical understanding
- Concentration
- Sense of order and cleanliness
- Normal vision (including corrected visual acuity)
- 1Fertigen von branchenspezifischen Werkzeugen und Ausrüstung, Anwenden der Richtlinien bezüglich
- 2Arbeitssicherheit, Gesundheits- und Umweltschutz
- 3Zusammensetzen von Einzelteilen
- 4Regulieren und Feineinstellen
- 5Reparieren und Instandsetzen
- 6Durchführen von Analysen
Where this can lead
Lateral entry is rare because the training is highly specialized. However, related precision professions offer opportunities.
04 · Skills & fit
What it takes
Required skills
- Manual dexterity
- Technical understanding
- Concentration
- Customer orientation
Personality fit
- Swiss career path
- Career transition
- Professional growth
05 · Daily reality
What the work feels like
Typical day
You sit at your workbench, disassemble a watch movement, and check each individual gear for wear. Then you reassemble the components with special tools and adjust the watch for exact timekeeping accuracy.
- You prepare your tools and check whether a watch is faulty.
- You assemble and disassemble mechanical and electronic watch movements as well as chronographs.
- You calibrate the timepieces and ensure they keep exact time.
- You repair worn parts and recreate missing components using CAD software.
- You carry out laboratory tests for timekeeping accuracy and prepare maintenance invoices.
- You plan quality controls and develop improvement proposals for production.
Working conditions
You usually work at a workbench in the customer service department of a watch manufacturer, in a specialist shop, or in a manufactory. Depending on your focus, you serve customers, work in laboratories, or optimize production processes.
Where to learn
- Arbeitgeberverband der Schweizerischen Uhrenindustrie AvenueLéopold-Robert 65, 2301 La Chaux-de-Fonds
- Verband Schweizer Goldschmiede und Uhrenfachgeschäfte VSGUBahnhofstr. 7b, 6210 Sursee
Strengths
- Manual dexterity
- Technical understanding
- Concentration
- Customer orientation
Trade-offs
- High precision
- Sedentary work
- Specialized regions
06 · Similar
