Salary by experience
View as table
| Experience | Salary (CHF) |
|---|---|
| 0-2 yrs | CHF 72'000 |
| 3-5 yrs | CHF 72'000 |
| 6-8 yrs | CHF 75'000 |
| 9-11 yrs | CHF 78'000 |
| 12-21 yrs | CHF 80'600 |
| 21+ yrs | CHF 85'696 |
Top HR
Swiss professionsFood
Lebensmittelingenieur/in FH
You develop and optimise food products for modern production
01 · Overview
What this profession is about
You design new food products, optimise production processes, and support their market launch in the industry
The food industry faces big challenges. You develop innovative products that taste great and can be produced sustainably. You combine scientific knowledge with creative thinking. You guide the entire process from the first recipe to the final packaging. This ensures quality, safety, and freshness on every plate
FieldFood
Education pathHigher Education Profession
IndustryBakery, Pastry, Confectionery & Milling
Swissdoc 0.210.5.0
02 · Salary
What you can earn
✓ Exact salary match
Salaries reflect Swiss market data. Range covers entry to senior. Salary reference based on Lebensmittelingenieurin. Based on 460 observations, updated 7 months ago.
Salary trend
View as table
| Period | Salary (CHF) |
|---|---|
| 2014-2016 | CHF 78'000 |
| 2017-2019 | CHF 74'000 |
| 2020-2022 | CHF 75'226 |
| 2023-2025 | CHF 78'000 |
Top earning cantons
View as table
| Canton | Salary | Obs. |
|---|---|---|
| Berne | CHF 78'500 | 42 |
| Zurich | CHF 78'250 | 72 |
| Lucerne | CHF 78'000 | 30 |
| St. Gallen | CHF 75'000 | 55 |
| Thurgau | CHF 66'125 | 16 |
| Aargau | CHF 64'850 | 60 |
Top paying industries
View as table
| Industry | Salary | Obs. |
|---|---|---|
| Machine / System construction | CHF 102'500 | 11 |
| Public administration / Associations | CHF 100'500 | 5 |
| Retail trade / Wholesaling | CHF 91'888 | 15 |
| Consumer / Luxury goods industry | CHF 78'000 | 76 |
| Chemicals / Pharmaceuticals | CHF 76'500 | 26 |
| Service sector in general | CHF 75'608 | 6 |
03 · Pathway
How to enter and grow
Swiss training pathway available in the full profile
- 🎓 Bachelor of Science
- ⏱ 6 Semester Vollzeit, Teilzeit entsprechend länger
Official education path
A bachelor's degree at a university of applied sciences gives you the scientific knowledge needed for the food industry
Typical training path
Bachelor of Science
Prerequisites
- Abschluss einer beruflichen Grundbildung mit Berufsmaturität in der Lebensmittelbranche oder in einem der Studienrichtung verwandten Berufsfeld
- gymnasiale Maturität
- Fachmaturität and 1 year berufsfeldbezogenes Praktikum before starting studies
Requirements
- Leadership qualities
- Ability to develop, execute, and review projects
- High quality awareness
- Strong sense of smell and taste
Where this can lead
With further training, you can also work as a food inspector at cantonal health departments
04 · Skills & fit
What it takes
Required skills
- Leadership skills
- Quality awareness
- Sensory skills
- Analytical thinking
Personality fit
- Swiss career path
- Career transition
- Professional growth
05 · Daily reality
What the work feels like
Typical day
You stand in the lab and check the consistency of a new drink formula. At the same time, you discuss the next optimisation steps for the filling line with the production team
- You test and develop new production methods for food manufacturing
- You optimise packaging processes to save materials and costs
- You create criteria lists for daily quality checks
- You develop recipes that exactly match customer wishes
- You analyse ingredients to improve taste and colour
- You conduct surveys to find the right flavour direction
- You support advertising campaigns by choosing the right media
Working conditions
You work in labs, production halls, and offices in the food industry. You occasionally visit cantonal authorities or external partner companies
Where to learn
- Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften (ZHAW) Life Sciences und Facility ManagementGrüentalstrasse 14, 8820 Wädenswil
- HES-SO Wallis Institut Life Technologies Route du Rawyl 47Postfach 2134, 1950 Sitten
- Berner Fachhochschule, Hochschule für Agrar-, Forst- und Lebensmittelwissenschaften BFH HAFLLänggasse 85, 3052 Zollikofen
Strengths
- Leadership skills
- Quality awareness
- Sensory skills
- Analytical thinking
Trade-offs
- High responsibility
- Regulatory pressure
- Time pressure
- Location dependency
06 · Similar
