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 professionsChemistry & Physics
Lebensmittelchemiker/in
You analyse food products and ensure their quality.
01 · Overview
What this profession is about
You examine food ingredients, develop production methods, and ensure both safety and taste.
Your daily work centres on the laboratory and quality control. You isolate ingredients, analyse flavours, and optimise production processes. You strictly follow hygiene rules and precise working methods. Your expertise protects consumers and improves the sensory quality of food. You work systematically and responsibly to maintain the highest standards in the food industry.
FieldChemistry & Physics
Education pathSpecialisation / Professional Function
IndustryBakery, Pastry, Confectionery & Milling
Swissdoc 0.210.38.0
02 · Salary
What you can earn
✓ Exact salary match
Salaries reflect Swiss market data. Range covers entry to senior. Salary reference based on Lebensmittelchemikerin. 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
- 🎓 Eidg. Lebensmittelchemikerdiplom
Official education path
You gain the qualification through specialised training based on the federal food chemist diploma.
Typical training path
Eidg. Lebensmittelchemikerdiplom
Prerequisites
- Eidg. Lebensmittelchemikerdiplom gemäss Verordnung über den Vollzug der Lebensmittelgesetzgebung
Requirements
- Clean working methods
- Systematic and precise working methods
- Sense of hygiene
- Good sense of smell
- Good sense of taste
04 · Skills & fit
What it takes
Required skills
- Hygiene awareness
- Precision
- Sensory perception
- Carefulness
Personality fit
- Swiss career path
- Career transition
- Professional growth
05 · Daily reality
What the work feels like
Typical day
You stand at the analysis table and check samples for their chemical composition. You record values precisely and evaluate sensory properties systematically.
- You isolate and characterise ingredients from various foods.
- You develop production methods to maintain food quality.
- You study how flavours affect taste.
- You carry out sensory analyses and evaluate the results.
- You document your findings precisely and systematically in the lab.
- You check compliance with food safety regulations.
Working conditions
You typically work in government laboratories, food companies, or independent testing institutes. You carry out your analyses under controlled conditions there.
Strengths
- Hygiene awareness
- Precision
- Sensory perception
- Carefulness
Trade-offs
- High concentration
- Repetitive tasks
- Chemical exposure
- Regulatory pressure
06 · Similar
