Nature & Environment

Senn/Sennerin

You look after animals and produce cheese and butter on the alpine pasture.

Senn/Sennerin

01 · Overview

What this profession is about

As Senn/Sennerin, you look after alpine herds in summer, milk cows and produce cheese and butter in remote mountain areas.

FieldNature & Environment
Education pathSpecialisation / Professional Function
IndustryAgriculture
Swissdoc 0.130.16.0

02 · Salary

What you can earn

MedianCHF 65'000
CHF 48'927CHF 120'000
✓ Exact salary match
Salaries reflect Swiss market data. Range covers entry to senior. Salary reference based on Cheese Maker. Based on 285 observations, updated 7 months ago.

Salary by experience

60k70kmedian 65k60k59k62k66k71k78k0-2 yrs3-5 yrs6-8 yrs9-11 yrs12-21 yrs21+ yrs
View as table
ExperienceSalary (CHF)
0-2 yrsCHF 59'600
3-5 yrsCHF 59'000
6-8 yrsCHF 62'045
9-11 yrsCHF 66'100
12-21 yrsCHF 70'790
21+ yrsCHF 78'000

Salary trend

+8% over decade
60k65k70k65k60k64k70k2014-20162017-20192020-20222023-2025
View as table
PeriodSalary (CHF)
2014-2016CHF 65'000
2017-2019CHF 60'240
2020-2022CHF 64'000
2023-2025CHF 70'000

Top earning cantons

  • BerneCHF 71'71239 obs.
  • ThurgauCHF 67'20015 obs.
  • LucerneCHF 66'20017 obs.
  • FribourgCHF 64'26156 obs.
  • St. GallenCHF 63'46731 obs.
  • VaudCHF 59'81717 obs.
View as table
CantonSalaryObs.
BerneCHF 71'71239
ThurgauCHF 67'20015
LucerneCHF 66'20017
FribourgCHF 64'26156
St. GallenCHF 63'46731
VaudCHF 59'81717

Top paying industries

  • Agriculture / Forestry / WoodCHF 71'40017 obs.
  • Consumer / Luxury goods industryCHF 67'20042 obs.
  • Commercial operation / Skilled craftsCHF 65'000113 obs.
  • Industry variousCHF 64'90975 obs.
  • Retail trade / WholesalingCHF 58'9088 obs.
  • Service sector in generalCHF 56'1247 obs.
View as table
IndustrySalaryObs.
Agriculture / Forestry / WoodCHF 71'40017
Consumer / Luxury goods industryCHF 67'20042
Commercial operation / Skilled craftsCHF 65'000113
Industry variousCHF 64'90975
Retail trade / WholesalingCHF 58'9088
Service sector in generalCHF 56'1247

03 · Pathway

How to enter and grow

Swiss training pathway available in the full profile

  • 🎓 Senn/Sennerin

Official education path

You enter through practical experience, winter courses and agricultural training without a federal qualification.

Typical training path

Senn/Sennerin

Prerequisites

  • Experience in a farming or alpine environment

Requirements

  • Good physical condition
  • Mental resilience and balance
  • Enjoyment of working with animals, nature and a simple lifestyle

04 · Skills & fit

What it takes

Required skills

  • Physical fitness
  • Mental stability
  • Love of animals and connection to nature
  • Practical experience

Personality fit

  • Swiss career path
  • Career transition
  • Professional growth

05 · Daily reality

What the work feels like

Typical day

You stand at the milking station, check the animals' health and prepare the milk for cheese making.

  • You look after alpine animal herds on the pasture in summer.
  • You milk the cows and monitor their health daily.
  • You maintain the mountain pastures and prepare the alpine pasture in advance.
  • You process the milk into cheese, butter and other products.
  • You solve unexpected problems in mountain life independently and quickly.

Working conditions

You work on remote alpine pastures in mountain regions, often in simple huts or dairy farms.

Strengths

  • Physical fitness
  • Mental stability
  • Love of animals and connection to nature
  • Practical experience

Trade-offs

  • Long working hours
  • Isolation in daily life
  • Physical strain
  • Weather dependency

06 · Similar

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