Salary by experience
View as table
| Experience | Salary (CHF) |
|---|---|
| 0-2 yrs | CHF 59'600 |
| 3-5 yrs | CHF 59'000 |
| 6-8 yrs | CHF 62'045 |
| 9-11 yrs | CHF 66'100 |
| 12-21 yrs | CHF 70'790 |
| 21+ yrs | CHF 78'000 |
Top HR
Swiss professionsNature & Environment
Senn/Sennerin
You look after animals and produce cheese and butter on the alpine pasture.
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
✓ 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 trend
+8% over decadeView as table
| Period | Salary (CHF) |
|---|---|
| 2014-2016 | CHF 65'000 |
| 2017-2019 | CHF 60'240 |
| 2020-2022 | CHF 64'000 |
| 2023-2025 | CHF 70'000 |
Top earning cantons
View as table
| Canton | Salary | Obs. |
|---|---|---|
| Berne | CHF 71'712 | 39 |
| Thurgau | CHF 67'200 | 15 |
| Lucerne | CHF 66'200 | 17 |
| Fribourg | CHF 64'261 | 56 |
| St. Gallen | CHF 63'467 | 31 |
| Vaud | CHF 59'817 | 17 |
Top paying industries
View as table
| Industry | Salary | Obs. |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture / Forestry / Wood | CHF 71'400 | 17 |
| Consumer / Luxury goods industry | CHF 67'200 | 42 |
| Commercial operation / Skilled crafts | CHF 65'000 | 113 |
| Industry various | CHF 64'909 | 75 |
| Retail trade / Wholesaling | CHF 58'908 | 8 |
| Service sector in general | CHF 56'124 | 7 |
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.
Where to learn
- zalp.ch RedaktionVorderdorfstrasse 4, 8753 Mollis
- SAV Schweizerischer Alpwirtschaftlicher Verband Seilerstrasse 4Postfach 7836, 3001 Bern
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
