Culture & Media

Figurenspieler/in, Puppenspieler/in

You bring puppets and masks to life

Figurenspieler/in, Puppenspieler/in

01 · Overview

What this profession is about

You tell stories with puppets, masks and light. You design stage sets for children and adults

Figurenspieler/in, Puppenspieler/in turn empty spaces into living worlds. You tell stories with hand puppets, marionettes or shadow plays. You carefully match speech, sound and light. You often make the figures and sets yourself. Your goal is to inspire audiences of all ages and make emotions visible.

FieldCulture & Media
Education pathSpecialisation / Professional Function
IndustryTheatre, Music, Dance & Film
Swissdoc 0.825.12.0

02 · Salary

What you can earn

MedianCHF 50'700
CHF 39'000CHF 62'000
✓ Strong salary match
Salaries reflect Swiss market data. Range covers entry to senior. Salary reference based on Papetier. Based on 88 observations, updated 7 months ago.

Salary by experience

50k55k60kmedian 51k48k50k53k58k53k60k0-2 yrs3-5 yrs6-8 yrs9-11 yrs12-21 yrs21+ yrs
View as table
ExperienceSalary (CHF)
0-2 yrsCHF 48'000
3-5 yrsCHF 50'000
6-8 yrsCHF 53'243
9-11 yrsCHF 57'700
12-21 yrsCHF 52'650
21+ yrsCHF 60'000

Salary trend

+7% over decade
48k50k52k50k48k49k53k2014-20162017-20192020-20222023-2025
View as table
PeriodSalary (CHF)
2014-2016CHF 50'000
2017-2019CHF 48'000
2020-2022CHF 49'200
2023-2025CHF 53'300

Top earning cantons

  • ZurichCHF 53'30025 obs.
View as table
CantonSalaryObs.
ZurichCHF 53'30025

Top paying industries

  • Consulting variousCHF 52'0006 obs.
  • Retail trade / WholesalingCHF 51'28066 obs.
View as table
IndustrySalaryObs.
Consulting variousCHF 52'0006
Retail trade / WholesalingCHF 51'28066

03 · Pathway

How to enter and grow

Swiss training pathway available in the full profile

  • 🎓 Figurenspieler/in

Official education path

You learn through specialised courses and practical projects in the independent theatre scene.

Typical training path

Figurenspieler/in

Prerequisites

  • Imagination and creativity
  • Creativity with various materials

Requirements

  • Imagination
  • Creativity in dealing with various materials

04 · Skills & fit

What it takes

Required skills

  • Creative manual dexterity
  • Expressive performance
  • Technical understanding
  • Storytelling

Personality fit

  • Swiss career path
  • Career transition
  • Professional growth

05 · Daily reality

What the work feels like

Typical day

You stand behind the stage and check the lighting. The marionettes already make their first movements. With precise hand movements and a clear voice, you bring the figures to life in front of the audience.

  • You tell stories with hand puppets, marionettes or shadow figures.
  • You stage images, speech and sound with purpose.
  • You design suitable stage sets with light and materials.
  • You often make the figures and props yourself.
  • You rehearse intensively to sync movements and voice.
  • You perform regularly for children and adult audiences.
  • You adapt your style flexibly to each audience.
  • You check the technology and stage setups daily.

Working conditions

You work in theatres, cultural centres or on mobile stage projects. You often move between rehearsal rooms and different performance venues.

Strengths

  • Creative manual dexterity
  • Expressive performance
  • Technical understanding
  • Storytelling

Trade-offs

  • Physical strain
  • Irregular hours
  • Uncertain workload
  • High concentration

06 · Similar

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