On average, a Vaudois earned 6490 francs per month, for a weekly work of 40 hours, in 2020. This is 175 francs less than the national average.
© LMS
Illustrative image. Swiss banknotes.
For a full-time job reduced to 40 hours per week, the median salary in Vaud in 2020 reached 6,490 francs (public and private sectors combined) once morest 6,665 francs nationally. Since the last survey in 2018, the median salary in Vaud has increased by 3.5% in real terms; over 10 years, the increase reached 6.2%.
The top 10% of employees all earn more than 11,610 francs, while the lowest 10% earn less than 4,335 francs. Low salaries, those whose income is less than two-thirds of the median income, or 4325 francs, have slightly decreased in 10 years, their share falling from 12% to 10%. The middle class has also grown. They are now 70%, ie 2% more than in 2010, to benefit from an income of between 70% and 150% of the median income.
Strong disparities between sectors
Unsurprisingly, with median wages well below the cantonal average, personal services (-40%), accommodation (-32%) and retail trade (-26%) are among the lowest-paying branches, while that conversely the pharmaceutical industry (+42%) or research and development activities (+36%) offer much more advantageous salary opportunities.
In the private sector, the median salary of women is 9% lower than that of men in 2020. This salary gap is down compared to 2010 (14%), while it has remained stable between the Swiss and foreigners (12% in 2010 and in 2020). These wage gaps are partly explained by different professional profiles and unequal integration into the labor market.
