Is there a federal minimum wage that also applies in Bern?

No. There is no federal minimum wage in Switzerland. Some cantons, however, have their own minimum. For the Canton of Bern, therefore, a national figure cannot be automatically applied: it is necessary to verify the possible cantonal regulations, the sector, the requirements, the controls and the office indicated by the official source of the Canton.

What is the difference between a cantonal minimum wage and a collective agreement?

The cantonal minimum and the collective agreement are separate plans. Where there is no cantonal minimum, the regulation of collective agreements must be considered separately. The verification must establish whether the relationship falls within a cantonal discipline or a collective agreement, without treating the latter as a federal minimum.

Which deductions affect wages?

Deductions include AVS/AI/IPG at 5.3% for the employee and 10.6% overall with the employer. AD/AC is at 1.1% up to the annual ceiling; LAINF/LAA varies from 0.7% to 1.5% depending on the sector. The LPP uses coordinated pay and age-related rates. LAMal is instead a per capita premium, not a salary contribution.

Which national rules still apply to work?

The maximum hours are 45 hours per week in industry, offices and sales, or 50 hours in other sectors. The minimum holiday is four weeks, five under the age of 20. The terms of cancellation are one, two or three months depending on seniority: first year, from the second to the ninth, from the tenth.

Minimum wage in the Canton of Bern: requirements and application

Di Redazione Frontaliere Ticino · Published on 5 October 2026

Salary documents and a calculator on a desk in a Swiss office

In Switzerland there is no federal minimum: in Bern, any applicable cantonal rules, collective agreements and official checks are what matter.

Context

TL;DR

In Switzerland, there is no federal minimum wage.
Some cantons have their own minimum wage.
A collective agreement must be distinguished from the cantonal minimum.
Requirements and amounts must be verified against the cantonal source.

Key facts

Federal level → no federal minimum wage
Cantonal level → some cantons have their own minimum
Maximum working hours → 45 or 50 hours per week
Minimum vacation → 4 weeks, 5 for those under 20
Notice period → 1, 2 or 3 months depending on length of service

The federal rule

Switzerland does not have a federal minimum wage. This is the starting point for anyone working in the Canton of Bern: there is no national figure to apply automatically to every employment relationship. However, the national framework specifies that some cantons have their own minimum wage. The review must therefore distinguish the federal rule from any cantonal provisions.

For Bern, the practical question is not only how much one earns, but which rule covers the employment relationship. The sector concerned, the applicable requirements, any cantonal application, the inspections, and the office indicated by the canton’s official source must be verified. Without an official indication, a rule from another canton cannot be turned into a Bernese rule, nor can an amount, an effective date, or a single threshold be specified.

Cantonal minimum and collective agreement

The second level concerns collective agreements. Where there is no cantonal minimum, wage rules may differ from those of a minimum established at cantonal level: the collective agreement is therefore a document to examine in order to determine whether the work falls under its rules. The two categories are not synonyms. The worker must compare the cantonal situation with the applicable agreement, avoiding the deduction of rights from a figure found online or referring to another canton.

The general employment framework nevertheless contains useful national parameters. The maximum working week is 45 hours in industry, offices, and sales, and 50 hours in other sectors. The minimum vacation entitlement is four weeks, rising to five for those under 20. Notice periods also follow a schedule of one, two, or three months: one in the first year, two from the second to the ninth, and three from the tenth.

These elements do not replace verification of the minimum wage, but they help put the employment relationship in context. To check how the salary is presented and which items appear, this review can be supplemented with the guide on busta paga svizzera.

Operational details

From the threshold to the budget

Any potential minimum wage in the Canton of Bern should be considered together with the deductions and costs that affect the budget. The salary amount alone does not describe monthly disposable income: social contributions follow their own rules, while LAMal is separate from salary.

From the salary amount to the deductions

The contribution table provided by the source is as follows:

Item
Item	Rule
AVS/AI/IPG	5.3% paid by the employee; 10.6% overall including the employer
AD/AC	1.1% up to the annual maximum
LAINF/LAA	0.7–1.5% depending on the sector
LPP	on the coordinated salary: 7% (25–34), 10% (35–44), 15% (45–54), 18% (55+ up to the reference age)
LAMal	mandatory for residents; per capita premium, not a tax or salary contribution

This distinction is especially useful to avoid confusing the minimum wage with net pay. The AD/AC figure is linked to an annual maximum, while LPP is expressed as a percentage of the coordinated salary and varies by age bracket. LAINF/LAA varies according to the sector. Without the complete picture, it is not possible to derive a single net amount from a gross figure.

Taxes and cost of living

Taxes also follow three levels: direct federal tax, cantonal tax and municipal tax. Each canton has its own law and multiplier; in municipalities, the multiplier is applied to the cantonal tax. Therefore, salary comparisons must keep salary, contributions and taxes separate, without presenting a deduction as if it were a component of the minimum wage.

LAMal works differently. It is mandatory for residents and must be taken out within three months of arrival; it is private, with per capita premiums, and is neither a tax nor a salary contribution. Premiums depend on the canton and region, while premium reductions are a cantonal subsidy. This is why costo della vita in Svizzera and LAMal/cassa malati should be assessed separately from checking the salary.

Useful planning tools

To estimate your pension strategy, use the pension planner and the pillar 3 simulator.

Key points

Procedure for the Canton of Bern

For anyone who needs to check how it is applied in the Canton of Bern, the most prudent approach is to start at the level of the rule and only then move on to the payslip. This sequence avoids using amounts or offices taken from another Canton.

1. Define the question

Establish whether you need to verify a cantonal minimum wage, a requirement, the sector concerned, an inspection or a collective agreement. The first answer to keep in mind is national: there is no federal minimum wage. Therefore, the research must focus on any rules specific to the Canton and the employment relationship concerned.

2. Use the official source of the Canton

Look in the official cantonal source for information on application, requirements, amounts, deadlines, inspections and the competent office. These are precisely the data that cannot be replaced with generic information about the Cantons. If the page concerns another territory, do not use it as evidence for Bern.

3. Check the collective agreement separately

If no applicable cantonal minimum emerges, check the relevant collective agreement. The collective agreement and the cantonal minimum remain distinct levels: the former must not be presented as a federal threshold, and the latter cannot be derived automatically from a collective rule.

4. Read the salary together with the related items

Compare the salary figure with the social security items on the payslip. AVS/AI/IPG, AD/AC, LAINF/LAA and LPP have different bases or rates; LAMal, on the other hand, remains a separate per-capita premium. For the tax part, remember that AFC/ESTV handles IFD and VAT, while the cantonal administrations manage the cantonal and municipal levels. This distinction helps direct the request to the correct authority.

5. Verify personal obligations

Anyone residing in Switzerland must take out LAMal within three months of arrival. For the rest, the requirements, deadlines and amounts of cantonal benefits must be checked against the official source of the Canton. The national minimum wage rule does not replace that check.

Once you have gathered the cantonal reference, any applicable collective agreement and the payslip items, you can estimate the effect on the budget without confusing gross pay, contributions, premiums and taxes. To complete the calculation, use calcolatore stipendio/imposte.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a federal minimum wage that also applies in Bern?: No. There is no federal minimum wage in Switzerland. Some cantons, however, have their own minimum. For the Canton of Bern, therefore, a national figure cannot be automatically applied: it is necessary to verify the possible cantonal regulations, the sector, the requirements, the controls and the office indicated by the official source of the Canton.
What is the difference between a cantonal minimum wage and a collective agreement?: The cantonal minimum and the collective agreement are separate plans. Where there is no cantonal minimum, the regulation of collective agreements must be considered separately. The verification must establish whether the relationship falls within a cantonal discipline or a collective agreement, without treating the latter as a federal minimum.
Which deductions affect wages?: Deductions include AVS/AI/IPG at 5.3% for the employee and 10.6% overall with the employer. AD/AC is at 1.1% up to the annual ceiling; LAINF/LAA varies from 0.7% to 1.5% depending on the sector. The LPP uses coordinated pay and age-related rates. LAMal is instead a per capita premium, not a salary contribution.
Which national rules still apply to work?: The maximum hours are 45 hours per week in industry, offices and sales, or 50 hours in other sectors. The minimum holiday is four weeks, five under the age of 20. The terms of cancellation are one, two or three months depending on seniority: first year, from the second to the ninth, from the tenth.