What is the 'unexplained' component of the wage gap?

It is the part of the gap that the UST fails to statistically trace back to structural factors such as training, years of service or hierarchical position. In 2024 it was 6.5%, equivalent to CHF 640 gross per month, compared to 7.0% (CHF 657) in 2022. In the private sector it was 6.7% (CHF 644), in the public sector it was 5.9% (CHF 574).

In which sectors is the wage gap wider?

Financial and insurance assets remain the most penalizing sector, with a gross gap of 30.6% and an unexplained component of CHF 1,506 gross per month. Machinery manufacturing (17.2%, CHF 829), retail (16.9%, CHF 606) and accommodation and catering (7.9%, CHF 191) follow.

How do differences with hierarchy, age and company size change?

The UST points out that the unexplained component is more marked in small businesses, tends to increase with the hierarchical level and accentuates with age. Among married staff, the unexplained share was 8.1% in 2024 (compared to 2.7% among the unmarried), down from 8.8% in 2022.

Is the gap really narrowing?

Yes, on all fronts: between 2022 and 2024 the overall figure fell by 0.5 percentage points, by 0.3 points in the private sector and by 1.0 point in the public sector. Compared to 2018, the reduction is even more marked: from 19.6% to 17.2% in the private sector and from 18.1% to 12.8% in the public sector.

Wage gap UST 2024: fall to 15.7% in Switzerland (cross-border guide)

Di Redazione Frontaliere Ticino · Published on 31 August 2026

Modern Swiss office building with employees at the entrance

UST: in 2024 the wage gap between women and men fell to 15.7% from 16.2% in 2022. In the private sector it remains at 17.2%, in the public sector at 12.8%. Component not explained at 640 CHF gross.

Context

In a nutshell

UST 2024 wage gap: 15.7%, down from 16.2% in 2022
In the private sector 17.2% (2022: 17.5%); in the public sector 12.8% (2022: 13.8%)
Unexplained component: 6.5% (640 CHF gross monthly), from 7.0% (657 CHF)
Financial and insurance: gap of 30.6%, unexplained component 1,506 CHF

Key facts

What: Gross wage gap between women and men in Switzerland
When: Data 2024, published today; comparison with 2022, 2020 and 2018
Where: Switzerland, with private and public sector articulation
Who: Federal Statistical Office (FSO); Keystone-ATS news agency
Total amount: 15.7% (2024) versus 16.2% (2022)
Private sector: 17.2% (2024) versus 17.5% (2022), 19.5% (2020), 19.6% (2018)
Public sector: 12.8% (2024) versus 13.8% (2022), 15.1% (2020), 18.1% (2018)
Unexplained component: 6.5% (2024) equal to CHF 640 gross/month, compared to 7.0% and CHF 657 (2022)

The wage gap between women and men in Switzerland continues to narrow: in 2024 it stood at 15.7%, down from 16.2% in 2022. This is what emerges from the latest report published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), taken from the Keystone-ATS news agency. The photograph taken at the end of 2024 confirms a dynamic of progressive compression of the pay differences between the sexes, which nevertheless remain significant in both the private and public sectors.

The comparison between private and public

The gap remains more marked in the sector

Operational details

Unexplained Component: What Remains 'Without Justification'

The FSO report examines the portion of the pay gap that cannot be traced back to observable structural factors. In 2024, this component stood at 6.5% of salary, equivalent to 640 gross francs per month. Two years earlier it was 7.0%, amounting to 657 francs. The reduction cuts across both major sectors: in the private sector the unexplained part was 6.7%, i.e. 644 francs per month, compared with 7.2% and 653 francs in 2022; in the public sector it was 5.9%, or 574 francs per month on average, versus 6.7% and 623 francs in 2022. This is the share that, according to the FSO definition, cannot be statistically attributed to differences in education, seniority, or hierarchical position.

Where the Gap Is Widest

The differences are particularly evident in specific sectors. The unexplained component amounted to 191 francs in accommodation and food services, 606 francs in retail, 829 francs in the manufacture of machinery and equipment, and 1,506 francs in financial and insurance activities. The latter figure is roughly 2.4 times higher than that of the manufacturing sector and almost eight times higher than that of accommodation and food services. For workers in the financial and insurance sector, the residual gap is therefore the largest in absolute value.

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Key points

What the FSO report says (and what it doesn't say)

The report published today by the Federal Statistical Office captures the gross wage gap between women and men in 2024, broken down by sector, occupational category, company size, hierarchical level, age, and marital status. The central figure is 15.7% overall, down from 16.2% in 2022. The unexplained component, amounting to 6.5% and 640 CHF gross per month, is the portion that statistically cannot be attributed to education, years of service, or hierarchical position.

What to do concretely about your salary

For those working in Switzerland, the FSO report is a useful reference point to assess your own pay position and to start a dialogue with your employer. Here is an operational four-step procedure, based exclusively on the report's data and on verified contextual information.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the wage gap between women and men in Switzerland in 2024?: According to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the overall gross wage gap in 2024 was 15.7%, down from 16.2% in 2022. In the private sector the figure is 17.2% (from 17.5% in 2022), while in the public sector — Confederation, Cantons and Municipalities — it is 12.8% (from 13.8% in 2022).
What is the 'unexplained' component of the wage gap?: It is the part of the gap that the UST fails to statistically trace back to structural factors such as training, years of service or hierarchical position. In 2024 it was 6.5%, equivalent to CHF 640 gross per month, compared to 7.0% (CHF 657) in 2022. In the private sector it was 6.7% (CHF 644), in the public sector it was 5.9% (CHF 574).
In which sectors is the wage gap wider?: Financial and insurance assets remain the most penalizing sector, with a gross gap of 30.6% and an unexplained component of CHF 1,506 gross per month. Machinery manufacturing (17.2%, CHF 829), retail (16.9%, CHF 606) and accommodation and catering (7.9%, CHF 191) follow.
How do differences with hierarchy, age and company size change?: The UST points out that the unexplained component is more marked in small businesses, tends to increase with the hierarchical level and accentuates with age. Among married staff, the unexplained share was 8.1% in 2024 (compared to 2.7% among the unmarried), down from 8.8% in 2022.
Is the gap really narrowing?: Yes, on all fronts: between 2022 and 2024 the overall figure fell by 0.5 percentage points, by 0.3 points in the private sector and by 1.0 point in the public sector. Compared to 2018, the reduction is even more marked: from 19.6% to 17.2% in the private sector and from 18.1% to 12.8% in the public sector.