Key Facts: Guernsey vs Switzerland Wages
- Guernsey Minimum Wage
- £12.60/hr ($16.97 USD)
- Switzerland Minimum Wage
- No statutory minimum wage
- Guernsey Avg. Gross Monthly Salary
- £3,556 /mo ($4,787.94 USD)
- Switzerland Avg. Gross Monthly Salary
- CHF7,800 /mo ($9,951.52 USD)
- Data Sources
- States of Guernsey — Minimum Wage (2026-03-12), Swiss Federal Statistical Office (BFS) (2026-02-24)
Guernsey 
Switzerland
Updated 2026-03-12
Unlike Switzerland, which has no statutory minimum wage, Guernsey mandates a wage floor of $17/hr. Average gross salaries diverge further: $4,788/mo in Guernsey versus $9,952/mo in Switzerland, a 2.1:1 ratio.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Guernsey | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage /hr | £12.60 $16.97 | None |
| Minimum wage /mo | £2,184 $2,940.62 | None |
| Minimum wage /yr | £26,208 $35,287.46 | None |
| Avg. gross salary /mo | £3,556 /mo $4,787.94 | CHF7,800 /mo $9,951.52 |
| Avg. net salary /mo | N/A/mo | CHF6,396 /mo $8,160.24 |
| Median individual income /yr | £42,672 /yr $57,455.23 | CHF81,456 /yr $103,924.47 |
Percentage differences are based on USD equivalent values. Positive means Guernsey is higher.
Work Week
- Guernsey
-
40 hrs/wk standard
Max 48 hrs/wk
Overtime : 1.5x pay
Standard workweek is 40 hours. Employment law broadly follows UK principles with local variations.
- Switzerland
-
42 hrs/wk standard
Max 45 hrs/wk
Overtime : 1.25x pay
No single statutory standard; typical contractual hours are 40-42/week depending on sector. Maximum legal hours: 45/week for industrial, office, and retail workers; 50/week for others. Overtime premium is 25% (can be compensated with time off by agreement). Swiss Labour Act (Arbeitsgesetz) governs working time.
What This Means for Workers
Standard work weeks differ: Guernsey mandates 40 hours while Switzerland mandates 42 hours.
See this comparison from Switzerland's perspective: Switzerland vs Guernsey
Compare Guernsey with...
Guernsey vs United States $ 7.25 /hr 
Guernsey vs China ¥ 25 /hr 
Guernsey vs Germany € 13.9 /hr 
Guernsey vs United Kingdom £ 12.71 /hr 
Guernsey vs India ₹ 4,576 /mo 
Guernsey vs Japan ¥ 1,121 /hr 
Guernsey vs France € 12.02 /hr 
Guernsey vs South Korea ₩ 10,320 /hr 
Guernsey vs Canada C$ 18.1 /hr 
Guernsey vs Australia A$ 24.95 /hr 
Guernsey vs Brazil R$ 7.37 /hr 
Guernsey vs Russia ₽ 156.31 /hr 
Guernsey vs Mexico MX$ 9,583.52 /mo 
Guernsey vs Netherlands € 14.71 /hr 
Guernsey vs Saudi Arabia ﷼ 23.08 /hr 
Guernsey vs Turkey ₺ 164.94 /hr 
Guernsey vs Poland zł 31.4 /hr 
Guernsey vs Sweden 
Guernsey vs Singapore 
Guernsey vs Norway 
Guernsey vs Austria 
Guernsey vs Denmark 
Guernsey vs Israel ₪ 35.4 /hr 
Guernsey vs New Zealand NZ$ 23.5 /hr Frequently Asked Questions
Is the minimum wage higher in Guernsey or Switzerland?
In Guernsey, the minimum wage is £12.60/hr ($16.97 USD). In Switzerland, it is no statutory minimum wage.
How much less does the average worker earn in Guernsey compared to Switzerland?
The average gross salary in Guernsey is £3,556/mo ($4,787.94 USD), compared to CHF7,800/mo ($9,951.52 USD) in Switzerland. In USD terms, workers in Guernsey earn approximately 108% less. Average salaries reflect the full labor market, not just the minimum wage floor. The gap between Guernsey and Switzerland is shaped by differences in industry composition, labor productivity, and the overall cost of living in each country. Workers in Switzerland earn more in nominal terms, though how far that income stretches depends on local prices in Guernsey.
How do work hours compare between Guernsey and Switzerland?
Switzerland has a longer standard work week at 42 hours, compared to 40 hours in Guernsey. Workers in Guernsey work 40 hours per week by law. Longer mandatory hours can offset a nominally higher wage; a worker in Guernsey working fewer hours may have comparable or better effective hourly earnings depending on the wage levels of each country. Total annual compensation depends on both the wage rate and the number of hours required.