I'm looking for help on salary expectations I should have for working in Switzerland.
I currently live in the US. I'm 42 yoa and I work as a chemical engineer and earn about $115k. I'm visiting my potential new employer next week, and have no idea what my negotiating strategy should be.
I figure that currently in terms of buying power that :

1 dollar in US = 1 Euro in Europe,

but, because of the dollar's depreciation :

1 dollar US = 0.70 Euro

And then, salaries in Europe are generally lower. So, between all the permutations, I don't know where to begin. Can anyone provide me with some guidance on what to expect.

I appreciate any help. Seosamh.

This is an extremely difficult subject and will probably depend a great deal on your situation, and you have given very few details. For some discussion of this subject, you can read this article:

Global/Worldwide Cost of Living Survey Rankings 2007/2008, Cities, International, Europe, Asia, America, US, American, Americas, United States, Africa, Australia, USA, Asian, Canada, Expensive, Cheap, : Finfacts Ireland

But you can not simply multiply a percentage times your current salary and believe you will come out even. You will need to look into more details.

For example are you single or will you come with a partner? Do you have children? Will your children go to private school or public school? What about taxes? etc, etc

Further Zurich, Switzerland is an extremely expensive city, probably the most expensive in Switzerland. If you will live elsewhere (Lausanne for example), you will notice a dramatic difference in cost.

In addition, I am confused about why you are discussing Euro when the currency of Switzerland is the Swiss Franc. The exchange rate is nearly equal with the US Dollar, but I would not think that if you earned Sfr 115K that you would have equal purchasing power.

I would start by trying to estimate the big ticket items (Rent, School, Health Care, Tax, Trips back home, Transportation, Food, etc) and make sure your new salary is going to cover it and leave as much left over for savings as you currently do. Here is a discussion in expatforum that takes this approach:

Cost of living table

Have an agreement with your boss that if, after 6 months, you find that you have made a large error in your estimation that there will be an adjustment.

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If you don't know that Switerland is not in the EU and does not use the euro, you have a lot of research to do. And, by the way, one dollar is worth only 0.63 euros, while a Swiss franc is worth 98 cents.

You can monitor exchange rates at XE - The World's Favorite Currency and Foreign Exchange Site. These rates are those that banks get for million dollar transactions, and don't include any fees, so you will get a somewhat lower rate for anything you convert.

I'm not sure that wages are lower in Europe. That used to be true. I do know that the minimum wage is way above that in the US in most countres, and government benefits are better.

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I've always found it extremely difficult to try and equate salaries across different countries, as there are many factors to consider. Your primary concern is making sure that what you are offered is comparable to what other chemical engineers in comparable positions are making in the part of Switzerland in which you will be located.

What some (unscrupulous) employers will do is take your US salary, add a percentage to it, then convert that to the local currency (SFr in your case). The problem with that is that the resulting figure may put you considerably higher or lower than what the guy working next to you in virtually the same job is making - particularly if he's from another foreign country and they pulled the same thing on him.

For salary negotiations, you want to determine whether you'll be on an expat package or on the local payroll, then determine exactly what is included in whichever you're looking at - health insurance, a company car, retirement plans, etc.

If you can, try and take a stroll around before you meet with your potential employer and try to get a feel for what things cost - rentals, groceries, etc. When you work overseas, you spend your money on very different things and it's admittedly hard to get a good sense about that beforehand. It can also depend on how long you're planning on staying in Switzerland - whether you need to maintain your US based insurance or retirement or not.
Cheers,
Bev

Thanks for the replies and the information. The strategy of fixing a salary and then renegotiate 6 months later if I've made a mistake is a great idea. While I know the franc is the currency in Switzerland, I'm talking in Euros because I'll be relocating to the Basel area and it's a very real option to live in France and commute across the border daily.

I have searched and searched but I cannot find a link to a decent COL table that would compare the US and Switzerland. I've found salary survey links but they all require a subscriptions, which I'm not willing to do unless I can be sure of the information I'll receive. Does anyone have a link to one ? I couldn't link to the one you gave in your reply.

So, when you say that you're not sure that salaries in Europe are lower than in the US, what does that mean. At current exchange rates, they're probably equivalent, but in terms of consumer buying power, there's probably a gulf. If I earn $115k in the US, is it reasonable to factor in COL rates, lets say it's 1.2for CH, and ask for CH1.2*115k.

Thanks Bevdeforges, as I said I'm a french national but have lived in the US for 13 years. I'm fairly well americanised at this point. My wife and I are going over a few days early to check out the local economy, maybe even look at house prices.
I have tried to find chemical engineer salaries tables for Europe, but to no avail, even tougher for CH. If you know of any links for this, I would be gratefull.

Also, does anyone have experience of living in France and working in CH ?

Thanks for help and any information, Seosamh.

It's tough to work with COL numbers - at least the way you seem to want to. And actually, if you're thinking of living in France, it's the French COL numbers you'd want to be looking at. Of course that also means that you'd be going onto the French cotisations, which probably vary from those in Switzerland.

When I was working in Freiburg (Germany), we had a few folks who were living in France. Evidently the social insurances were quite a bit cheaper (and that's back before the euro - so they had the whole currency conversion issue to deal with, too).

A friend of mine was living in Switzerland and working at the airport in Mulhouse (which is considered to be the airport for Mulhouse, Freiburg and for Basel.

It's very do-able and there is lots of precedent for "Grenzenspringers" (as the Germans call them. You pay your taxes and social insurances in the country in which you reside (which may be a factor for the employer, depending on what the employer's share is in the various countries).

Check the newsstands when you get over here - in France, at least, the consumer magazines often publish special surveys of salaries by profession for the new graduates - and this is about the right time of year. It should give you at least some idea of what your level of chemical engineer should be getting (in France). Switzerland may have something similar.
Cheers,
Bev

Bev's point about costs being different is a good one. Using a general COL table, the assumption will assume a more American style of life, and put a lot of weight on gasoline costs. It also won't include the additional costs of exploring your new home.

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