🇨🇭Minimum Wage in Switzerland: No National Rate, By Canton

Five cantons have a statutory hourly minimum wage in force. The table gives each canton’s gross rate in Swiss francs (for Ticino a band), the date it took effect and the canton’s own source.^2,3,4,5,6,11

Details differ by canton. Geneva sets lower minimums for agriculture and floriculture. Ticino fixes a band within which reference rates are set for each economic sector. Until 31 December 2026 the cantonal minimum wage does not apply in Basel-Stadt, Jura and Ticino in sectors covered by a generally binding collective agreement (in Jura, one with a stated minimum wage). From 1 January 2027 Ticino’s law gives its statutory minimum wage precedence over collective agreements with lower minimums, except agreements granted a derogation.^{2,3,4,6,12,13}

In Vaud, voters accepted on 14 June 2026 an initiative that writes the principle of a cantonal minimum wage into the cantonal constitution, but refused the implementing legislative initiative and the counter-proposal, so no law with an hourly rate is in force there. Valais votes on 29 November 2026 on an initiative for a statutory minimum wage of 22 francs an hour.^14,15

On 12 May 2026 the Federal Supreme Court held that the municipal minimum wage rules of Zürich and Winterthur are valid. The City of Zürich states that it is still open when its minimum wage takes effect and that it will give at least six months’ notice. In the City of Luzern a municipal minimum wage of 22.75 francs an hour has applied since 1 January 2026; on 27 September 2026 voters rejected its repeal.^16,17,18

On 19 June 2026 the Swiss Parliament adopted in its final votes a change to the federal act on declaring collective labour agreements generally binding (parliamentary business no. 24.096). Under it, the minimum wage provisions of a generally binding collective agreement take precedence over provisions of cantonal law, and minimum wage provisions can be declared generally binding even where they contradict mandatory cantonal law. The Federal Council had opposed the draft. The trade unions launched a referendum against it on 30 June 2026 and the referendum period ended on 8 October 2026; the Federal Chancellery lists the referendum as pending, with the signatures being counted. The change is not yet in force.^{19,20,21,22,23}