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How much you can really earn.

Six hours a week at CHF 30 is about CHF 8 300 a year, and roughly CHF 6 000 of it stays with you. Here is the formula behind every side income in Switzerland, the realistic rates, what AHV and tax take, and a calculator for your own hours.

Published Last updated 5 min read
Painting of a young man in a t-shirt writing in a notebook at a café table on a sunny Swiss town square, a smartphone and an espresso beside him
Hours, rate, weeks — the whole calculation fits on a café napkin.
Before we start · In plain words

A side job is hours times rate times weeks. Then two deductions. That is the whole formula.

Nobody gets rich from side tasks in Switzerland, and nobody needs to: the point is CHF 300 to 1 000 a month that is yours. Here is how that number is built, what the realistic ranges are, and what AHV and the tax office take before it reaches you.

  1. Hours a week.Four is easy, ten is serious, fifteen is the ceiling beside a full-time job.
  2. Rate per hour.CHF 25 to 45 for hands-on tasks; never below CHF 20.35 when a family employs you.
  3. Weeks a year.Forty-six if you keep your holidays — and you should.
  4. Minus AHV and tax.About a quarter for a middle earner. Three quarters stay with you.
01 · The numbers

One typical side job, in francs.

CHF 8 280
a year from a typical side job: 6 hours a week at CHF 30, 46 weeks. Before AHV and tax
calculated [4]
≈ CHF 6 000
of that stays with you after AHV and tax for a middle earner — about three quarters
calculated · ESTV [9]
1 in 13
employed people in Switzerland has a second job. Among women it is one in ten
BFS [1]
CHF 2 500
a year from one employer before AHV is deducted at all
AHV 2.01 [6]
6.4 %
of a wage above that line goes to AHV, IV, EO and unemployment insurance
AHV 2.01 [6]
20 %
flat deduction for costs on an employed side income, min. CHF 800, max. CHF 2 400
ESTV [8]
35–48 %
of the client’s price is kept by cleaning platforms — the gap between CHF 38 paid and CHF 21–28 received
Clino [5]
02 · Your number

Hours, rate, weeks — and what is left.

Move the sliders. The estimate uses the 2026 AHV rates and a middle-income tax rate; the tax guide has the exact figure for your canton.

03 · The six levers

What moves the number up — and what quietly takes from it.

  • Hours are the biggest lever — and the most limited oneFour hours a week is a hobby, ten is a second job, fifteen is the ceiling for most people with a full-time job (the 45/50-hour limit counts all jobs together). Every extra regular hour a week is worth about CHF 1 400 a year at CHF 30.
  • Rate: CHF 25 to 45 is the normal bandHands-on tasks for private households pay CHF 25–45 an hour. The legal minimum for household staff is CHF 20.35. Rates rise with reviews — most people add CHF 5 after the first ten jobs. [4] [2]
  • Regular beats occasionalA weekly cleaning or dog-walking slot earns less per hour than a moving day, but it happens 46 times a year without searching for clients. Combine one regular slot with occasional jobs.
  • Direct beats platform — if you find the clientsCleaning platforms charge the client CHF 38–43 and pay the cleaner CHF 21–28. Working directly for a family, you keep the whole CHF 30–35 — but you find the clients and handle the paperwork yourself. [5]
  • AHV costs little, skipping it costs moreOn CHF 8 000 from a company, AHV and unemployment insurance take about CHF 510. On a family wage it is deducted from the first franc. Skipping AHV on your only income creates a pension gap — see The CHF 2 500 AHV rule, explained. [6]
  • Tax takes about a fifth to a quarterSide income is taxed on top of your salary. After the 20 % flat deduction, a middle earner loses roughly 20–25 % of the side income to tax; low earners less, high earners more. The calculator in Side income and taxes does your canton. [9]
04 · Questions people ask

Short answers.

How much can I realistically earn with a side job in Switzerland?

Six hours a week at CHF 30 for 46 weeks is CHF 8 280 a year before deductions — about CHF 6 000 net for a middle earner. Ten hours a week brings it to about CHF 13 800 gross. Few people with a full-time job manage more than 10–15 side hours a week.

What do side jobs pay per hour?

Private households pay CHF 25–45 an hour for cleaning, gardening, moving help, repairs and similar tasks; cleaning averages about CHF 33 gross. The legal minimum for household staff from 5 hours a week is CHF 20.35 (2026).

How much of my side income do I keep?

Roughly three quarters. AHV and unemployment insurance take 6.4 % of a wage above CHF 2 500 a year (a family deducts from the first franc), and tax takes about 20–25 % of what is left after the flat 20 % deduction, depending on your canton and salary.

Is it better to work through a platform or directly?

Directly pays more per hour: cleaning platforms keep 35–48 % of the client’s price. Platforms bring the clients and the paperwork. Many people start on a platform and move regular clients to direct work later.

How many people in Switzerland have a second job?

About 7.7 % of employed people — 347 000 — have more than one job; 10 % of women and 5.7 % of men (BFS).

Painting of a young man delivering groceries by cargo bike in a Swiss old town

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References

Where the rules come from.

  1. [1]
    Federal Statistical Office (BFS) — Mehrfachbeschäftigung — 7.7 % of employed people have more than one job (347 000 people); women 10 %, men 5.7 %. www.bfs.admin.ch
  2. [2]
    SECO — State Secretariat for Economic Affairs — NAV Hauswirtschaft 2026 — minimum wages for household staff: CHF 20.35 / 22.30 / 24.55 an hour. www.seco.admin.ch
  3. [3]
    myky — Stundenlohn Reinigungskräfte (March 2026) — fair gross rate CHF 29–35, average CHF 32.90. www.myky.ch
  4. [4]
    knows.com — Stundenlohn Schweiz — hands-on side jobs CHF 25–50 an hour; rates rise with reviews. www.knows.com
  5. [5]
    Clino — Cleaner platform comparison — what the client pays vs what the cleaner gets: Batmaid CHF 37.90–39.90 vs 20.72–28.01, Helpling from 42.90 vs 24.75. clino.ch
  6. [6]
    AHV/IV information centre — Merkblatt 2.01 — 5.3 % AHV/IV/EO + 1.1 % ALV from the employee; CHF 2 500 small-wage line (2026). www.ahv-iv.ch
  7. [7]
    AHV/IV information centre — Merkblatt 2.02 — self-employed: sliding scale 5.371–10 %, minimum CHF 530 (2026). www.ahv-iv.ch
  8. [8]
    Federal Tax Administration (ESTV) — Berufskosten bei Nebenerwerb — flat deduction 20 %, min. CHF 800, max. CHF 2 400. www.estv2.admin.ch
  9. [9]
    Zürcher Kantonalbank — Grenzsteuersatz — about 26 % on every extra franc for a single person in Zürich with CHF 90 000 taxable income. www.zkb.ch
  10. [10]
    Beobachter — Muss ich für meinen Nebenjob AHV-Beiträge zahlen? — the CHF 2 500 rule in practice. www.beobachter.ch

Checked against the sources above on 5 October 2026; figures are for 2026 and change each January. The “last updated” date at the top changes whenever a figure is refreshed. Rates are market observations, the tax share is a middle-income estimate; this page is general information, not tax advice.