How Much Should You Charge as a Cleaner or Nanny in Switzerland? The 2026 Rate Guide

Setting your hourly rate is one of the hardest parts of working as a cleaner, nanny or home help in Switzerland. Charge too little and you undervalue skilled work. Charge too much without a reason and you lose bookings. And almost everyone is unsure where the legal floor sits, what the market actually pays in 2026, and how much of their rate they really get to keep.

This guide gives you the numbers, the rules and a simple method to set a fair rate, whether you clean homes, look after children or support older people. It is written for Helpers — the people doing the work — and grounded in the 2026 Swiss minimum-wage rules.

If you want to start working on your own terms, you can create your free Helper profile and join as one of our first Founding Helpers.

The short answer: what cleaners and nannies charge in 2026

For private-household work in Switzerland in 2026, most rates fall in this range:

These are gross hourly wages — the amount agreed before the employee share of social contributions is deducted. Big cities like Zurich, Geneva and Basel sit at the top of each range; rural areas sit lower. Below, we break down exactly how to land on your own number.

Start with the legal minimum (this is your floor)

You can never go below the legal minimum that applies to your work and canton. For most domestic work, the federal standard employment contract (NAV Hauswirtschaft) sets the floor. From 1 January 2026, the gross minimum hourly wages are:

• Unskilled: CHF 20.35/hour
• Unskilled with at least 4 years of domestic-work experience: CHF 22.30/hour
• Trained with an EBA: CHF 22.30/hour
• Trained with an EFZ: CHF 24.55/hour

Two things to remember:

1. Holiday pay is separate. For hourly work, holiday pay is added as a visible supplement (commonly 8.33% for four weeks), not hidden inside the rate.
2. Some cantons set higher floors. For example, Geneva's minimum wage is CHF 24.59/hour in 2026 — well above the federal baseline. Always check your canton.

The legal minimum protects you at the bottom. The market is where you decide how far above it you sit.

What is the real market rate for cleaning?

In practice, experienced cleaners in private Swiss households charge well above the legal floor. In 2026, the typical market range is CHF 25–34 per hour gross, with an average around CHF 30–33.

What moves you up the range:

• Experience and references. A cleaner with years of reliable work and good references can charge CHF 3–5/hour more than a beginner.
• Region. Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Zug and Lausanne sit at the high end; rural cantons sit lower.
• Extra tasks. Ironing, oven and fridge cleaning, windows, laundry and occasional cooking all justify a higher rate.
• Reliability and flexibility. Households pay a premium for someone punctual, trusted and consistent.

How much do nannies and childcare Helpers charge?

Childcare is skilled, responsible work, and rates reflect that. In 2026, nannies and babysitters in Switzerland typically charge CHF 25–35 per hour, with a market average near CHF 29–30.

Rates rise with:

• Number and ages of children (infants and multiples cost more)
• Qualifications (childcare training, first aid, EFZ/EBA)
• Added responsibilities such as cooking, school runs, homework help or light housework
• Hours and regularity (a fixed weekly schedule may differ from occasional evenings)

A useful rule: price childcare at or above what you would charge for cleaning, because the responsibility is higher.

Gross vs. net: what "your rate" actually means

This is where many Helpers get confused, so let's be precise.

• Your rate is a gross hourly wage. It is the figure you and the household agree on before deductions.
• Social contributions apply. For declared domestic work, AHV/AVS contributions are due — for adult workers, effectively from the first franc you earn. The employee share (around 5.3% AHV/IV/EO plus ALV) is deducted from your gross wage, exactly as in any Swiss job. This is not a fee to a platform — it funds your pension and social insurance.
• The employer pays their share on top. The household, as your legal employer, pays the employer-side contributions and compulsory accident insurance in addition to your wage.

So "what you take home" is your gross rate minus the standard employee social-insurance share — the same maths as any properly declared job in Switzerland. For the full breakdown of contributions, thresholds and accident insurance, see our legal hiring guide.

Why declared work is worth more than cash

A higher cash number can look tempting, but undeclared work quietly costs you far more than it pays. With cash-in-hand:

• No AHV contributions means gaps in your pension that you cannot easily fix later.
• No accident insurance means you carry the full risk if something happens on the job.
• No record of employment means nothing to show for a permit renewal, a loan, or proof of income.
• Legal exposure falls on both sides if the work is discovered.

Declared work turns the same hours into a pension, insurance and a documented record in your name. We cover the trade-off in detail in Cash-in-Hand vs. Compliant Work.

How to set your own rate in four steps

Here is a simple way to land on a number you can defend:

1. Find your floor. Take the legal minimum for your skill level and canton (start with the figures above, then check your cantonal rules).
2. Add for experience. Years of reliable work and good references are worth roughly CHF 3–5/hour over a beginner.
3. Add for tasks and region. Ironing, deep cleaning, childcare extras and high-cost cities (Zurich, Geneva, Basel) push you toward the top of the range.
4. Sense-check against the market. Land within the CHF 25–34 band for cleaning (CHF 25–35 for childcare), then state your rate clearly and confidently.

Want to model the numbers, including the employer-side costs a household sees? Try the Helpore cost calculator.

Keep 100% of your rate with Helpore

Here is the part that changes the maths. Traditional agencies can take a large cut of what you earn. Helpore does not.

• You set your own rate and choose your own availability and working areas.
• You keep 100% of your gross wage — there is no agency commission taken from your pay. The household pays a separate service fee on top, so your rate is never reduced by a cut.
• The admin is handled. Helpore arranges the employment contract, AHV/AVS registration, accident insurance and payroll, so every hour is properly declared from the first minute.
• Joining is free for Helpers. Creating a Helper profile costs you nothing.

Helpore launches to households across Switzerland on 1 September 2026, and we are signing up our first Helpers now.

Become a Founding Helper

There are only 100 Founding Helper spots. Founding Helpers get:

• Founding status as soon as you join and are verified
• Priority placement when households start booking from September
• A welcome pack sent to your home after your first 30 booked hours

If you clean, care for children, support older people or help in the home, now is the moment to set your rate and claim your spot.

• Create your free Helper profile
• Learn more about working as a Helper
• Find cleaning and nanny jobs in Switzerland

Frequently asked questions

How much should I charge as a cleaner in Switzerland in 2026?

Most private-household cleaners charge between CHF 25 and CHF 34 per hour gross in 2026, with an average around CHF 30–33. Your rate must sit at or above the legal minimum for your work and canton, which starts at CHF 20.35/hour federally and is higher in cantons such as Geneva.

What is the minimum wage for domestic work in Switzerland in 2026?

From 1 January 2026, the federal NAV Hauswirtschaft sets gross minimums of CHF 20.35/hour (unskilled), CHF 22.30 (unskilled with 4+ years' experience, or EBA) and CHF 24.55 (EFZ), excluding holiday pay. Some cantons set higher floors, for example Geneva at CHF 24.59/hour.

How much do nannies and babysitters charge per hour?

Nannies and childcare Helpers typically charge CHF 25–35 per hour in 2026, with a market average near CHF 29–30. Rates rise with experience, qualifications, the number of children and added responsibilities.

Does Helpore take a commission from my rate?

No. Helpore takes no commission from a Helper's wage. You set your own rate and keep 100% of your gross wage; the household pays a separate service fee on top.

Do I pay AHV and taxes on what I earn?

Declared domestic work is subject to AHV/AVS contributions from the first franc for adult workers, and the employee share is deducted from your gross wage as in any Swiss job. Through Helpore, the contract, AHV registration, accident insurance and payroll are handled for you.

Official sources

• Federal standard employment contracts (NAV) overview: seco.admin.ch
• Federal Council communication on the NAV Hauswirtschaft wage update (effective 1 January 2026): admin.ch media release
• AHV/AVS domestic work leaflet 2.06 (2026): ahv-iv.ch/p/2.06.e