# Swiss household work pay and pension protection atlas

The atlas compares the applicable legal pay floor for household cleaning with the federal occupational pension threshold. It shows how the same weekly schedule can produce different annual gross pay and a different compulsory enrolment result depending on the workplace.

## At 20 hours a week, the modeled legal floor in Geneva pays CHF 4’409.60 more annual gross than in Vaud. The Geneva model crosses the compulsory pension threshold. The Vaud model does not.

For this worker without a relevant qualification, 24 cantons use the federal pay floor. Geneva, Neuchâtel and Lucerne City apply higher floors. At 20 hours a week, only Geneva and Lucerne City cross the compulsory pension threshold.

Worker without a relevant qualification and with under 4 years’ experience · The household is the employer · 52 paid weeks · 2026 legal floors. Employer charges are additional.

Published workforce data shows that 59% of people in private household activities work below a 50% workload, compared with 15% across the economy.

## Data and methodology

The calculator models one adult doing cleaning and ordinary housework in permanent private household employment with one employer, 52 paid weeks, 12 salary payments, paid leave and no board or lodging. Workplace, not residence, selects the pay floor.

The model excludes work that is predominantly childcare, au pairs, family arrangements excluded by the applicable instrument, agricultural households, live in care, apprenticeships, internships and work governed by another instrument. Death and disability benefits are subject to statutory conditions.

Applicable hourly floor × weekly hours × 52. Monthly salary is the annual amount divided across 12 payments.

Annual gross must be strictly above CHF 22’680.00 in 2026. The exact boundary and the first qualifying whole hour schedule are shown separately.

For compulsory enrolment, subtract CHF 26’460.00 from annual gross capped at CHF 90’720.00. If the result is below CHF 3’780.00, use CHF 3’780.00. The model applies the statutory saving rate for the selected age band and full saving years before reference age. This is retirement capital saved, not take home pay or a pension payout.

The pay and pension results are statutory scenarios. The workforce figures are observed sector context. They do not measure how many people receive the modeled pay or lack pension cover.

The retirement credit is capital saved under the statutory minimum model. It is not take home pay, a pension payout or the worker’s sole contribution.

Sources: federal and cantonal authorities for pay rules, the Federal Social Insurance Office for pension constants, SECO and BFS for workforce context, and swisstopo for boundaries.

Modeled legal floor comparison using rules in force on 9 October 2026. Observed workforce context for 2024.

The household is the employer. Helpers never pay fees to Helpore.