Switzerland attracts tech professionals from all around the world by competitive salaries, a high standard of living, low bureaucracy, safety, a vibrant startup scene, and more.
Why Switzerland?
- High salaries. Switzerland is the only place in Europe where the average software engineer salary is on the same level with wages in Silicon Valley. Experienced professionals can earn over CHF 100,000 (≈ USD 110,000) in Switzerland.
- Developed ICT sector. Switzerland is one of the world’s top 10 exporters of ICT services. The state invests an average of 3% of its GDP into research and development (R&D). Nearly 200,000 people are employed in the country’s ICT sector, with prominent industries including artificial intelligence (AI), computer vision, software engineering, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), and more.
- Blooming startup scene. Switzerland benefits from a prominent startup scene, especially in the FinTech and IT security industries. In addition, Crypto Valley in the greater Zurich/Zug area is one of the global blockchain hotspots. By the way, startups and newly-established foreign companies are eligible for partial or complete tax exemptions at the cantonal level for up to 10 years.
- Low bureaucracy. Things can be done with minimum paperwork in Switzerland. For example, it might take around 20 minutes to register as the city’s resident and get a 5-year work permit.
- International communities. The Swiss community is very international, with a lot of expats from all around the world. You can hear many people speaking English, especially in Zurich, Geneva, or Lausanne. In fact, Switzerland is in 3rd place in the OECD in terms of the share of immigrants, with the foreign-born accounting for 26% of the total population.