Methodology and frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

How is the median salary determined?

Data source

This is based on the published wage structure survey (LSS / LSE) of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). For your selections, we read out the matching analysis row from the official tables.

How we use the tables

You choose major region, sex, and either occupational status or occupation group plus age group — depending on which tab you use on the form. That yields the median (P50) and further percentiles. LohnLens does not “work out” a salary independently; it shows the comparison figures taken from the LSS.

What the median means

The median splits the comparison group roughly in two: about 50 % of employees in that group fall below it, about 50 % above.

What is the FSO and what other data does the calculator use?

FSO

The Federal Statistical Office runs, among other things, the wage structure survey and the structural survey, and publishes the data openly.

Other official data

Alongside the LSS we analyse, among other things: the structural survey for typical rents, Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) premium data for basic insurance, Federal Tax Administration (FTA / ESTV) tables for tax burdens, and for wealth comparisons — when you enter a figure — federal and partly cantonal wealth distributions.

What do percentiles such as P10 or P90 mean?

Percentiles show where your pay sits in the comparison group’s distribution: at P10 many more people earn more than you; at P90 many more earn less. The median (P50) is the middle of the distribution.

How do rent, health insurance, taxes, pensions and wealth show up on the screen?

Brief overview

All of these areas draw on published statistics or official tax‑burden series. The calculator links them to your canton and anything you adjust in the results via controls or amounts — wherever the underlying source supports that.

Rent

The FSO structural survey provides typical net rents by canton and dwelling category (e.g. number of rooms). LohnLens shows the value from those official tables; you can change the category in the results. That is a statistical average from the survey — not rent from your individual lease or a specific dwelling.

Health insurance

The FOPH publishes canton‑level distributions of basic insurance premiums for the characteristics reflected in those statistics (e.g. plan model, deductible, accident coverage). The calculator maps how you’ve set options in the results to that dataset — for example positioning you versus the canton median. That is statistical comparison against official schedules, not a quote from any insurer.

Tax

The FTA publishes tax burden tables for defined reference cases and reference municipalities. From that we derive an approximate burden and tie it to a gross income figure (comparison‑group median or yours). Different municipalities, household types, property or detailed deductions are not modelled individually.

AHV / occupational pension

Flat employee‑contribution percentages on gross salary are used for quick context only. These do not replace your actual statements from your pension fund or compensation office.

Wealth

If you enter an amount, we compare it against published wealth distributions. For Switzerland as a whole we use, among other things, federal FTA statistics. For age‑group placement we rely on LUSTAT (FinSit) data — the most granular public breakdown, but compiled only for canton Lucerne, so we use it solely as an approximate proxy for the whole country. This remains contextual statistics, not a personal wealth‑tax assessment.

Are the figures shown legally binding?

No. All figures are estimates and simplifications from public sources and plain model assumptions. They are for guidance only and do not replace professional tax, legal or financial advice.

Are my inputs stored?

No. Your inputs in the calculator are not saved. We only tally anonymous page views (usage statistics — see footer), including no salary, wealth or anything else you type in.