UK cleaners could earn 175% more in Switzerland

Abigail Fenton
·Writer
A cleaner cleans seats prior to a football game. Photo: Dave Howarth/EMPICS Sport
Switzerland's cleaners can earn over £40,000 per year. Photo: Dave Howarth/EMPICS Sport

Relocating to Switzerland could improve your pay packet by over 100%, research shows.

A study by 1st Move International has found Switzerland is the best-paying country, with an average annual salary of £75,645, compared with the UK’s £35,423.

But for cleaners, the pay increase could be as big as 175%. Cleaners in the UK receive an average salary of £14,721 a year. In Switzerland, they could earn as much as £40,365.25, the research shows.

Annual salaries for cleaners. Source: 1st Move International
Annual salaries for cleaners. Source: 1st Move International

Japan, Austria, Australia and Belgium all made the list of top five locations for cleaners. Belgium came fifth with a still-impressive 69% increase on the UK’s salary.

The USA (£62,526), New Zealand (£53,869), Japan (£52,442) and Australia (£49,854) also have some of the highest average salaries across all industries.

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While Switzerland is the highest-paying country overall, quantity surveyors can earn a massive annual salary of £492,000 in New Zealand, while China is a top destination for airline pilots, with these roles paying about £256,806 a year.

Meanwhile, doctors and dentists have the best opportunities in the USA, earning over £150,000 and £110,000, respectively.

Switzerland is a prime location for architects, who make an annual salary of £100,275, as well as business financial managers, who can earn £97,468 a year.

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Overall, Argentina was the worst-paying country in the survey, with an average salary of just £5,566 – 84% less than in the UK – while India (£10,780), South Africa (£18,278), Russia (£22,510) and Portugal (£27,211) follow closely behind.

Argentinians are the lowest-paid across all sectors, including quantity surveyors, who make £3,049, and architects, who make just £1,988.

However, it’s India that dentists should steer clear of, where the role only pays on average £317 a year.

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Dramatic differences, such as the enormous salaries for quantity surveyors in New Zealand and pilots in China, suggest “these countries have a real need to fill these roles, which maybe isn’t reflected back in the UK,” Jack Limerick at 1st Move International explained.

“It’s not a surprise that salaries vary around the world, but the fact that you could, in some cases, double or even triple your salary by moving abroad is pretty astounding.”