Pay Increase Upon Completion of the “Trainer with Federal Diploma of Higher Education” Course
Continuing education to become a trainer with a Federal Diploma of Higher Education can have a positive impact on career development and salary. However, actual salary growth depends heavily on the industry, role, professional experience, and field of work. More than half of the course participantsachieve a wage increase of up to 20% after completion.
That doesn’t seem like very much. However, it may be significant that admission to the Federal Professional Examination for “Trainer” requires at least 300 hours of practical teaching experience over the preceding four years. Graduates of the program have therefore already been “in the field” for several years and may have received a corresponding salary adjustment earlier on.
Salary depends heavily on one's role
There is no standard salary progression for trainers. The key factor is the specific role you will hold after completing your further training. An in-house training role, a position at an educational institution, or self-employment can each offer different salary prospects.
Calculate your personal salary prospects after completing this continuing education program for trainers. Please note: In individual cases, salary growth depends on the specific timing and other criteria such as industry, region, company, as well as the applicant’s educational background, work experience, and age. We’ve used the federal government’s salary calculator to provide a specific example for you. It features a 34-year-old former train engineer in the canton of Solothurn working as a trainer.
Click below on "Salarium - statistical wage calculator" (at source) and then on the "Calculate wages" button:
- Step 1:Enter yourIndustrywhere you work (or plan to work) as an instructor (e.g., 49)
- Step 2:Enter yourRegion/ Enter your work location (e.g., Espace Mittelland)
- Step 3:EnterOccupational GroupEnter “FA Instructor,” and the following appears: 11–14 managers
- Step 4: EnterAdditional information as neededas in our example:
- Position within the company: “No managerial role”
- Education: “Completed vocational training”
- Age: 34 years
- Hours per week: 42
- Company size: 50 and more employees
- Additional optional information such as 0 years of service, 13th-month salary (pro-rated to 12 monthly salaries), no special payments, and monthly salary
Source: "Federal Statistical Office, FSO"
Note: This sample calculation refers to the data from Salarium (mid-2026). You can find informationhere. A list of other payroll calculator tools is availablehere.
The sample salary used in our calculation is CHF 6,178 per month.
Now go back to the “Education” section and select “Advanced Vocational Training”; this will result in a new average salary of CHF 6,992.
The figures you get here are statistical averages. This means that your actual future salary may differ slightly - but you can get an idea of where it will be.
Example: Instructor with a Federal Diploma of Higher Education: potential additional earnings of CHF 534,000 over the course of her career
Sample Career Path for a Trainer
Kyoko works as a business administrator and wants to share her passion for the Japanese language. After earning her SVEB certificate and completing continuing education to become a certified instructor with a Federal Diploma of Higher Education, she can combine her professional expertise with pedagogical knowledge and take advantage of new career opportunities in adult education.
Kyoko, 23, works as an administrative assistant in the back office of a large printing company in Schaffhausen. She enjoys the work involved in the production of printed materials. She is very popular with her teammates and her supervisor thanks to her independent work style, her strong organizational skills in planning jobs for the individual printing presses, and her assertiveness. Kyoko’s customer-focused approach and her communication skills are well-received by customers and business partners. Kyoko has Japanese roots, as her mother is of Japanese descent. Although she grew up mostly in Switzerland, she learned the language at home. After completing her commercial apprenticeship, Kyoko also traveled throughout Japan and improved her Japanese skills with a private tutor. This trip further fueled her enthusiasm for Japanese culture and language. Kyoko would love to teach Japanese to share this enthusiasm with others. To that end, she is pursuing continuing education, further training to become a course instructor with an SVEB certificate and will subsequently take the Federal Professional Examination to become a trainer. Kyoko hopes that, after earning her federal professional certificate as a trainer, she will have opportunities for a good position in adult education and, in the medium term, even the chance to become self-employed. This would allow her to turn her roots and her passion for her country of origin into a career.
Financial Benefits of Continuing Education for Instructors
As a trainer, Kyoko will earn CHF 1,133 more per month than before, which means she will have at least CHF 534,000 more at her disposal by the time she retires than she would have had if she hadn't pursued continuing education, further training.
As this theoretical calculation does not take into account any further salary increases, promotions or interest on savings, the salary can still increase significantly.
Continuing education, further training SVEB certificate course instructor: CHF 3'425
- 4 months, part-time, vacation course
- Tuition fees, documents, accommodation: CHF 5,540 minus CHF 2,115 federal contribution (when completing continuing education, further training FPE) = CHF 3,425
Continuing education, further training FPE instructor: CHF 9,415
- 7 months, part-time
- Tuition fees, documents, certificate: CHF 10,610 minus CHF 4,620 federal contribution = CHF 5,990
- Total training costs: CHF 3,425 + CHF 5,990 = CHF 9,415
Salary difference and yield calculation: CHF 534,000
- Difference in salary between the Federal VET Diploma clerk position and the instructor position: CHF 5,573 - CHF 4,440 = CHF 1,133 per month and CHF 13,596 per year (12 x CHF 1,133 = CHF 13,596)
- She recoups the total training costs of CHF 9,415 in just over 8 months with her higher salary as a trainer (CHF 9,415 / CHF 1,133 per month = 8.3 months)
- In the remaining 40 years until their retirement (25 to 65), this additional income will add up to CHF 543,840 (40 x CHF 13,596 = CHF 543,840)
- If the training costs are deducted from this additional income, an additional sum of around CHF 534,000 remains at her disposal(CHF 543'840 - CHF 9'415 = CHF 534'425)
The training costs correspond to an average of the courses offered in German-speaking Switzerland.
Wages were calculated in the federal wage calculator www.salarium.ch with the following settings:
Calculations as a Federal VET Diploma clerkbefore the Federal Professional Examination: CHF 4'440
- Region: Eastern Switzerland
- Industry sector: 18 Manufacture of printed matter; Reproduction
- Occupational group: 41 General office and secretarial staff
- Position in the company: Level 5 without management function
- Hours per week: 42 hours
- Education: Completed vocational training
- Age: 23 years
- Years of service: not specified
- Company size: 50 and more employees
- 12/13 monthly salary: 13 monthly salary (converted pro rata to 12 salaries)
- Special payments: no
- Monthly / hourly wage: Monthly wage
- Result:Central value (median) ofCHF 4'440
Calculationsafter the Federal Professional Examination for Trainers: CHF 5,573
- Region: Eastern Switzerland
- Sector: 85 Education and training
- Professional group: 23 teachers
- Position in the company: Level 5 without management function
- Hours per week: 42 hours
- Education: Higher vocational training, College of Higher Education
- Age: 25 years
- Years of service: not specified
- Company size: Less than 20 employees
- 12/13 monthly salary: 13 monthly salary (converted pro rata to 12 salaries)
- Special payments: no
- Monthly / hourly wage: Monthly wage
- Result:Central value (median) ofCHF 5'573
(All figures as at November 2022)
Important Questions About Training
WhichTasksWhat do employers expect?
WhichOpportunitiesWhat does the professional certification offer?
WhichChallengesIs there one?
What is theTraining Program Established?
Find an educational institute here that offers the course to become a trainer:
