Employees on fixed-term contracts (CDD), doctoral assistants, postdocs, and student-assistants are subject to remuneration conditions that are independent of the ETH salary system.
Administrative or Technical Staff on Fixed-Term Contracts
The salary of individuals hired on fixed-term contracts (CDD) is calculated based on the salary scale for permanent positions (CDI), taking into account age and relevant experience.
Although these employees are not automatically subject to EPFL’s salary system reserved for permanent staff, they may benefit from a standard annual increase according to their salary level, subject to available budgetary resources.
Annual Increases by Salary Level
| Levels 2 and 3 | CHF 1’300.- |
| Level 4 | CHF 1’400.- |
| Levels 5 and 6 | CHF 1’500.- |
| Levels 7 to 9 | CHF 2’000.- |
| Levels 10 and above | CHF 2’500.- |
Please note:
- These amounts may be adjusted depending on economic conditions (e.g., inflation).
- For individuals hired during the year, the increase is calculated on a pro rata basis.
- For any questions, it is recommended to contact the HR Manager of your unit.
Doctoral Assistants and Postdocs
Doctoral assistants and postdocs are part of EPFL staff, but they follow separate salary scales.
The salary ranges (PDF) are defined by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).
2025 Gross Annual Salary (including the 13th salary month)
| 1st year | 2nd year | 3rd year | 4th year |
| 87,900 | 89,400 | 90,900 | 92,400 |
For staff members hired during the year, the increase is calculated on a pro rata basis.
An increment of CHF 1,500 per year is granted, provided that budgetary resources and economic conditions allow (additional inflation adjustments may apply).
2025 Gross Annual Salary (including the 13th salary month)
| 1st year | 2nd year | 3rd year | 4th year | 5th year | 6th year |
| 55,150 | 56,150 | 57,150 | 58,150 | 58,150 | 58,150 |
For staff members hired during the year, the increase is calculated on a pro rata basis.
An increment of CHF 1,000 per year is granted, provided that budgetary resources and economic conditions allow (additional inflation adjustments may apply).
Additional funding may be granted to doctoral students who meet all of the following conditions:
- The salary must be fully funded by an SNSF grant (no exceptions allowed).
- The doctoral student must:
- Be enrolled at EPFL from the moment of arrival, and
- Be officially admitted to the PhD program within 12 months (or 18 months in exceptional cases).
- The academic deadlines for the PhD are available on the Doctoral School website.
- The administrative procedure is carried out via SESAME using the tile Workflows HR > Change fund (transfer/reversal).
→ Contract Management Process for PhD Students (PDF)
Students-Assistants
EPFL offers various types of paid employment:
- Tasks: Support for administrative or technical duties
- Maximum: 3 simultaneous contracts
- Eligibility: Students from ETHZ or other Swiss universities of applied sciences (HES) may be hired — proof of enrollment must be provided
- Gross hourly wage: CHF 25.-
- Master’s Student at EPFL with excellent academic record
- Recruitment through a competitive selection process
- Schedule set on a semester basis
- No other AE (assistantship) contracts allowed
- Gross hourly wage: CHF 25.-
- Bachelor’s or Master’s student at EPFL
- Participates in exercise sessions and/or practical work
- According to the instructor’s guidelines, corrects exercises and/or practical work submitted during the semester, writes solutions and/or contributes to teaching
- Attends mandatory training during the semester (only the first time)
- Schedule set on a semester basis
- Gross hourly wage: CHF 25.-
- External specialist with a degree and a minimum of 3 years of experience
- Responsible for supervising students during practical work, projects, and laboratory sessions
- Gross hourly wage:
- With a university Master’s degree: CHF 34.50 to CHF 74.50 (depending on the year of graduation)
- With a HES Bachelor’s degree: CHF 28.- to CHF 53.50 (depending on the year of graduation)
- Young graduate engineer providing short-term support (maximum 3 months) in the context of teaching or showcasing student work.
- Gross hourly wage:
- With a university Master’s degree: CHF 34.50 to CHF 74.50 (depending on the year of graduation)
- With a HES Bachelor’s degree: CHF 28.- to CHF 53.50 (depending on the year of graduation)
- Must be enrolled at EPFL or another Swiss higher education institution
- No formal employment contract is issued
- Working hours:
- Maximum 15 hours/week during the academic term
- Up to 41 hours/week during university holidays
- Remote work is permitted only from within Switzerland
- Residence permit:
- Swiss or EU/EFTA nationals: employment possible from the start of studies
- Non-EU nationals: 6-month waiting period before employment is allowed
- If the permit has not yet been issued: a residence certificate must be provided
- A Swiss bank account is mandatory (Revolut not accepted)
- An OASI number is required for all employment
- Signing an ethics charter is mandatory
→ Directive on Terms of Employment of Student Assistants (PDF)
→ Intranet > Unit Manager Toolbox > Hiring AE (in French)
Other Types of Collaboration
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EPFL may also hire high school students (aged 16 and above) for occasional or seasonal work, with a gross hourly wage of CHF 21.-.
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The section on civil service workers can be found on the Working at EPFL pages.