Cross-country comparison
LK5 (Switzerland) vs GS-12 (United States)
Switzerland · Bundespersonalverordnung (BPV) — 38 Lohnklassen
LK5
Lohnklasse 5 — basic administrative assistant / secretarial.
CHF 46,195 – CHF 71,802
FY 2026 · annual base · CHF
View full LK5 detail →United States · General Schedule (GS)
GS-12
Senior specialist and first-line supervisor level. Most common grade for experienced federal professionals.
$76,463 – $99,404
FY 2026 · annual base · USD
View full GS-12 detail →How they compare
A LK5 in the Switzerland federal civil service earns between CHF 46,195 and CHF 71,802 per year at base rates, while a GS-12 in the United States federal civil service earns between $76,463 and $99,404. Both figures are annual base in each country’s currency, before locality adjustments, allowances, or bonuses.
Responsibilities at these grades are not directly comparable — each country’s civil service uses its own classification framework. See the linked authoritative sources for role scoping.