Career Prospects in Finance: Dubai and Singapore Calling

Written by Claude Baumann | Publisher

Career prospects in Switzerland’s financial sector have undergone a notable transformation over the past decade. What began as widespread skepticism gradually evolved into growing optimism – until a new wave of uncertainty set in around 2023. As we look ahead, what can we expect from 2025?

Sentiment in Switzerland’s financial sector has «moderately stabilized» in 2025. However, uncertainty persists.

Geopolitical threats – particularly trade tensions between global powers and the unpredictability of the Trump administration, as well as the growing risk of cyberattacks, continued margin pressure, and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) are dampening expectations.

Salary Disappointments

This year, 44 percent of surveyed financial professionals rate career prospects as «good/intact» and 5.8 percent describe them as «very good». In contrast, 35.8 percent rate them as «mediocre» and 14.3 percent advise against entering the industry altogether.

Bonuses have also been dented. More than one in five participants (22.5 percent) received no bonus this year, up from 19.5 percent in the previous year. Only 7.7 percent received a bonus of more than 20 percent of their salary, down from 14.4 percent. For 15.7 percent of respondents, bonuses exceeded 10 percent, compared to 17.2 percent last year.

Lower Bonuses Expected Going Forward

Under these conditions, just 2 percent of financial sector employees expect bonuses and performance-based compensation to increase «significantly» over the next five years, compared to 7.2 percent in the previous year. Only 11.6 percent foresee «slight» increases, down from 16.1 percent.

These are among the findings of the 14th annual online survey on career prospects in Switzerland’s financial industry. The representative survey of over 1,100 finance professionals was conducted over the past two months by finews.ch, the Swiss Finance Institute (SFI), and Communicators, a Swiss PR agency.

Business Areas with the Best Prospects

The Swiss financial sector remains attractive for university graduates and career starters, particularly specialists in high-demand areas. The most promising fields include:

Digital Banking & Fintech: Experts in AI-based customer interfaces, blockchain, and cybersecurity are in high demand.
ESG & Sustainable Finance: Professionals focused on green bonds, sustainability reporting, and climate risk management are sought after.
Risk Management & Compliance: In light of tighter regulatory frameworks, professionals in anti-money laundering, data protection, and compliance systems are essential.
Private Wealth & Asset Management: In volatile markets, wealthy clients are looking for tailored strategies, creating opportunities for portfolio managers and financial planners with deep expertise.

At the same time, those entering the financial sector must show a clear willingness to pursue lifelong learning to keep up with rapid technological change and increasing regulatory complexity. The best prospects await those who are young, flexible, and mobile, tech-savvy, and able to specialize.

Emerging Financial Hubs

In this context, major opportunities are opening up abroad, particularly in financial centers where Swiss banks and insurers already hold prominent positions.

While Zurich (with 9.62 percent of mentions) still ranks third, emerging hubs such as Singapore (32.9 percent) and Dubai (30.6 percent) are viewed as the most promising for the future, according to the survey results.

This is contributing to a shift of jobs away from Switzerland – a trend that could intensify further if UBS relocates its headquarters or key business units abroad.

Three Industry Trends in 2025

«The decline of traditional bank branches is understandable – driven by consolidation, technology, and efficiency programs,» said Markus Bürgi, Chief Financial and Operating Officer at the Swiss Finance Institute (SFI). «It is all the more important to safeguard the competitiveness of Switzerland’s banking sector through highly skilled talent, innovation, and balanced regulation.»

Looking ahead, three key industry trends are taking shape:

Interest Rate Normalization: The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has not announced further rate hikes in 2025, easing refinancing costs.
Digitization and Fintech: Growth in robo-advisory, digital payments, and blockchain-based services create new career opportunities.
Sustainable Finance: Green bonds, impact investing, and ESG ratings are becoming more complex under evolving regulatory requirements.

This year’s survey on career prospects in Switzerland’s financial sector drew responses from 1,139 participants, 81.2 percent of whom were men and 15.9 percent were women (compared to 20.9 percent women in the previous year). Another 2.9 percent declined to state their gender.

Of the respondents, 9.2 percent were aged 20-30, 29.4 percent were aged 30-45, 46.1 percent were aged 45-60, and 15.3 percent were over 60. Additionally, 34.9 percent held a Master’s degree from a university, 12 percent had a Master’s from a university of applied sciences, and 11.6 percent passed a Swiss higher professional examination (Eidg. Höhere Fachprüfung).