Finding a student job on / near EPFL (after the permit rules)
This page is where to look, not a substitute for Working while studying (15 h / 6-month wait / SDE-SPOP).
Read the rules page first
Before you apply anywhere:
- Cap: 15 hours/week during courses, full-time in academic holidays (SEM / OASA / EPFL).
- EU/EFTA: may start from the beginning of the stay; third-country: usually six months after studies start (EPFL notes an exception for student assistants in research linked to the field of study).
- Procedure for B-permit regular paid work: employer form → Student Services Desk certificate → competent office (address on the form).
Full detail: Working while studying · EPFL - Working
EPFL also warns the study load is about 50-60 hours/week including personal study, so reconciling a job is hard.
Campus / EPFL-linked channels
Students Development Factory (SDF)
IT Services unit that hires students as student assistants under LEX 4.7.1 for admin tasks and software POCs.
EPFL states (SDF page):
- Gross hourly wage: CHF 25.-
- Workload should not exceed 15 hours per week
- Hiring is mostly word of mouth; sometimes via the EPFL job board / petites annonces
- Contact group:
sdf-adminsatgroupes.epfl.ch(see live page for the exact address format)
Source: EPFL - Students Development Factory (SDF)
EPFL Library student assistants
The Library recruits student assistants each semester (EPFL, UNIL, HES, etc.). Engagements last 6 months and can be renewed. When posts are open, apply with CV + motivation letter in French to library@epfl.ch:
- Autumn semester: May-July
- Spring semester: December-January
Check the live page for whether posts are open (empty when none).
Source: EPFL Library - Offres d'emploi et recrutements
Junior Entreprise EPFL / Junior Experience
Student association platform for student jobs and JE projects: jx.epfl.ch · je.epfl.ch jobs. JE says project managers handle contractual framing for JE jobs; you still must stay inside your permit / hour rules (Working).
Career Centre graduate jobs board
epflcareer.ch Jobs is aimed more at graduate / career listings (CED). It does not replace the Working / internship authorisation pages.
Labs and units
Many labs post one-off student-assistant ads on their own pages or actu.epfl.ch. Treat each posting as a lead, then run the EPFL Working checklist.
Budget sanity check (EPFL figures)
On the Working page EPFL illustrates: average hourly wage CHF 25, 8 h/week → about CHF 800/month, against a monthly budget around CHF 2300, so you still need roughly CHF 1500/month from other sources. Treat as EPFL’s illustration, not a promise that every job pays CHF 25 (SDF / LEX assistant rate is CHF 25 gross when that directive applies).
Source: EPFL - Working
Tax / LAMal reminders when you start earning
- Withholding tax and possible refund if annual income ≤ CHF 28,800 (EPFL Working page; confirm with Vaud tax office).
- Starting work can change LAMal / EHIC exemption status → LAMal.
- Student tax track → Student tax.
What this page does not do
- It does not list every open vacancy.
- It does not certify that myjob.epfl.ch (older AGEPoly portal mentioned in old EPFL news) is still the main board; prefer SDF, Library, JE, Career Centre, and unit ads, since its current status is not confirmed on an official page.
- It does not waive SDE/SPOP steps for third-country students.