Abstract: There is provided a photoelectric switch in which a beam reflected by an object to be detected is received in a trigonometric manner so that any failure in the distance measurement of the object can be prevented with employment of ordinary amplification circuit for received-light signals without enlarging the figure of the dynamic range of the circuit. In the switch, a circuit for comparing the ratio of the received-light signals to a predetermined operational level includes means for setting the nearest limit point for a set range of a detecting area to be farther than an intersection of the projected light beam with a line connecting centers of light-receiving lens and received-light detecting element so that the detection of the object can be made even when the dynamic range of the amplification circuit is saturated, whereby the presence of the object in the detecting area can be always discriminated even upon the dynamic range saturation of the amplification circuit.