Abstract: An electromagnetic proximity sensor (10) for detecting a target object (20), the proximity sensor (10) comprising a sensor element (12) for generating a sensor signal that varies with a distance of the target object (20) and an evaluation unit (14) configured to detect a presence of the target object (20) in a switching distance (16) by comparing the sensor signal with a switching threshold (22), to detect at least one of an absence level (24a) of the sensor signal while no target object (12) affects the sensor signal and a presence level (24c) of the sensor signal while a target object (20) is detected as present, and to adapt the switching threshold (22) based on at least one of the absence level (24a) and the presence level (24c).