Mapped: Average Wages in OECD Countries

Govind Bhutada
2025-02-20 13:22:00
www.visualcapitalist.com

Mapped: Average Wages in OECD Countries

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Salaries can vary widely across countries due to factors like economic productivity, cost of living, and purchasing power.

Even within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)—a group of mostly high-income economies—wages differ significantly, with some countries offering four times as much pay as others.

This infographic uses data from the OECD to map the average annual wages across 34 member countries as of 2023. The OECD calculates average wages by dividing each country’s total annual wage bill by the average number of employees (full-time equivalent).

Wage figures are presented in U.S. dollars after purchasing power parity (PPP) adjustments, which help account for cost-of-living differences between nations.

Which Countries Have the Highest Wages?

European countries dominate the highest-paying OECD job markets, with Luxembourg leading the pack at nearly $90,000 per year. With Iceland ($87K) and Switzerland ($83K), that makes Europe home to the top three highest-wage nations.

Below is a detailed look at how average annual wages vary across 34 OECD nations:

Rank	Country	Average Annual Wage (USD, PPP-adjusted, 2023)
1	Luxembourg	$89,767
2	Iceland	$87,421
3	Switzerland	$83,332
4	United States	$80,115
5	Belgium	$73,206
6	Norway	$71,972
7	Austria	$71,167
8	Netherlands	$70,185
9	Denmark	$69,525
10	Australia	$67,101
11	Canada	$66,211
12	Germany	$65,719
13	France	$59,087
14	OECD	$58,232
15	New Zealand	$58,097
16	Sweden	$57,996
17	Finland	$57,860
18	United Kingdom	$57,617
19	Ireland	$56,809
20	Slovenia	$55,660
21	Spain	$51,336
22	Israel	$50,964
23	Korea	$49,062
24	Italy	$48,874
25	Lithuania	$48,864
26	Japan	$46,792
27	Poland	$41,050
28	Latvia	$38,740
29	Portugal	$37,500
30	Estonia	$37,404
31	Czechia	$37,366
32	Slovak Republic	$31,733
33	Hungary	$31,709
34	Greece	$30,238
35	Mexico	$20,474

The United States ($80K) and Australia ($67K) stand out as the only non-European countries in the top 10. Across all OECD countries, the average wage stands at around $58,000 per year.

Comparing the highest- and lowest-wage countries reveals a stark difference. At the bottom of the list, Mexico has the lowest average wages of just over $20,000 per year—less than a quarter of what the average worker earns in Luxembourg.

How Are Wages Changing?

While wealthier nations consistently top the wage rankings, Eastern European countries have seen the fastest real wage growth over the past three decades.

Specifically, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia—once part of the former Soviet bloc—have significantly increased wages since 1995, each by more than 200%.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands, Italy, and Japan have seen the lowest real wage growth between 1995 and 2023. Japan stands out for stagnation, with its real wages falling by 4% since 1995.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Which countries will see the fastest wage growth over this decade? Find out in this infographic on the Voronoi app: Projections: Annual GDP per Capita Growth Rates.

The post Mapped: Average Wages in OECD Countries appeared first on Visual Capitalist.

Source Link

Please read the Privacy and Security Disclaimer on how Techcratic handles your support.

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, Techcratic may earn from qualifying purchases.