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Top 10 countries with the highest pay

Top 10 countries with the highest pay

Interestingly, seven of the 10 best-paid countries in the study are Europe based.

We work hard for what we love, and in return, we want to be paid well.

Our role, field, expertise, or even the opportunities life presents, however, are not the only factors that determine how much we are compensated for our work. The location where we work also counts.

A new analysis by Ringover has considered 40 countries with the highest GDP in the world and found the average salaries for 30 in-demand job roles to determine the best countries for pay, as well as the best paid jobs per sector.

According to the results, Switzerland tops the list as the best-paid country in the world. The average salary in the country is 100.1% higher than the study average ($131,416 compared to $65,320), with the best-paying salaries for 27 of the 30 job roles analysed.

Luxembourg and the U.S. follow as the second and third best-paid countries (67.22% and 61.68% above average respectively). And the best-paid position in the study is the role of a physician in the U.S., earning $259,044.

Interestingly, seven of the 10 best-paid countries in the study are Europe based, with the only exceptions being the U.S., Australia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The top 10 highest-paying countries

Country
Difference compared to global average
Avg. salary (US$)
1
Switzerland
+101.09%
$131,416
2
Luxembourg
+67.22%
$108,672
3
United States
+61.68%
$105,482
4
Denmark
+43.56%
$93,305
5
Iceland
+37.24%
$89,075
6
Australia
+33.79%
$87,156
7
Belgium
+33.53%
$86,773
8
United Kingdom
+26.29%
$82,403
9
United Arab Emirates
+26.04%
$82,076
10
Germany
+25.46%
$81,534

The study also considered salaries across various sectors, including healthcare and medicine, education, finance and business, as well as information technology.

Switzerland, Luxembourg, and the U.S. consistently came out top for all analysed roles. However, in the finance and business sector, the U.K. stands out for offering the best average pay for sales executives, the only job role where the U.K. leads.


ALSO READ: The hardest working countries in the world 2025

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