Which are the best countries to work in? Which country has the best job opportunities? How does the United States compare to the rest of the world? When you measure by average salary in US dollars, the small European country of Luxembourg earns the top spot. Switzerland is next on the list, where in addition to high earnings there is a very low unemployment rate and 20 days of vacation. The United States ranks fourth based on average income.

Here’s an overview of the top best countries for work based on average earnings represented in US dollars. For each country, compare income, minimum wage, vacation, public holidays, parental leave, healthcare, average hours worked per week, unemployment rate, and the top industries for jobs.

Luxembourg

Neumunster Abbey at Lower City Grund, former battlement, old town, UNESCO Wolrd Heritage Site, Luxembourg City, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Europe
Markus Lange / Getty Images

Luxembourg a member country of the European Union, one of the smallest countries in Europe, smaller even than the state of Delaware. The four languages most commonly spoken are Luxembourgish, German, French, and English. The country is divided between a rugged, sparsely populated northern plateau and southern lowlands with major cities and extensive farmlands.

Wineries are quite common with most villages containing at least one vineyard. Citizens of Luxembourg enjoy low unemployment, high wages, and a very low crime rate, but must cope with an elevated cost of living. 

.    Average Income: $63,062
.    Minimum Wage: $11.50 per hour
.    Vacation: At least 25 days
.    Public Holidays: 10
.    Parental Leave: Paid, 42 weeks
.    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Ranking of Healthcare Systems – 4th out of 195 countries ranked
.    Average Hours Worked per Week: 29.19

Top Industries

Banking and financial services, construction, real estate services, iron, metals, and steel, information technology, telecommunications, cargo transportation and logistics, chemicals, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum, tourism, and biotechnology.

Switzerland

Switzerland is structurally similar to the U.S., as it is a confederation of 26 cantons or states, each with local governing organizations. The country is well known for its breathtaking mountain scenery with numerous peaks in the Alps soaring above 13,000 feet. The Alps form an east-west barrier that limits colder weather systems from affecting the southern portion of the country.

Have you heard of Rumantsch? It is one of four official languages spoken, along with German, Italian, and French. Tourism is a major industry, and English is widely spoken in the commercial sectors.

.    Average income: $62,283
.    No Minimum Wage
.    Vacation: 20 Days
.    Public Holidays: 7-15 depending on the state
.    Parental Leave: 14 weeks at 80 percent of pay
.    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Ranking of Healthcare Systems – 7th out of 195 countries ranked
.    Unemployment Rate: 4.904%
.    Average Hours Worked per Week: 30.19

Top Industries
Machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments, tourism, banking, insurance, and pharmaceuticals.

Iceland

Iceland has over 130 active and extinct volcanoes with an average of an eruption every five years. Lava covers over 10 percent of the country. There are no forests due to early logging, climatic factors, and volcanic ash. Iceland is sparsely populated with 335,878 people spread over 103,000 square miles.

The country is small, about the size of Kentucky. Geothermal sources of energy provide about 25 percent of the country's electricity, including about 90 percent of household heat. There are no mosquitos in Iceland perhaps due to soil composition and freeze patterns, even though neighboring countries have populations of the offending bug.

.    Average income: $61,787
.    No Minimum Wage
.    Vacation: 24 days
.    Public Holidays: 12
.    Parental Leave: 26 weeks paid leave
.    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Ranking of Healthcare Systems – 1st out of 195 countries ranked
.    Unemployment Rate: 2.94%
.    Average Hours Worked per Week: NA

Top Industries

Tourism, fish processing, aluminum smelting, geothermal power, hydropower, and medical/pharmaceutical products

United States

The United States is the third largest country in the world behind Russia and Canada with over 9,826,675 square km of land. Due to the size and geographic variation in the U.S., the climate ranges from polar in Alaska to temperate, semi-arid, arid, Mediterranean, subtropical and tropical in Southern Florida and Hawaii. The United States has international political, cultural, and economic influence, and accounts for 25 percent of the World GDP.

.    Average income: $60,558
.    Minimum Wage: $7.25 per hour
.    Vacation: No guaranteed minimum; average from 10 -20 days based on tenure
.    Public Holidays: Average of 8, no statutory entitlement for private sector workers
.    Parental Leave: 12 weeks, unpaid through the Family and Medical Leave Act. Employers may provide additional parental leave benefits.
.    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Ranking of Healthcare Systems – 29th out of 195 countries ranked
.    Unemployment Rate: 3.9%
.    Average Hours Worked: 34.23

Top Industries

Highly diversified, world leading, high-technology innovator, second-largest industrial output in the world; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, and mining.

Netherlands

The Netherlands is an exceptionally low-lying country with about a quarter of the land mass located below sea level, necessitating a system of dikes to hold back the sea. The Netherlands is the most densely populated country in Europe with 17,016,000 people concentrated within 13,086 square miles of land.

The Netherlands is renowned for its tulips and is the world's leading exporter of flowers capturing 40.3 percent of the market for an estimated 3.2 billion dollars in sales. The official language in the Netherlands is Dutch, but about 90 percent of its residents claim proficiency in English. It was the first country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2000. 

.    Average income: $52,877
.    Minimum Wage: $10.00 per hour
.    Vacation: At least 20 days
.    Public Holidays: 11
.    Parental Leave: 16 weeks at 100 percent pay
.    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Ranking of Healthcare Systems – 3rd out of 195 countries ranked
.    Unemployment Rate: 4.183%
.    Average Hours Worked per Week: 27.56

Top Industries

Agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, construction, microelectronics, and fishing.

Denmark

Denmark is an archipelago comprised of 406 islands with 4,544 miles of coastline. The country is relatively flat with the highest point being only 557 feet above sea level. It is a windy place with an average breeze of 17 miles per hour.

Denmark generates over 25 percent of its energy through wind power and is one of the world's largest exporters of wind turbines. The UN World Happiness Report voted Danes as the happiest population in the world for two years in succession due to factors including healthy life, income, freedom of choice, social support, and trust.

.    Average income: $51,466
.    No Minimum Wage
.    Vacation: 25 days
.    Public Holidays:11
.    Parental Leave: 50 weeks of paid leave with at least partial compensation. 
.    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Ranking of Healthcare Systems – 17th out of 195 countries ranked
.    Unemployment Rate: 4.944%
.    Average Hours Worked per Week: 27.08

Top Industries

Wind turbines, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, shipbuilding and refurbishment, iron, steel, nonferrous metals, chemicals, food processing, machinery and transportation equipment, textiles and clothing, electronics, construction, furniture, and other wood products.

Norway

Norway is a wealthy country with the 4th highest per capita income in the world. The high cost of living, due in part to importing much of their food, is an influential factor in Norwegian life. Situated on a peninsula stretching 1,581 miles long, Norway is located in both the northern and eastern hemispheres.

About half of the country or 37,000 square miles lies above the Arctic Circle leading to very short days, even perpetual darkness in the winter, and long days, including midnight sun, in the summer. There are over 400,000 lakes in Norway. It is the world's largest exporter of salmon, though much of its wealth is due to large oil reserves, as the country ranks as the 10th largest oil exporter in the world.

.    Average income: $51,212
.    No Minimum Wage
.    Vacation: 21 days
.    Public Holidays: At least 2
.    Parental Leave: Paid leave at 50 percent of salary for 91 weeks
.    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Ranking of Healthcare Systems – 2nd out of 195 countries ranked
.    Unemployment Rate: 3.807%
.    Average Hours Worked per Week: 27.29

Top Industries

Petroleum and gas, shipping, fishing, aquaculture, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, and textiles.

Austria

Austria, officially known as the Republic of Austria, is located in Central Europe. This landlocked country, surrounded by Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Germany, Italy, and  Liechtenstein, of over 8.8 million people is known for it's mountains, lakes, and forests.

Austria has a high standard of living and average income, and is also known for the arts and culture. The capital, Vienna, is recognized as the center of classical music and its composers, including Haydn, Liszt, Mahler, Mozart, Strauss, and Schubert.

.    Average Income: $50,349
.    No Minimum Wage
.    Vacation: 25 days
.    Public Holidays: 13
.    Parental Leave: 60 weeks paid leave at 85 percent of salary
.    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Ranking of Healthcare Systems – 13th out of 195 countries ranked
.    Unemployment Rate: 5.073%
.    Average Hours Worked per Week: 31,02

Top Industries

Petroleum and gas, shipping, fishing, aquaculture, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, and textiles.

Belgium

Belgians love their chocolate and set high standards for cocoa content and the production process to ensure quality. Belgium is also known for its fine beers, producing over 800 varieties. Belgium was the first country to legalize euthanasia and one of the first to legitimize gay marriage and elected the first openly gay prime minister.

The country borders the North Sea and four other European countries —​ Luxembourg, Germany, France and the Netherlands. There are three official languages in Belgium —​ Dutch, French, and German.

Many Belgians also speak English. Belgium is the second most densely populated country in Europe with over 11 million residents concentrated within 11,800 square miles. The gap in Belgium between men's and women's salaries is the lowest in Europe.

.    Average income: $49,675
.    Minimum Wage: $10.1 per hour
.    Vacation: 24 days
.    Public Holidays: 10
.    Parental Leave: 32 weeks paid leave at an average of  41 percent of wages
.    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Ranking of Healthcare Systems – 15th out of 195 countries ranked
.    Unemployment Rate: 6.052%
.    Average Hours Worked per Week: 29.73

Top Industries

Engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, base metals, textiles, glass, and petroleum.

Australia

The seasons in Australia are the opposite of those in the U.S. and the northern hemisphere. Winter lasts from June-August, spring from September-November, summer from December-February and fall from March through May. Australia is incredibly rich and diverse in animal life with more than 378 mammal species, 828 bird species, 4,000 fish species, 300 species of lizards, 140 snake species, two crocodile species and around 50 types of marine mammals.

The country also offers exceptional geographic diversity including mountains, deserts, and tropical rain forests. Australia is the world's only nation which is also designated as a continent. The country is an island bordering both the Indian and Pacific Oceans as well as numerous other seas. 

.    Average income: $49,126
.    Minimum Wage: $11.30 per hour
.    Vacation: At least 20 days
.    Public Holidays: 10-13
.    Parental Leave: Eligible employees get up to 18 weeks leave paid at the national minimum wage. Employees are also entitled to 12 months of unpaid leave.
.    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Ranking of Healthcare Systems – 5th out of 195 countries ranked
.    Unemployment Rate: 5.446%
.    Average Hours Worked per Week: 32.21

Top Industries.

Mining, industrial equipment, transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, and steel.