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.
