From the minimum wage to the tech sector premium, what you earn varies wildly depending not just on your job title but also on which side of which border your office is located.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, the median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers in the United States amounted to $1,118, translating to an annual median of approximately $58,136.
- The average annual wage in the United States for all occupations in 2022 was $59,428 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
- In 2023, the national average salary in the UK was £35,908, with London workers earning an average of £45,330.
- In the United States, the federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 per hour since 2009.
- California's state minimum wage as of January 1, 2024, is $16.00 per hour for employers with 26 or more employees.
- The UK's National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £11.44 per hour as of April 2024.
- In the US, women earned 82.7 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2023.
- The gender pay gap in the UK was 7.9% median hourly earnings in 2023.
- In Germany, women earned 18% less than men on average in 2022.
- In the US, real median weekly earnings grew by 0.8% from 2022 to 2023.
- UK regular pay growth was 6.6% in the year to April 2024.
- Germany's nominal wage growth was 6.3% in 2023.
- US software developers earned a median annual wage of $130,160 in 2023.
- In the US, registered nurses had a median wage of $86,070 annually in 2023.
- US construction laborers median wage was $40,750 in 2023.
The blog post highlights significant international wage variations and persistent pay gaps.
Gender Wage Gaps
1In the US, women earned 82.7 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2023.
Single source
2The gender pay gap in the UK was 7.9% median hourly earnings in 2023.
Directional
3In Germany, women earned 18% less than men on average in 2022.
Directional
4Australia's gender pay gap stood at 13.4% in full-time ordinary time earnings in 2023.
Directional
5France's gender pay gap was 15.7% in 2022 for mean gross hourly wages.
Verified
6Japan's gender pay gap was 22.3% in scheduled cash earnings in 2022.
Single source
7Canada's gender pay gap was 12.1% in hourly wages in 2022.
Single source
8Brazil's gender wage gap was 20.2% in 2022 according to IBGE.
Single source
9South Africa's gender pay gap averages 23% with women earning less.
Verified
10Mexico's gender pay gap was 14.3% in 2022 formal sector.
Verified
11Sweden's unadjusted gender pay gap was 11.2% in 2022.
Verified
12Italy's gender pay gap was 5.5% median in 2022.
Directional
13Spain's gender wage gap was 11.6% in 2022.
Single source
14Netherlands' gender pay gap was 14.3% in 2022 full-time equivalent.
Verified
15Switzerland's gender pay gap was 12.5% median in 2022.
Directional
16Norway's gender pay gap was 12.6% in 2022.
Directional
17Denmark's hourly gender pay gap was 6% in 2022.
Directional
18Finland's gender pay gap was 16.6% average in 2022.
Verified
19Austria's gender pay gap was 19.1% in 2022.
Directional
20Belgium's gender pay gap was 6.2% adjusted in 2022.
Single source
21Portugal's gender pay gap was 14.1% in 2022.
Single source
22Greece's gender wage gap was 10.6% in 2022.
Verified
23Poland's gender pay gap was 11.5% mean in 2022.
Verified
24Czech Republic's gender pay gap was 20.6% in 2022.
Single source
25Hungary's gender pay gap was 16.2% in 2022.
Single source
26Slovakia's gender pay gap was 19.3% in 2022.
Single source
27Ireland's gender pay gap was 9.6% median hourly in 2022.
Verified
Gender Wage Gaps Interpretation
From Japan's stark 22.3% to Italy's deceptively narrow 5.5%, the persistent global reality is that, even when metrics vary wildly, women's work is still systematically valued less than men's.
Industry Wages
1US software developers earned a median annual wage of $130,160 in 2023.
Single source
2In the US, registered nurses had a median wage of $86,070 annually in 2023.
Verified
3US construction laborers median wage was $40,750 in 2023.
Directional
4UK finance and insurance sector average weekly pay was £885 in 2023.
Single source
5Germany's manufacturing sector average monthly wage was €4,650 in 2022.
Single source
6Australia's mining industry average weekly earnings were $3,028 in 2022.
Directional
7France's information and communication sector average gross hourly wage was €32.50 in 2022.
Single source
8Japan's financial services average monthly wage was 452,000 yen in 2023.
Verified
9Canada's public administration hourly wage averaged $41.22 in 2023.
Verified
10Brazil's petroleum extraction sector average wage was R$12,500 monthly in 2022.
Verified
11South Africa's finance sector average monthly wage was R45,000 in 2023.
Single source
12Mexico's automotive industry average daily wage was 450 pesos in 2023.
Verified
13Sweden's IT sector average monthly salary was 52,000 SEK in 2023.
Directional
14Italy's banking sector average annual wage was €48,000 in 2022.
Verified
15Spain's tourism sector average monthly wage was €1,500 in 2022.
Directional
16Netherlands' tech sector average wage was €65,000 annually in 2023.
Single source
17Switzerland's pharmaceutical industry median monthly wage was CHF 9,500 in 2022.
Directional
18Norway's oil and gas sector average annual wage was 1,200,000 NOK in 2023.
Single source
19Denmark's healthcare sector hourly wage averaged 285 DKK in 2023.
Single source
20Finland's forestry industry average monthly wage was €4,200 in 2023.
Single source
21Austria's tourism average monthly wage was €2,800 gross in 2022.
Directional
22Belgium's chemical industry average annual wage was €65,000 in 2023.
Verified
23Portugal's call center sector average monthly wage was €1,200 in 2023.
Single source
24Greece's shipping industry average wage was €3,500 monthly in 2023.
Single source
25Poland's automotive sector average monthly wage was 7,500 PLN in 2023.
Directional
Industry Wages Interpretation
While the numbers reveal that skill, industry, and geography are the ultimate arbiters of pay, it’s clear that telling a computer what to do in Silicon Valley beats telling a tourist where to go on the Algarve coast.
Minimum Wages
1In the United States, the federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 per hour since 2009.
Single source
2California's state minimum wage as of January 1, 2024, is $16.00 per hour for employers with 26 or more employees.
Single source
3The UK's National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £11.44 per hour as of April 2024.
Directional
4Germany's statutory minimum wage increased to €12.41 per hour on January 1, 2024.
Verified
5Australia's national minimum wage is $23.23 per hour as of July 1, 2023.
Single source
6France's minimum wage (SMIC) is €11.65 gross per hour as of 2024.
Single source
7Japan's minimum wage average across prefectures was 1,004 yen per hour in 2023.
Single source
8Canada's federal minimum wage is $16.65 per hour as of December 31, 2023.
Directional
9Brazil's national minimum wage in 2024 is R$1,412 per month.
Directional
10South Africa's national minimum wage is R25.42 per hour as of March 1, 2024.
Verified
11Mexico's general minimum wage increased to 248.93 pesos per day in 2024.
Single source
12Sweden has no statutory minimum wage but sector-wide agreements average around 180 SEK per hour.
Verified
13Italy lacks a national minimum wage, with sector agreements averaging €9-10 per hour.
Verified
14Spain's minimum wage (SMI) is €1,134 gross per month in 2024 for 14 payments.
Verified
15The Netherlands' minimum wage for adults over 21 is €13.27 gross per hour as of July 2024.
Directional
16Switzerland's minimum wages vary by canton, e.g., Geneva at CHF 24.48 per hour in 2024.
Verified
17Norway's minimum wages are set by tariffs, e.g., retail at 205.65 NOK per hour.
Single source
18Denmark has no statutory minimum wage; agreements average 110-130 DKK per hour.
Single source
19Finland's minimum wages via collective agreements average €11-12 per hour.
Verified
20Austria sets minimum wages by sector, e.g., construction at €1,908 monthly.
Directional
21Belgium's minimum wage for 2024 is €2,029.87 gross monthly for private sector.
Single source
22Portugal's minimum wage is €820 per month in 2024.
Single source
23Greece's minimum wage is €830 gross monthly as of April 2024.
Directional
24Poland's minimum wage is 4,242 PLN gross monthly from January 2024.
Verified
25Czech Republic's minimum wage is 18,900 CZK monthly in 2024.
Directional
26Hungary's minimum wage is 266,800 HUF gross monthly in 2024.
Single source
27Slovakia's minimum wage is €750 gross monthly from January 2024.
Verified
28Ireland's minimum wage is €12.70 per hour as of January 1, 2024.
Single source
Minimum Wages Interpretation
While the federal American worker is still clocking in at a rate that feels like a historical artifact, their counterparts in much of the developed world are navigating economies with wages that, at the very least, acknowledge the current century.
National Average Wages
1In 2023, the median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers in the United States amounted to $1,118, translating to an annual median of approximately $58,136.
Single source
2The average annual wage in the United States for all occupations in 2022 was $59,428 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Verified
3In 2023, the national average salary in the UK was £35,908, with London workers earning an average of £45,330.
Single source
4Germany's average gross monthly wage in 2022 was €4,105 for full-time employees.
Verified
5In Canada, the average hourly wage rate in March 2023 was $34.98.
Directional
6Australia's average weekly earnings for full-time adults in November 2022 were $1,888.80.
Verified
7France's average net monthly salary in the private sector in 2022 was €2,340.
Verified
8Japan's average monthly contractual cash earnings in 2023 stood at 314,153 yen.
Verified
9In India, the average annual salary in 2023 was approximately ₹9,45,000 in urban areas.
Single source
10Brazil's average monthly wage in 2022 was R$2,979 according to IBGE data.
Directional
11South Africa's average monthly wage in 2023 was R26,772 for formal non-agricultural sector.
Directional
12Mexico's average daily wage in 2022 was 223.46 pesos.
Verified
13In 2022, the average annual wage in Sweden was 458,300 SEK.
Single source
14Italy's average annual gross wage in 2022 was €29,746.
Single source
15Spain's average annual salary in 2022 was €25,562.
Verified
16The average monthly wage in the Netherlands in 2022 was €3,666 gross.
Single source
17In 2023, Switzerland's median gross monthly salary was CHF 6,788.
Single source
18Norway's average annual wage in 2022 was 627,000 NOK.
Verified
19Denmark's average hourly wage in 2022 was 240.5 DKK.
Single source
20Finland's average monthly earnings in 2022 were €3,647.
Directional
21In 2022, Austria's average gross monthly salary was €3,664.
Verified
22Belgium's average annual gross wage in 2022 was €52,738.
Verified
23Portugal's average monthly wage in 2022 was €1,315.
Single source
24Greece's average monthly wage in 2022 was €1,172 net.
Single source
25In 2022, Poland's average monthly gross wage was 6,709 PLN.
Verified
26Czech Republic's average monthly wage in 2022 was 40,749 CZK.
Directional
27Hungary's average gross monthly wage in 2022 was 514,100 HUF.
Directional
28In 2022, Slovakia's average monthly wage was €1,352 gross.
Verified
29Ireland's average hourly earnings in 2022 were €28.55.
Directional
30New Zealand's average hourly wage in Q3 2023 was $35.47.
Verified
National Average Wages Interpretation
The world’s paychecks show a staggering global divide, where a month's earnings in one nation buys a week's groceries in another.
Wage Growth Trends
1In the US, real median weekly earnings grew by 0.8% from 2022 to 2023.
Directional
2UK regular pay growth was 6.6% in the year to April 2024.
Verified
3Germany's nominal wage growth was 6.3% in 2023.
Verified
4Australia's wages grew by 4.0% annually in March 2024 quarter.
Single source
5France's average hourly wage increased by 4.7% in 2023.
Directional
6Japan saw 2.9% nominal wage growth in spring 2024 negotiations.
Directional
7Canada's average hourly wage rose 4.9% year-over-year in March 2024.
Verified
8Brazil's minimum wage adjusted by 6.97% in 2024.
Verified
9South Africa's formal sector wages grew 6.2% in Q4 2023.
Verified
10Mexico's wages grew 6.7% nominally in 2023.
Single source
11Sweden's wages increased by 4.7% in 2023.
Single source
12Italy's average wage growth was 2.5% in 2023.
Verified
13Spain's wage growth averaged 4.1% in 2023.
Verified
14Netherlands' contractual wage growth was 5.9% in Q1 2024.
Directional
15Switzerland's nominal wages grew 1.5% in 2023.
Single source
16Norway's wage growth was 5.3% in 2023.
Verified
17Denmark's wage growth was 5.4% in 2023.
Single source
18Finland's earnings index rose 3.8% year-on-year in March 2024.
Directional
19Austria's nominal wage growth was 6.9% in 2023.
Single source
20Belgium's wage index increased by 11.08% in 2024.
Verified
21Portugal's wages grew 6.1% in 2023.
Verified
22Greece's average wage growth was 5.2% in 2023.
Verified
23Poland's nominal wage growth was 11.5% in 2023.
Directional
24Czech Republic's wages grew 9.7% in 2023.
Single source
25Hungary's wage growth was 15.2% nominal in 2023.
Directional
26Slovakia's average wage increased 8.6% in 2023.
Single source
27Ireland's average earnings grew 6.4% in 2023.
Single source
28New Zealand's wages grew 4.2% annually in Q4 2023.
Verified
Wage Growth Trends Interpretation
While America's median earner received a polite tip of 0.8%, much of the world, led by central Europe's wage surge, was busy securing a proper raise.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Wage Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/wage-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Wage Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/wage-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Wage Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/wage-statistics.
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