Here are the 10 countries with the highest average salaries (2025):
1. Luxembourg: $89,767/year
2. Iceland: $87,421/year
3. Switzerland: $83,332/year
4. United States: $80,115/year
5. Belgium: $73,206/year
6. Norway: $71,972/year
7. Austria: $71,167/year
8. Netherlands: $70,185/year
9. Denmark: $69,525/year
10. Australia: $67,101/year
Impressive. Yet consider also their population sizes: Luxembourg: 763 thousand. Iceland: 393 thousand. Switzerland: 8.9 million. United States: 340 million. Belgium: 11.8 million. Norway: 5.5 million. Austria: 9.1 million. Netherlands: 17.9 million. Denmark: 5.9 million. Australia: 26.6 million.
Observations: The countries that have most succeeded in producing high-salaries are mostly (a) small-population and (b) in north-western Europe. The exceptions are Australia and the United States.
Questions: Why are most of the top-salary countries in north-west Europe? How did Australia and the USA join the list despite their distance? Or is it because of their distance (and historical youth), that they were able to make a fresh start? How did the USA scale its salary success, given that all of the others are tiny-to-small populations?
The floor is open for follow-up observations and questions.
Related:
In the US people eat a lot of popcorn, it’s very good for the brain. And in Australia Kangaroos are known to make you smarter.
In the north it is better for the brain because you are above, and not below as in the south.
🙂
I just think that these countries have not broken with the classical school of thought of liberalism.