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Discover how your salary compares to the rest of the world with our interactive calculator.
Find out how long it would take foreign workers to earn your salary and gain a new perspective on remittances' vital role in supporting families and communities worldwide. We’ve taken the estimated hourly rate in OECD countries so that you can calculate how many hours employees will have to work to earn your salary in other countries around the world. This tool highlights the financial challenges faced by workers abroad, highlighting how powerful remittances can be to bridge income inequalities and strengthen communities.
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On average, the UK annual salary is £45,687.50, with UK residents working an average of 1,524 hours to earn this, equating to £29.98 an hour. But how does that compare to other countries around the world? We’ve sourced the average salary and working hours in countries to calculate the average hourly rate. Using this, we were able to reveal the countries whose residents would have to work the fewest hours to match the UK’s average annual salary.
Annual number of hours needed to work to earn UK salary
In Luxembourg, earning the average UK salary takes just 39 days or 938 hours of work—significantly less than the 1,524 hours Britons typically work. The hourly wage in Luxembourg is notably higher, estimated at £48.69, compared to the UK's £29.98 per hour.
In Iceland, earning the average UK salary takes just under 40 days or 954 hours of work. In comparison, in the UK, you’d need to work an additional 569 days to reach the same £45,687. Iceland’s average hourly wage is £47.87, significantly higher than the UK’s £29.98.
Norwegians only need to work 1,135 hours, or just 47 days, to earn the UK’s average salary of £45,687, saving themselves over 388 hours compared to Brits.
With an average hourly rate of £40.25, Norway’s wages far surpass the UK’s £29.98 per hour, making it a much quicker path to a higher income.
Danish workers need to put in approximately 1,144 hours, or 48 full days, to match the average annual salary in the UK. On average, they work 1,380 hours per year—144 hours fewer than the average Brit.
Additionally, the typical Danish worker earns £9,442 more annually, with an impressive hourly wage of £39.95.
The Dutch could work around 364 hours less than the average Brit to earn the UK’s annual salary. Thanks to their estimated hourly rate of £39.39, they could earn the UK’s average salary in just over 48 days.
With an average annual income of £55,654, workers in the Netherlands earn significantly more than the UK average of £45,688 per year.
Annual number of hours needed to work to earn UK salary
In Mexico, workers would need to put in 6,211 hours—equivalent to over 8.5 months of working every single day—to match the UK’s average annual salary.
With an average hourly rate of just £7.36, far lower than the UK’s £29.98, average Mexicans work 2,207 hours per year to earn £16,235. However, it’s worth noting that the cost of living in Mexico is considerably lower than in the UK, meaning you can live more comfortably on a lower income. This desire for higher salaries and new job opportunities does mean many leave the country for jobs abroad to be able to send money to Mexico to their loved ones.
In Greece, workers would need to put in 3,615 hours to match the average UK annual salary of £45,688, while UK workers only need to work 1,524 hours for the same amount.
This amounts to an extra 2,091 hours or 87 full days of work. By contrast, working 2,090 hours a year in Greece is typical, but that only earns workers £23,977 annually. According to Immigrant Invest, the cost of living in Greece is lower than 58% of countries worldwide. Despite this, recent estimates suggest there are around 77,000 people born in Greece who are living in the UK, showing the desire for a higher-paying job.
Hungarian workers would need to put in 3,051 hours to earn the UK average salary, an additional 1,527 hours beyond their typical work schedule. Currently, people in Hungary earn £14.98 per hour and work 1,527 hours annually to make an average salary of £25,144. . The latest data from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office shows that 2023 saw the biggest emigration of Hungarians on record as many seek better employment prospects elsewhere.
In Slovakia, workers would need to put in 2,961 hours, equivalent to 123 full days, to earn the UK average salary.
Slovakian workers make £15.43 per hour and work 1,631 hours annually to earn an average salary of £25,162. By contrast, in the UK, workers put in 107 fewer hours and earn an average salary of £45,688. Despite this huge number of hours to match the UK’s average salary, Slovakia’s cost of living is 48% less expensive than the UK’s, according to Livingcost.
In the Czech Republic, workers would need to put in 2,723 hours to match the average UK salary, compared to their typical 1,766 hours. The average annual salary in the Czech Republic is £29,612, significantly lower than the UK’s £45,688.
On top of that, Brits work 242 fewer hours per year but earn over £16,000 more. According to the UK’s 2021 Census, there are just over 50,000 Czech-born residents living in the UK. This was a significant increase compared to the 2001 UK Census, where just 12,000 Czech-born people were residing in the UK, showing the Czech Republic’s desire for higher-paying career opportunities.
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Managing finances can be stressful, especially for those who have to ensure they have enough money aside for their loved ones each month. That’s why the experts at Remitly have put together some expert tips on how to save money and things to consider when sending money to your friends and family abroad.
Budgeting your monthly income is important as it ensures you can make all payments on time and send the desired amount to your loved ones. You need to consider your income and expenditures to evaluate the monthly amount you can send. Not only is this important for you so you can be financially secure, but it will also help your loved ones, as they can work out their expenditures each month based on what you’re sending.
Depending on the country you’re sending money to, there may be tax implications for money that gets sent from abroad. The nature and amount will depend on whether your transfer will be taxed, but typically, larger amounts may alert the authorities. For example, in the case of a large sum being transferred to someone in the US, you may have to fill out an IRS Form and report it as a foreign gift. Once you understand the tax implications of your destination country, you may need to find out how to report any personal transfers so you can avoid any penalties or fines.
The timing of your transfer may affect the amount your loved ones receive. Exchange rates frequently change depending on the economies of both the sender and the recipient’s countries. It’s recommended that you send money when rates are high if your send currency is stronger than the one you’re converting to. If you time your transfers well, and capitalise on high rates, you can maximize the amount your loved ones receive.
Whether it’s a bank or a company specifically dedicated to sending money abroad, the provider will have its own fees. You may have seen the mid-market rate, the halfway point between the buy and sell price, reported as the ‘real rate’. However, this is more of a benchmark as opposed to an accessible rate, and providers claiming to offer this may have hidden fees to maximize their margin. That’s why you should shop around to find the best rate, to ensure you’re getting the best and most convenient option possible.
At Remitly, we focus on the overall price and not just the rate, and costs can differ depending on whether you pay with a bank account, debit card, or credit card.
We took the OECD
average annual wages
and
hours worked
in 2023. This data is accurate as of 18/02/2025. We used OECD countries for compatibility and consistency, as all data was sourced from the same place.
We converted each country’s average annual wage to GBP to find each country’s annual wage in their local currency. Pricing data is correct as of 21/02/25.
We calculated each country’s hourly rate to find out how many hours each country would need to work to earn the UK's annual average salary.
Sources