Salary intelligence: methodology & sources
How WhereNext estimates what 38 professions earn across 43 countries — and, just as importantly, what the numbers are not.
How the figures are calculated
The model, step by step
- National median anchor (researched). Each country's median gross wage comes from its national statistical office or Eurostat — the same primary-sourced figures behind our Median Salaries dataset.
- Role skill premium (BLS-grounded). Each profession has a typical US salary; divided by the US national median, that gives the role's skill premium (a doctor earns several times the median; a teacher around it). 18 of 38 roles now use the real US BLS OEWS May 2024 median wage (12 a direct occupation match, shown Researched; 6 a BLS figure under a mapped occupation code, shown Modelled). The rest remain WhereNext estimates — we never cite BLS for a role it doesn't publish.
- Tradability adjustment. Globally-traded roles (software, AI, remote work) have pay pulled toward international levels even in lower-wage countries; locally-bound roles (teaching, trades, nursing) track the local wage structure. A per-role tradability factor sets the balance.
- Tax & purchasing power. Net is computed with WhereNext's tax engine (domestic resident brackets + social contributions); PPP-equivalent net uses the World Bank ICP 2021 price-level index so pay is comparable in real purchasing-power terms.
Confidence & honesty
- The national median anchor is researched — real, dated, primary-sourced.
- The per-profession figure is modelled, not a per-role salary survey. We never present it as surveyed data.
- Regulated professions (medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, teaching) require local credential recognition before the pay is attainable — flagged on each page.
- Figures exclude bonuses, equity, and special expat tax regimes, and assume a single filer.
Known limitations
- Skill premiums compress in high-wage, egalitarian countries, so top roles there can be over-estimated.
- Economy-wide medians in countries with large informal sectors understate formal-sector pay.
- This is a model for relocation planning — not a substitute for a per-role salary survey (Glassdoor, Levels.fyi) or an employer's offer.
- Cross-country per-occupation survey data (ILOSTAT / OECD) was assessed and not adopted: it only resolves to broad ISCO occupation groups (all professionals collapse into one bucket), which would destroy the per-role signal. Per-country variation therefore stays modelled, while the US baseline is BLS-grounded.
Methodology FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these real salaries or estimates?▾
Estimates. The national median wage for each country is real, primary-sourced data. The per-profession figure is a MODEL built on top of that median — it is not an occupation-by-country salary survey. Treat it as a directional planning guide, not a market rate.
Why don't all professions just use survey data per country?▾
There is no single authoritative source that publishes a median gross wage for every profession in every country. National statistical offices publish economy-wide medians (which we use as the anchor); harmonised per-occupation cross-country data is sparse and inconsistent. Rather than fabricate precision, we model the per-role figure transparently from the real median.
What are the limitations?▾
Skill premiums compress in high-wage, egalitarian countries, so the model can over-estimate top roles there. Economy-wide medians in countries with large informal sectors understate formal-sector pay. Regulated professions (medicine, nursing, teaching) require credential recognition before the pay is attainable. Bonuses, equity and expat tax regimes are not included.