Our annual international geographic pay analysis of technology and life science industry wages reveals significant differences in market wages by country and city. This year’s international Culpepper Geographic Pay Index (CGPI) includes relative market wage scores for over 30 countries and 70 international cities.

Key Findings:

• The highest wages are found in Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway.

• The lowest wages are found in India, Argentina, and Malaysia.

Relative Market Wages by Country
Figure 1 displays the Culpepper Geographic Pay Index (CGPI) for over 30 countries. The CGPI is calculated as an average pay rate of a country as a percentage of the U.S. national average. The analysis is based on actual employee pay data collected from participating companies in Culpepper Compensation Surveys.
 

CGPI   =	Average Pay Rate of Location	x	100
	U.S. National Average Pay Rate

Relative Market Wages by International City
Table 1 displays the Culpepper Geographic Pay Index (CGPI) for over 70 international cities.
 

Table 1: Relative Market Wages by International City
Location (Country, City)	Culpepper Geographic Pay Index (CGPI)  (Average Pay Rate of the Location as a Percent of U.S. National Average)
Argentina	28%
Buenos Aires	28%
Australia	108%
Brisbane	95%
Melbourne	106%
Perth	101%
Sydney	113%
Austria	107%
Vienna	118%
Belgium	122%
Brussels	121%
Brazil	63%
Rio de Janeiro	68%
Sao Paulo	78%
Canada	104%
Calgary	112%
Edmonton	93%
Montreal	99%
Ottawa	110%
Toronto	107%
Vancouver	103%
China	31%
Beijing	33%
Shanghai	33%
Czech Republic	55%
Prague	60%
Denmark	133%
Copenhagen	135%
Finland	99%
Helsinki	97%
France	110%
Paris	111%
Germany	127%
Berlin	113%
Chemnitz	125%
Düsseldorf	129%
Frankfurt	128%
Hamburg	123%
Kiel	113%
Köln	131%
Munich	134%
Saarbrücken	118%
Stuttgart	131%
Hong Kong	90%
India	26%
Bangalore	25%
Chennai	22%
Hyderabad	23%
Mumbai	20%
New Delhi	27%
Pune	25%
Ireland	111%
Dublin	111%
Israel	74%
Tel Aviv	79%
Italy	104%
Milan	103%
Rome	103%
Japan	102%
Osaka	95%
Tokyo	102%
Malaysia	29%
Kuala Lumpur	45%
Mexico	36%
Mexico City	35%
Netherlands	110%
Amsterdam	118%
Utrecht	109%
Norway	128%
Oslo	128%
Poland	74%
Warsaw	79%
Russia	54%
Moscow	49%
Singapore	65%
South Africa	74%
Johannesburg	79%
South Korea	80%
Seoul	80%
Spain	97%
Sweden	109%
Stockholm	106%
Switzerland	151%
Zurich	154%
Taiwan (Taipei)	53%
United Arab Emirates (Dubai)	72%
United Kingdom	123%
Belfast	97%
Birmingham	117%
Bristol	115%
Cambridge	119%
Edinburgh	106%
London	128%
Manchester	112%
Reading	128%
United States	100%
San Francisco	115%
New York City	110%
Seattle	104%
Boston	104%
San Diego	102%
Chicago	102%
Atlanta	101%
Portland	100%
Research Triangle, NC	99%
Austin	99%
View data for additional areas and locales in the U.S.

Geographic Pay Differential Best Practices
View results from a recent Culpepper Pay Trends Survey on geographic pay differentials, including average number of geographic differentials, methods for assigning locations to differentials, and employee eligibility levels.

- Jennifer Berthiaume and Leigh Culpepper