Economy
Which Countries Pay Blue Collar Workers the Most?
Manufacturing compensation is closely related to productivity, global economic competitiveness and overall human development
The United States ranks 14th in the world in wages and compensation for manufacturing workers, according to new data released by the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's on par with Ireland and Italy and far behind Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Germany, among others. American manufacturing workers earn an average of $34.74 in total hourly compensation, just 60 percent of the $57.53 that workers in top-ranking Norway receive. The table below shows the total hourly compensation (including benefits) as well as pay for time worked for the top 20 countries in 2010.