Top 10 ‘best places’ in the world for construction workers

America, home of the brave and land of the free, has been known as a place of prosperity and respectable working conditions since the Industrial Revolution, but how do we rate against other developed countries when it comes to construction workers today? And where do they have it better (and worse)?

A recent survey from construction clothing equipment manufacturer Workwear Guru set out to locate the best places in the world for construction workers to prosper.

The study considered three major factors for ranking the best countries for construction workers: the average salaries in construction, safety, and cost of living in each country/state.

The study took into account the cost of living for each country in the world, using Numbeo’s and worldpopulation’s Cost of Living index.

This index adjusts states and cities for transportation, grocery costs, and other utilities that impact the quality of life for a construction worker in a specific country. Countries with higher living costs scored lower in the study.

Using data from Salaryexplorer, the study also compared the average salaries for construction workers and adjusted them based on the cost-of-living index for each country.

Considering that construction is perpetually among the most dangerous industries, with 250 incidents per 10,000 in full-time employment (FTE), the benefits of having a safe construction site are abundantly clear.

Using data from Lloyd’s Register Foundation, the safety for countries was measured by percentage of people who answered affirmatively to whether they’ve been seriously injured while working.

Based on all of the above, here’s the list of best places for construction in 2021

1. Switzerland

Average salary: $79,159

Cost of living: 125.02

Safety: 13%

2. United Kingdom

Average salary: $57,957

Cost of living: 70.64

Safety: 8%

3. Belgium

Average salary: $53,501

Cost of living: 75.79

Safety: 12%

4. United States

Average salary: $55,800

Cost of living: 70.55

Safety: 20%

5. Canada

Average salary: $55,927

Cost of living: 71.45

Safety: 22%

6. Singapore

Average salary: $43,958

Cost of living: 82.63

Safety: 5%

7. Luxembourg

Average salary: $40,731

Cost of living: 85.3

Safety: 11%

8. China

Average salary: $31,931

Cost of living: 41.31

Safety: 9%

9. Netherlands

Average salary: $41,312

Cost of living: 78.93

Safety: 15%

10. Denmark

Average salary: $45,295

Cost of living: 88.53

Safety: 20%