The minimum wage is the lowest hourly rate that an employer can legally pay their employees. The first minimum wage laws were enacted in the late 1800s as a way to protect workers from exploitation and to ensure they could earn a living wage.
Today, there are many different countries with varying minimum wage rates. So, which country has the highest minimum wage?
According to the International Labour Organization, Australia currently has the highest minimum wage at $19.49 per hour.
This means that workers in Australia who are paid the minimum wage earn about $40,000 per year before taxes.
Canada is second on the list with a minimum wage of $17.29 per hour, followed by France ($13.84), United Kingdom ($8.72), and United States ($7.25).
So their minimum wage is higher in order to maintain a certain standard of living. Other countries have lower costs of living and can get away with having a lower minimum wage.
There are also some countries where the minimum wage is set by law and others where it is set by bargaining between unions and employers.
When all factors are considered, it appears that Australia has the highest minimum wage at $17.70 per hour. This is followed by Luxembourg at $11.50 per hour, France at $11.01 per hour, and Belgium at $10.96 per hour.
The United States has a federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, but this varies depending on the state you live in; some states have a higher minimum wage than others.

Credit: www.europeanceo.com
Table of Contents
Which Country Pays the Highest Minimum Wage in the World?
The minimum wage is the lowest hourly rate that an employee can be paid for their work. In most cases, it is set by national governments and applies to all workers in a particular country.
There are many different ways to compare minimum wages across countries. One common method is to look at the minimum wage as a percentage of the median wage.
This allows for comparisons between countries with different levels of economic development and different overall wage levels.
According to this measure, the country with the highest minimum wage in the world is Luxembourg, where the minimum wage is 61% of the median wage.
This is followed by Australia (56%), France (54%), Belgium (53%), and Ireland (52%). It’s important to note that these numbers only provide a rough guide to comparing minimum wages across countries.
Which Country Has No Minimum Wage?
There is no minimum wage in a number of countries around the world, including Cambodia, Laos, Burma/Myanmar and Haiti.
In these countries, workers are often paid very low wages, which can make it difficult to support themselves or their families.
There is also no guarantee of job security in these countries, as companies can hire and fire workers at will. This can make it hard for workers to save money or plan for their future.
What is the Minimum Wage in England in Us Dollars?
The minimum wage in England is currently £8.21 for workers aged 25 and over, which is the equivalent of $10.72 in US dollars. This rate has been in place since April 2019 and is set to rise again in April 2020 to £8.72, or $11.29 in US dollars.
For workers aged 21-24, the minimum wage is currently £7.70 per hour, while those aged 18-20 are entitled to £6.15 per hour and under-18s are entitled to £4.35 per hour. All of these rates are subject to change every year in line with inflation.
Who Has the Highest Minimum Wage in 2022?
The answer may surprise you – but in 2022, the highest minimum wage will be found in Washington D.C. That’s right, the District of Columbia is set to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour, which is higher than any other state in the nation.
This news comes as a relief to many workers across the country who are struggling to make ends meet on the current minimum wage of just $7.25 an hour.
And it’s not just workers who will benefit from this increase – businesses will also see a boost as customers will have more money to spend.
So if you’re looking for a place to start a new job or career in 2022, be sure to check out Washington D.C.!
10 COUNTRIES WITH THE HIGHEST MINIMUM WAGE IN THE WORLD
Which Country Has the Lowest Minimum Wage
The minimum wage is the lowest hourly rate that an employee can be paid for their work. The federal minimum wage in the United States is $7.25 per hour, while the minimum wage in other countries varies widely.
So, which country has the lowest minimum wage? That would be Guatemala, where the minimum wage is just $1.60 per hour.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that workers in Guatemala are necessarily getting paid less than workers in other countries; it all depends on how many hours they’re working and what their productivity levels are like.
Still, it’s interesting to see how different countries approach the issue of minimum wage. In some cases, like in Australia and France.
The government sets a “living wage” that’s meant to provide workers with enough money to meet their basic needs (including housing, food, and transportation).
Top 20 Countries With the Highest Minimum Wage in 2022
As the global economy continues to recover from the pandemic, many countries are expected to raise their minimum wage in an effort to keep up with the cost of living.
Here are the top 20 countries that are projected to have the highest minimum wage in 2022:
- 1. Luxembourg – $12.75 per hour
- 2. Switzerland – $11.81 per hour
- 3. Australia – $11.52 per hour
- 4. Netherlands – $11.18 per hour
- 5. Denmark – $10.86 per hour
- 6. France – $10.66 per hour
- 7. Canada – 10$64
- 8. Belgium – 10$61
- 9. Ireland – 10$57
- 10. New Zealand – 9$84
- 11. Sweden – 9$72
- 12. Finland – 9$54
- 13. Norway – 8$44
- 14. Austria – 8$42
- 15. Germany – 8${36
- 16. United Kingdom- 8${30
- 17. Japan- 7${83
- 18. Czech Republic- 7${49
- 19. Greece- 6${66
- 20. Italy- 6${60
These countries have been chosen based on data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Which Country Has the Highest Minimum Wage 2022
As of 2022, the country with the highest minimum wage is Australia. The current hourly rate is $19.84 AUD, which equates to approximately $15 USD.
This rate is for employees aged 18 and over who are not covered by an award or agreement.
Highest Minimum Wage in the World Per Month
According to research conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research, the highest minimum wage in the world is found in San Francisco, California.
In 2016, the city’s minimum wage was $12.25 per hour. This amount was increased to $15 per hour in 2018.
When adjusted for inflation, this wage is worth $19.33 in 2016 dollars. The second highest minimum wage is found in Seattle, Washington.
The city’s minimum wage was $11.50 per hour in 2016 and will increase to $15 per hour by 2021. When adjusted for inflation, this wage is worth $18.46 in 2016 dollars.
The third highest minimum wage is found in Los Angeles, California where the current hourly rate is $10.50 with scheduled increases taking it to $15 per hour by 2020.
After adjusting for inflation, this amounts to a real value of $16.93 in 2016 dollars – still below San Francisco but ahead of Seattle.
While these cities have the highest nominal wages, when we take into account the cost of living adjustments, they don’t necessarily rank as high.
For example, Zürich, Switzerland has a higher nominal hourly rate at CHF 22 ( about US$22) but its large size and high cost of living moves it down to sixth place on Purchasing Power Parity ( PPP) terms with a “real” hourly rate of just under US$20.
Conclusion
The highest minimum wage in the world is in San Francisco, where workers must be paid at least $15.37 per hour.
This city’s high cost of living makes it necessary for workers to earn a higher wage just to get by. Seattle is second on the list, with a minimum wage of $13.50 per hour.
Washington, D.C. rounds out the top three, with a minimum wage of $12.50 per hour. These cities have some of the highest costs of living in the United States.
So it’s not surprising that their minimum wages are also among the highest in the country.