Understanding Country Localization Tiers

TransparentRate covers 157 countries and territories. Every non-U.S. result starts from the authoritative U.S. core occupation benchmark and is localized using currency conversion and, for Tier C Local mode, a PPP factor. Country tiers describe available context and localization — they do not mean local country-by-occupation wages are integrated. Looking for the full country list instead? Browse all countries →

For the underlying wage-to-freelance conversion math, see the methodology. For how geography changes your rate in practice, read freelance rates by country.

Country Localization Tiers

Tier A 22 countries

Strong official country context. United States results use the U.S. BLS occupation benchmark directly; other Tier A results convert that benchmark to local currency. Local national occupation wages are not integrated.

Examples: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Japan, Netherlands, Ireland, New Zealand

Tier B 32 countries

Broader official country context is available, but the current rate calculation still converts the U.S. occupation benchmark to local currency rather than using local occupation wages.

Examples: Spain, Italy, South Korea, Poland, Sweden, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, Czech Republic

Tier C 90 countries

Local mode applies a country PPP factor to the U.S. occupation benchmark, then converts to local currency. Global mode omits PPP. Use Local mode as a directional proxy.

Examples: India, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria, Philippines, Egypt, Vietnam

Tier D 13 countries

Currency conversion only — no local wage data integrated. Results are US baseline converted at market exchange rate.

Examples: Kenya, Ghana, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Tanzania, Uganda, Cambodia, Bolivia

Tier E 0 countries (excluded from V1)

No reliable economic data available. Tier E is excluded from V1 — these territories won't appear in the country selector. May be added in a future version when data becomes available.

Examples: Small island nations, territories with limited statistical infrastructure, conflict-affected states

V1 Coverage: 157 Countries Across 5 Tiers

Tier A: 22 Tier B: 32 Tier C: 90 Tier D: 13 Tier E: 0 (excluded)

Country Context Sources (Tier A)

These official sources establish the quality of available country context and are candidates for future integration. Except for U.S. BLS OEWS, they are not used as country-by-occupation inputs in the current calculator.

Country Context Source Coverage Update
🇺🇸 United States BLS OEWS ~800 SOC codes May 2025
🇬🇧 United Kingdom ONS ASHE SOC 2020 (4-digit) 2024 release
🇨🇦 Canada Statistics Canada NOC 2021 2024 release
🇦🇺 Australia ABS Employee Earnings ANZSCO 2024 release
🇩🇪 Germany Destatis / Eurostat ISCO-08 (4-digit) 2022–2024
🇫🇷 France INSEE / Eurostat ISCO-08 (4-digit) 2022–2024
🇯🇵 Japan MHLW Basic Survey ISCO-mapped 2024 release
🇳🇱 Netherlands CBS / Eurostat ISCO-08 (4-digit) 2022–2024
🇮🇪 Ireland CSO / Eurostat ISCO-08 (4-digit) 2022–2024
🇳🇿 New Zealand Stats NZ ANZSCO 2024 release

Full Tier A–E source mapping available in the methodology.

⚠️ Important Notes About Data Quality

  • PPP is a proxy, not a survey. Tier C Local mode uses World Bank-informed PPP factors to adjust the U.S. occupation benchmark. This approximates relative purchasing power — it does not capture actual local freelance market dynamics.
  • Tier A/B sources are context only. National SOC/NOC/ANZSCO/ISCO sources listed above are not current calculator inputs outside the United States.
  • Freelance markets differ from employment markets. The relationship between salaried wages and freelance rates varies by industry, skill scarcity, and client type.
  • Exchange rates and PPP factors age. Currency and purchasing-power inputs are periodically reviewed but are not live market feeds.
  • V1 is a starting point. Direct national occupation datasets may be integrated in future versions. Let us know which countries you'd like to see improved.

See rate estimates for your country.

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