“English is the language of money."
- Trevor Noah, Born A Crime
Have you ever thought of radically changing your scenery? You know, relocating to a new country. Maybe to experience a new culture? To tap into new professional or business opportunities? To see what's all the hype about countries like Canada, Australia, or those Nordic countries that seem to do everything right in terms of their economy, healthcare, work-life balance, and other happiness factors.
In the age of Trump, these are all fair questions to ask, especially for millennials for whom the card decks are stacked against in all of the above factors. In today's highly globalized world, studying, working and living abroad is more common than ever.
Two of the biggest barriers to making the move, whether you're temporarily or permanently emigrating, is deciding where to go, and the local spoken language. If your objective is to make the most amount of money, then use this guide to pick your target country, and to learn the local language. Check out the full Top 30 list for expats to consider recently published by HSBC.
Here's a list of the most lucrative languages and countries for expats:
1. English
English, as expected, takes the cake with the most cities on the top 30 list of the most lucrative cities for expats, including San Francisco ($207,000), New York ($182,000), and Los Angeles ($161,000), as well as Sydney, Australia ($134,000) and Singapore ($117,000).
Free Lessons | Private Lessons
2. Hindi
Expats in Mumbai earn almost $217,000 on average, the highest of any city and country in the world. That's twice the global average for expats, $99,900. If you can learn Hindi as a second language, and you're in the finance, manufacturing, or commercial sectors, you have a higher chance of earning closer to the $217k.
Free Lessons | Private Lessons
3. German
Switzerland has 2 of the top 30 highest-earning cities in the world. Expats in Zurich earn the 3rd highest salary at $207,000, and expats in Geneva earn the 5th highest salary at $185,000. Switzerland has 4 primary languages: Swiss German (63%), Swiss French (23%), Swiss Italian (8.4%), and Romansh (.6%).
German is also the primary language in Vienna, Austria, where expats can make $103,000, and also in Brussels, Belgium, where expats can earn $102,000.
Free Lessons | Private Lessons
4. Chinese
Expats in Shanghai, where Mandarin Chinese is the primary language, earn $202,000, and in Hong Kong, where Cantonese Chinese is primary, earn $148,000.
Free Lessons | Private Lessons
5. Arabic
Arabic is the primary language in many Middle Eastern cities and countries, such as Dubai ($138,000), Doha, Qatar ($131,000), Abu Dhabi ($128,000), Kuwait ($123,000), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ($117,000), and Muscat, Oman ($116,000).
Free Lessons | Private Lessons
6. French
Expats in Paris earn almost $140,000. French is also spoken in other European countries such as Switzerland.
Free Lessons | Private Lessons
7. Russian
Expats in Moscow earn almost $136,000.
Free Lessons | Private Lessons
8. Japanese
Expats in Tokyo earn almost $133,000.
Free Lessons | Private Lessons
9. Thai
Expats in Bangkok, Thailand earn $120,000.
Free Lessons | Private Lessons
10. Malay
Malay is spoken in Jakarta, Indonesia ($152,000), Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (both $117,000).
Free Lessons | Private LessonsCheck out the full Top 30 list for expats to consider.
