Average wages are obtained by dividing the national-accounts-based total wage bill by the average number of employees in the total economy, which is then multiplied by the ratio of the average usual weekly hours per full-time employee to the average usually weekly hours for all employees. This indicator is measured in USD constant prices using 2016 base year and Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) for private consumption of the same year.

Compensation of employees has two components: gross wages and salaries payable in cash or in kind, and the value of social contributions payable by employers. This indicator is measured as a percentage of gross value added, and broken down by agriculture (including forestry and fishing), industry, and services. All OECD countries compile their data according to the 2008 System of National Accounts (SNA).

The gender wage gap is defined as the difference between median earnings of men and women relative to median earnings of men. Data refer to full-time employees on the one hand and to self-employed on the other.

Wage levels are divided by low pay and high pay. The incidence of low pay refers to the share of workers earning less than two-thirds of median earnings. The incidence of high pay refers to the share of workers earning more than one-and-a-half time median earnings. Data refer to full-time employees.This indicator is measured in percentages.