Wish you worked here?

Working in areas of political unrest can be risky, but the reward of an inflated, tax-free salary can mean it is one of the most profitable steps a footloose construction professional can make. According to this year's Hays Montrose/Building international salary guide, British-trained quantity surveyors and project managers are getting healthy pay rises in France and Spain but, in other countries surveyed, salaries have not shifted. So if you want to earn big money abroad, it might be worth taking a look at the Foreign Office's list of potentially dangerous countries.

Raj Sharma, senior manager at Hays Montrose International, says a construction manager working in the UK on £45,000 would get upwards of £60,000 tax free in Nigeria and Papua New Guinea, where civil unrest is rife. But experience is required. "Most clients will specify that a candidate needs to have had international experience. We received over 50 applications for an engineer vacancy in Papua New Guinea."

Money is not the only factor that can make a job in a trouble spot an attractive prospect. David Todd, managing director of quantity surveyor Turner & Townsend (Africa), is based in South Africa and has worked in Burundi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. He says working on projects in these areas has added to the challenge of successfully managing large infrastructure projects.

"We have worked on very interesting projects, and these areas aren't always as dangerous as you might think from listening to the news," he says. "If we are thinking of sending employees to a potentially risky place, the first question is would I go myself? If the answer's no, then I wouldn't expect someone else to go."

The company is keen to get away from the notion that employees receive "danger money". Todd says: "I would have a problem with offering someone more money to work in a dangerous place. For a start, how would you work out how much the risk is worth? If we thought a project was going to be that risky, we wouldn't proceed. Rather, we compensate employees for loss of comfort."

For Todd, a place becomes dangerous when you start to become blasé. "Things can go wrong when you become familiar with a place and so become less watchful. Certainly, in South Africa, you need to be highly aware of security, but in the past 15 years we've had just three incidents. The most dangerous projects we've worked on have actually been mining projects, and in areas of Mozambique that are still covered in land mines."

Consulting engineer Halcrow, which has staff on the ground in countries such as Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, says constant contact with the client is key to operating projects safely in hazardous areas.

"We talk constantly to the client leading the E E project to establish how they are dealing with the situation, and we follow guidance issued by the Foreign Office, embassies and consulates," says Amanda Clarke, human resources director at the group.

Clarke says that in the recent stand-off between India and Pakistan, the company's first move was to ensure it knew the whereabouts of all staff based in the two countries. "The Foreign Office didn't actually say people should leave the area so we gave our staff the choice," she says. "Most stayed, but we made it clear that our first priority was for the welfare of our staff rather than the projects they were working on."

Andy Johnson, director of construction manager Mace's Dubai office, says there are lucrative and exciting opportunities in the United Arab Emirates. "There's no income tax here, though it is an expensive place to live. Dubai is constantly expanding so there's plenty of work. And it's hot (up to 47°C). A great package really!"