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MALAYSIA’S median monthly salary and wage rose 5.3% to RM2,940 in 2025, but more than half of salary and wage earners were in semi-skilled jobs averaging RM2,714 a month, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
The median salary rose from RM2,793 in 2024, while average monthly salary and wage increased 4.1% from RM3,652 to RM3,803, DOSM said in its Salaries and Wages Survey Report 2025 released today.
The figures show continued growth in workers’ earnings, alongside significant differences in pay according to skill level, sector and location.
Semi-skilled workers accounted for the largest share of salary and wage earners at 55.6%, with their average monthly pay rising 4.2% from RM2,604 to RM2,714.
Skilled workers accounted for 36.6% of salary earners and recorded the highest average monthly pay at RM5,799, up from RM5,582 in 2024.
Low-skilled workers recorded average monthly pay of RM2,184, compared with RM2,128 previously, an increase of 2.6%.
By sector, mining and quarrying recorded the highest average monthly salary and wage at RM6,175, followed by services at RM3,993, manufacturing at RM3,357, construction at RM3,188 and agriculture at RM2,575.
The number of monthly salary and wage earners increased marginally to 12.01 million in 2025 from 11.96 million a year earlier. Malaysians accounted for 10.38 million, or 86.4% of all full-time paid employees.
The services sector accounted for 71.5% of salary and wage earners, with the number rising 1.8% to 7.42 million.
Selangor accounted for the largest share of salary and wage earners at 25.6%, followed by Johor at 13.6% and Sarawak at 7.6%.
Average monthly salaries and wages exceeded the national level in five states and federal territories: Putrajaya at RM5,417, Kuala Lumpur at RM4,955, Selangor at RM4,258, Penang at RM3,912 and Labuan at RM3,887.
DOSM said the increase in average and median salaries and wages reflected improved labour market conditions and higher workers’ incomes.
It said continued efforts to raise productivity, strengthen skills and create high-value jobs would be important to support sustainable real wage growth and workers’ well-being.
“In line with the aspirations of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), developing a competitive and productive workforce and strengthening labour market reforms are important to support sustainable and inclusive wage growth,” it said. - September 21, 2026
