The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) measures monthly salaries and wages once a year in its Salaries & Wages Survey. The figures cover Malaysian citizens who are paid employees.
Wage growth at a glance
RM2,940Median monthly salary, 2025Up 5.3% on 2024
3.9%Real median growth, 2025After inflation, at 2010 prices
4.2%Median growth a year2015 to 2025; 2.4% real
RM3,803Mean monthly salary, 2025Up 4.1% on 2024
RM4,571Median, tertiary education2025
RM2,227Median, secondary education2025
Source: DOSM, Salaries & Wages Survey Report 2025, publication tables A1, A3, A13 and D2. Malaysian citizens; from 2020 estimated on the basis of the 2020 Census.
- Median: RM2,940 a month in 2025, 5.3% more than in 2024. After inflation the rise was 3.9%.
- Mean: RM3,803 a month, up 4.1%. The mean is higher than the median because a smaller number of high earners raise the average.
- Ten years: from 2015 to 2025 the median grew 4.2% a year, or 2.4% a year after inflation.
- Education: the median for employees with tertiary education was RM4,571, against RM2,227 with secondary education.
Median and mean salary since 2010
The median rose in every year from 2012 to 2025 except 2020, when it fell 15.0%. That year combines the pandemic with a change of method: from 2020 DOSM estimates the figures on the basis of the 2020 Census.
| Year | Median | Change in median | Mean | Real median, 2010 prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | RM2,940 | +5.3% | RM3,803 | RM2,184 |
| 2024 | RM2,793 | +7.3% | RM3,652 | RM2,103 |
| 2023 | RM2,602 | +7.1% | RM3,441 | RM1,995 |
| 2022 | RM2,429 | +7.7% | RM3,219 | RM1,910 |
| 2021 | RM2,256 | +8.7% | RM3,049 | RM1,832 |
| 2020 | RM2,076 | -15.0% | RM2,954 | RM1,729 |
| 2019 | RM2,442 | +5.8% | RM3,224 | RM2,010 |
| 2018 | RM2,308 | +6.9% | RM3,087 | RM1,912 |
| 2017 | RM2,160 | +8.0% | RM2,879 | RM1,808 |
| 2016 | RM2,000 | +3.0% | RM2,657 | RM1,736 |
| 2015 | RM1,942 | +7.9% | RM2,487 | RM1,722 |
| 2014 | RM1,800 | +5.9% | RM2,377 | RM1,629 |
| 2013 | RM1,700 | +8.6% | RM2,186 | RM1,587 |
| 2012 | RM1,566 | +4.4% | RM2,052 | RM1,493 |
| 2011 | RM1,500 | +0.0% | RM1,959 | RM1,453 |
| 2010 | RM1,500 | – | RM1,936 | RM1,500 |
Monthly salaries and wages of Malaysian citizen employees. The fall in 2020 reflects the pandemic and the switch to estimates based on the 2020 Census. Source: DOSM, Salaries & Wages Survey Report 2025, publication tables A1, A3, A13 and D2. Malaysian citizens; from 2020 estimated on the basis of the 2020 Census.
By education
Pay rises with education. Since 2015, the median grew fastest for employees with no formal education, from a low base, and 4.0% a year for those with tertiary education.
| Highest education | Median, 2025 | Mean, 2025 | Median, 2015 | Median growth a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tertiary | RM4,571 | RM5,260 | RM3,090 | 4.0% |
| Secondary | RM2,227 | RM2,729 | RM1,500 | 4.0% |
| Primary | RM1,754 | RM2,123 | RM1,110 | 4.7% |
| No formal education | RM1,642 | RM1,973 | RM900 | 6.2% |
Source: DOSM, Salaries & Wages Survey Report 2025, publication tables A1, A3, A13 and D2. Malaysian citizens; from 2020 estimated on the basis of the 2020 Census.
By age
Median pay peaks between ages 40 and 44. Each age group is a different set of people in 2025, not one person's career.
| Age | Median, 2025 | Mean, 2025 | Median, 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 to 19 | RM1,776 | RM2,194 | RM900 |
| 20 to 24 | RM1,931 | RM2,378 | RM1,200 |
| 25 to 29 | RM2,285 | RM3,011 | RM1,800 |
| 30 to 34 | RM2,884 | RM3,456 | RM2,180 |
| 35 to 39 | RM3,433 | RM4,168 | RM2,350 |
| 40 to 44 | RM3,826 | RM4,594 | RM2,470 |
| 45 to 49 | RM3,745 | RM4,747 | RM2,500 |
| 50 to 54 | RM3,437 | RM4,783 | RM2,500 |
| 55 to 59 | RM3,222 | RM4,630 | RM2,500 |
| 60 to 64 | RM2,663 | RM3,449 | RM1,400 |
Source: DOSM, Salaries & Wages Survey Report 2025, publication tables A1, A3, A13 and D2. Malaysian citizens; from 2020 estimated on the basis of the 2020 Census.
About these figures
- Who is covered: Malaysian citizens in paid employment. Non-citizens are reported separately by DOSM.
- What is counted: monthly salaries and wages from the main job, before deductions.
- Real salaries: DOSM's table D2 restates each year at 2010 prices, using the consumer price index.
- Median and mean: half of employees earn less than the median. The mean is the average, which high earners pull up.
Latest news
- Malaysia's inflation eases to 1.8% in September19 October 2026
Related guides
Sources
DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey Report 2025, publication tables A1, A3 and D2
- DOSM, Salaries & Wages Survey Report 2025 Publication tables A1 (age), A3 (education) and D2 (real salaries), 2010 to 2025. Malaysian citizens.