Malaysia has no official median starting salary for fresh graduates. The Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) publishes the share of new graduates in each income band, and DOSM publishes pay for graduates aged 24 and under.
Fresh graduate salary at a glance
- Degree: the largest group of 2025 graduates, 23.8%, earned RM3,001 to RM4,000 a month. Another 46.8% earned RM2,500 or less.
- Diploma: 43.2% earned RM1,501 to RM2,000, and 58.6% earned RM2,000 or less.
- Highest-paid field: 59.1% of ICT degree graduates earned above RM3,000, against 9.9% in education.
- DOSM: graduates aged 24 and under had a median of RM2,031 a month in 2024.
What do new graduates earn?
KPT surveys graduates when they collect their scroll. The 2025 survey reached 330,237 of 345,280 Malaysian graduates, a response rate of 95.6%.
| Monthly income | Degree | Diploma | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|
| RM1,000 and below | 6.6% | 7.6% | 12.2% |
| RM1,001 to RM1,500 | 5.1% | 7.8% | 14.2% |
| RM1,501 to RM2,000 | 16.2% | 43.2% | 44.9% |
| RM2,001 to RM2,500 | 18.9% | 23.5% | 15.6% |
| RM2,501 to RM3,000 | 17.3% | 10.4% | 5.7% |
| RM3,001 to RM4,000 | 23.8% | 5.3% | 4.7% |
| RM4,001 to RM5,000 | 7.5% | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| RM5,001 to RM10,000 | 3.9% | 1.0% | 1.2% |
| Above RM10,000 | 0.8% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Employed respondents | 107,899 | 59,259 | 17,319 |
- Degree holders: 36.0% earned above RM3,000, and 12.2% above RM4,000.
- Diploma holders: 7.6% earned above RM3,000.
- Certificate holders: 44.9% earned RM1,501 to RM2,000.
The report gives bands only. It publishes no median or average and no figure by course or university.
Degree pay by field of study
| Field of study | Largest band | RM2,000 or less | Above RM3,000 | Respondents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information and communication technologies | RM3,001 to RM4,000 | 12.9% | 59.1% | 10,866 |
| Health and welfare | RM3,001 to RM4,000 | 27.9% | 43.7% | 5,682 |
| Engineering, manufacturing and construction | RM3,001 to RM4,000 | 15.4% | 42.2% | 20,689 |
| Business, administration and law | RM3,001 to RM4,000 | 23.3% | 38.5% | 35,459 |
| Social sciences, journalism and information | RM3,001 to RM4,000 | 32.7% | 31.4% | 7,809 |
| Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics | RM2,001 to RM2,500 | 31.9% | 26.6% | 7,097 |
| Services | RM2,001 to RM2,500 | 31.5% | 23.9% | 3,608 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary | RM1,501 to RM2,000 | 44.2% | 20.4% | 1,143 |
| Arts and humanities | RM1,501 to RM2,000 | 56.0% | 15.4% | 9,348 |
| Education | RM1,501 to RM2,000 | 62.8% | 9.9% | 6,165 |
Information and communication technologies (ICT) graduates had the highest pay. 59.1% earned above RM3,000, and 23.2% above RM4,000.
- Health and welfare: 43.7% above RM3,000.
- Engineering, manufacturing and construction: 42.2% above RM3,000.
- Business, administration and law: 38.5% above RM3,000, from the largest group of respondents, 35,459.
- Lowest: education, where 62.8% earned RM2,000 or less, and arts and humanities, at 56.0%.
Diploma pay by field of study
| Field of study | Largest band | RM2,000 or less | Above RM3,000 | Respondents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health and welfare | RM1,501 to RM2,000 | 45.2% | 8.8% | 3,441 |
| Information and communication technologies | RM1,501 to RM2,000 | 57.0% | 8.6% | 3,004 |
| Arts and humanities | RM1,501 to RM2,000 | 62.9% | 8.4% | 5,117 |
| Engineering, manufacturing and construction | RM1,501 to RM2,000 | 51.8% | 8.4% | 19,631 |
| Social sciences, journalism and information | RM1,501 to RM2,000 | 59.4% | 8.4% | 1,045 |
| Business, administration and law | RM1,501 to RM2,000 | 61.1% | 7.7% | 15,513 |
| Services | RM1,501 to RM2,000 | 63.3% | 5.5% | 6,753 |
| Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics | RM1,501 to RM2,000 | 73.4% | 3.9% | 520 |
| Education | RM1,501 to RM2,000 | 80.6% | 3.2% | 3,143 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary | RM1,501 to RM2,000 | 71.8% | 3.1% | 1,092 |
RM1,501 to RM2,000 is the largest band in every diploma field. Fewer than one in ten diploma graduates in any field earned above RM3,000; health and welfare had the highest share, at 8.8%.
Public and private universities
Degree graduates of private universities and colleges reported higher pay than those of public universities.
- Private: 52.4% earned above RM3,000, from 34,867 respondents.
- Public: 28.1% earned above RM3,000, from 72,794 respondents.
- RM2,000 or less: 16.8% of private graduates and 33.2% of public graduates.
The report does not explain the gap. The mix of courses differs between the two groups.
How many graduates had a job?
92.3% of the 2025 graduates in the labour force had a job at convocation, against 92.5% for 2024.
- Degree: 92.2%.
- Diploma: 90.6%.
- Highest of the main fields: engineering, manufacturing and construction, at 95.7%, for all levels together.
- Lowest field: education, at 88.4%.
Graduates continuing their studies are outside the labour force and are not counted. Of those in work, 72.1% held skilled jobs.
Pay of young graduates and young workers
| Year | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | RM1,520 | RM1,951 |
| 2021 | RM1,618 | RM1,976 |
| 2022 | RM1,689 | RM2,088 |
| 2023 | RM1,747 | RM2,242 |
| 2024 | RM2,031 | RM2,456 |
| Age, all education levels | Median, 2025 | Mean, 2025 | Median, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 to 19 | RM1,776 | RM2,194 | – |
| 20 to 24 | RM1,931 | RM2,378 | RM1,699 |
| 25 to 29 | RM2,285 | RM3,011 | RM2,095 |
| All ages | RM2,940 | RM3,803 | – |
DOSM's figure for graduates aged 24 and under rose from RM1,520 in 2020 to RM2,031 in 2024. It covers degree and diploma holders together, so it sits below the tracer study's degree bands.
The wage survey covers every education level. Workers aged 20 to 24 had a median of RM1,931 in 2025, up from RM1,699 in 2024.
Unemployment and underemployment of young graduates
DOSM's 2024 figures show young graduates have far higher unemployment than graduates as a whole.
- Aged 24 and under: 16.7% unemployed, against 3.2% for all graduates.
- Degree holders aged 24 and under: 20.5% unemployed.
- Skill-related underemployment: 66.0% of employed graduates aged 24 and under worked in semi-skilled or low-skilled jobs.
Minimum wage and the graduate minimum
- Minimum wage: RM1,700 a month from 1 February 2025, for employers with five or more workers.
- From June 2027: RM2,000, announced in the Budget 2027 speech of 9 October 2026, with small firms below RM50 million in sales exempt.
- Graduate minimum: the same speech announced RM2,500 a month for graduates and semi-skilled workers, without a start date.
- Government jobs: grade 9 degree schemes start from RM2,250, the bottom of the scale. The government starting pay article lists each scheme.
The Progressive Wage Policy white paper of 2023 put the median pay of graduate entry-level posts at RM2,066 in 2019 and RM1,624 in 2022.
What the figures include and leave out
- Tracer study income: monthly income reported by the graduate at convocation. The report does not say whether it is basic or gross pay.
- Timing: answers are given at convocation, not at a fixed time after the course ends.
- DOSM graduates: anyone whose highest certificate is a diploma or degree from a course of at least two years.
- DOSM wages: basic pay, regular allowances and overtime, without bonuses.
Questions
What is the average salary of a fresh graduate in Malaysia?
No official average is published. KPT's tracer study of 2025 graduates shows 23.8% of degree holders earning RM3,001 to RM4,000 a month, the largest group, and 46.8% earning RM2,500 or less. DOSM puts the median for graduates aged 24 and under at RM2,031 in 2024.
What do diploma graduates earn in Malaysia?
43.2% of 2025 diploma graduates earned RM1,501 to RM2,000 a month, and 58.6% earned RM2,000 or less. 7.6% earned above RM3,000.
Which degree pays the most for fresh graduates in Malaysia?
ICT, with 59.1% of 2025 degree graduates earning above RM3,000, followed by health and welfare at 43.7% and engineering at 42.2%. Education and arts and humanities had the lowest pay.
Is there a minimum salary for graduates in Malaysia?
Not yet. The Budget 2027 speech announced a RM2,500 minimum for graduates and semi-skilled workers but gave no start date. The general minimum wage is RM1,700, rising to RM2,000 in June 2027.
Related guides
Sources
KPT Graduate Tracer Study Report 2025, DOSM Graduates Statistics 2024, DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey Report 2025, Budget 2027 speech
- KPT, Laporan Kajian Pengesanan Graduan 2025 (Graduate Tracer Study Report 2025) Listed on the GREaT portal in October 2026. Income bands by level (Jadual 4m), by field (Jadual 4o) and trend counts (Jadual 9b).
- KPT, Statistik Pendidikan Tinggi 2025, Bab 7 Kajian Pengesanan Graduan Graduate employment rates by level and field.
- DOSM, Graduates Statistics 2024 Released 31 October 2025. Salaries, unemployment and underemployment of graduates by age and qualification.
- DOSM, Salaries & Wages Survey Report 2025 Released 21 September 2026. Median and mean pay by age, Table A1.
- Ministry of Finance, Budget 2027 speech 9 October 2026, paragraph 32: minimum wage and the graduate minimum.
- Ministry of Economy, Kertas Putih Cadangan Dasar Gaji Progresif 30 November 2023. Median pay of graduate entry-level posts, section 2.8.