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Immigration officer salary in Malaysia

Gaji Pegawai ImigresenGaji Penolong Penguasa ImigresenGaji Penguasa Imigresen

What the Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM) pays new immigration officers at each entry level under the 2026 public-service pay scale, with the allowances set by the JPA circular.

MalaysiaSSPA pay scale · Budget 2026DOSM Salaries & WagesRM per monthUpdated 20 Oct 2026
Government pay scaleMaximum basic / month
Entry, SPMImmigration officer, KP1RM4,680Entry, diplomaAssistant immigration superintendent, KP5RM6,620Entry, degreeImmigration superintendent, KP9RM11,110PromotionGrade 10RM12,150SeniorGrade 12RM13,540SeniorGrade 14RM15,360
Minimum to maximum basicScale RM0 to RM16kSSPA pay scale, Budget 2026
Starting basicRM1,500RM18,000 a yearKP1, SPM or SVMSee the pay breakdown →With allowancesRM2,265RM27,180 a yearBasic plus RM765 fixed allowances, Kuala LumpurSee the pay breakdown →With a degreeRM2,250RM27,000 a yearKP9, RM3,150 with allowancesSee every entry level →Top of grade 1RM4,680RM56,160 a yearMaximum basic at KP1See the pay scale →
At a glance

Immigration officer salary in Malaysia

What the job is: Customs and border inspectors check persons and vehicles crossing national borders to administer and enforce relevant government rules and regulations. ILO ISCO-08, 3351 Customs and Border Inspectors

  • Immigration officer (Pegawai Imigresen): RM1,500 basic a month (SPM or SVM), up to RM1,622 with higher qualifications.
  • With fixed allowances in Kuala Lumpur: RM2,265 a month at KP1.
  • Assistant immigration superintendent (KP5): RM1,650 basic, RM2,460 with allowances.
  • Immigration superintendent (KP9): RM2,250 basic, RM3,150 with allowances.
  • Pay scale: grade 1 runs from RM1,500 to RM4,680, rising RM100 a year.

What a new immigration officer earns

An immigration officer at KP1 starts on RM1,500 basic, plus RM765 in fixed allowances in Kuala Lumpur: RM2,265 a month. Higher qualifications start higher.

Grade KP1, from the SPA service scheme and the JPA allowance circular. The starting point depends on the qualification.

Qualification or pay itemGrade KP1RM a month
SPM or SVMStarting basic1,500
SPM and SKM level 2Starting basic1,561
SPM and SKM level 3Starting basic1,622
Fixed allowances, Kawasan AHousing (ITP) RM300, public service (ITKA) RM115, cost of living (BISH) RM350765
Total fixed pay at the start, SPM or SVMBasic plus fixed allowances, Kawasan A2,265

Sources: SPA scheme page for grade KP1; JPA Pekeliling Perkhidmatan 1/2024, Lampiran E. BISH is lower outside Kawasan A. Totals computed by Foundific.

What it means
  • A year at the start: RM2,265 × 12 = RM27,180.
  • Physical requirements: at least 1.57 m tall and 48 kg for men, 1.53 m and 46 kg for women, a BMI of 19 to 26, a chest of at least 79 cm (84 cm expanded) for men, and V6/9 eyesight without glasses.
  • Allowances counted here are the fixed ones in the JPA circular. Any allowance tied to a particular post is not included.

How to become a immigration officer

Immigration officers enter at KP1, KP5 and KP9, depending on the qualification.

Entry levelQualificationStarting basic, RMWith allowances, RM
Immigration officer (Pegawai Imigresen)SPM or SVM1,5002,265
Immigration officer (Pegawai Imigresen)SPM and SKM level 21,5612,326
Immigration officer (Pegawai Imigresen)SPM and SKM level 31,6222,387
Assistant immigration superintendent (Penolong Penguasa Imigresen)STPM, STAM or matriculation1,6502,460
Assistant immigration superintendent (Penolong Penguasa Imigresen)Diploma1,8932,703
Immigration superintendent (Penguasa Imigresen)Bachelor's degree2,2503,150
Immigration superintendent (Penguasa Imigresen)Bachelor's degree with honours2,4703,370
Immigration superintendent (Penguasa Imigresen)Law degree2,5803,480

Source: SPA scheme pages. Allowances from the JPA circular, Kawasan A: KP1 RM765, KP5 RM810, KP9 RM900. Totals computed by Foundific.

What it means
  • Bahasa Melayu: every route needs a credit in Bahasa Melayu at SPM or SVM.

How pay grows on the government scale

Grade 1 pay rises RM100 a year, from RM1,500 up to RM4,680. Promotion to a higher grade moves an officer onto a higher range.

Minimum and maximum monthly basic salary for each SSPA grade, 2026.

GradeWhoMinimumMaximumYearly increment
1Immigration officer, entry with SPM1,5004,680100
5Assistant immigration superintendent, entry with a diploma1,6506,620145
9Immigration superintendent, entry with a degree2,25011,110225
10Promotion grade3,84012,150250
12Promotion grade5,53013,540270
14Promotion grade6,56015,360320

Source: Ministry of Finance, Budget 2026 establishment list, Lampiran A: SSPA salary codes and minimum-maximum salaries (page A-1). Basic salary only.

What it means
  • Increments only: at RM100 a year, an officer starting at RM1,500 would need about 32 yearly increments to reach RM4,680.

Pay after 5, 10 and 20 years

Starting at RM1,500 at grade 1, with the RM100 yearly increment and no promotion. The grade maximum, RM4,680, is reached after about 32 years.

Years in gradeBasic, RM a monthWith fixed allowances, RM a monthFixed pay, RM a year
At the start1,5002,26527,180
After 5 years2,0002,76533,180
After 10 years2,5003,26539,180
After 20 years3,5004,26551,180

Foundific calculation from the Budget 2026 SSPA scale, with fixed allowances at the Kawasan A rate, which do not rise with increments. Promotion, special payments and allowance changes are not included.

Compared with Malaysian pay overall

A new immigration officer's fixed pay, RM2,265, is below the national median of RM2,940. The public administration and defence median, RM4,483, covers workers of all grades and years.

FigureSourceRM a month
New immigration officer, KP1, basic plus fixed allowances, Kuala LumpurSPA and JPA, 20262,265
Median salary, public administration and defenceDOSM, 20244,483
Median salary, all Malaysian citizensDOSM, 20252,940
Median salary, semi-skilled workers, citizensDOSM, 20252,223
  • Industry median covers all employees in the industry, most of them experienced.
  • Measures differ: DOSM figures cover all paid employees and all ages. The government figure is one fixed pay point. Use them for scale, not as a direct comparison.
  • Your own pay: place it on this scale, the DOSM figures and court awards with the Malaysia salary comparison.

Immigration officers outside government

No official source publishes immigration officer pay outside government.

  • DOSM publishes salaries by state, sector and skill level, but not by job title.
  • Private surveys and job ads use different measures and samples, so their figures are not mixed into the tables here.

Data sources and coverage

Government pay for immigration officers is exact. No official source covers private-sector pay for the job.

SourceWhat it givesStrength
SPA service schemes KP1, KP5, KP9Starting basic pay by qualificationStrong: official and current
Budget 2026, SSPA pay scaleMinimum, maximum and yearly increment for every gradeStrong: official and current
JPA SSPA circular, Lampiran EFixed allowances by grade and areaStrong: official
DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey 2024 and 2025Industry and national mediansWeak for one job title
  • What a payslip shows is basic plus allowances plus any shift, on-call or overtime pay, so it can be higher than the fixed figures here.

Is immigration officer work affected by AI?

The International Labour Organization rates customs and border inspectors Minimal for exposure to generative AI. Its scores cover the job worldwide, so they apply in Malaysia too.

Based on the International Labour Organization's 2025 index, which scores every core task of a job from 0 (AI cannot help) to 1 (AI could do nearly all of it).

Immigration officer
MinimalAI exposure
Not exposedVery high

AI can help with a small part of this job, mostly paperwork.

  • Most exposed taskPerforming related administrative tasks
  • Least exposed taskPatrolling national borders and coastal waters
  • In numbersAI could do a large part of 1 of its 8 main tasks.
Immigration officerISCO 3351
Minimalexposure to generative AI
  1. Not exposed
  2. Minimal
  3. Some
  4. Moderate
  5. High
  6. Very high

Scored as ILO group 3351 Customs and border inspectors. Average task score 0.32, higher than 60% of the 427 jobs the ILO scored.

Seven factors
FactorImmigration officer
1Exposure levelThe ILO's rating for the whole job, from not exposed up to very high.Minimal
2Average task scoreHow much of each core task generative AI could do, averaged. 0 means none, 1 means nearly all.0.32 higher than 60% of jobs
3Tasks AI could do much ofTasks scoring 0.5 or more. These are the parts of the job most likely to change.1 of 8
4Hands-on or people tasksTasks scoring under 0.25: physical, in-person or judgement work that AI barely touches.3 of 8
5How even the exposure isEven means AI touches most tasks a little. Uneven means a few tasks are exposed and the rest are not.Mixed (0.14)
6Most exposed taskWhere AI tools are likely to show up first.Performing related administrative tasks to record findings… 0.53
7Least exposed taskThe task AI can help with least.Patrolling national borders and coastal waters to stop… 0.12
Most and least exposed tasks
Immigration officer
Most exposed tasks
  • 0.53Performing related administrative tasks to record findings, transactions…
  • 0.48Checking travel documents of persons crossing national borders to ensure that…
  • 0.42Examining transport documents and freight of vehicles crossing national…
Least exposed tasks
  • 0.12Patrolling national borders and coastal waters to stop persons from illegally…
  • 0.18Detaining persons and seizing prohibited and undeclared goods found to be in…
  • 0.24Coordinating and cooperating with other agencies involved in law enforcement…
Compared with our other Malaysian guides
JobExposureAvg task score
Administrative assistantVery high0.59
AccountantHigh0.51
IT officerModerate0.49
Computer technicianModerate0.47
PTD officerMinimal0.42
PsychologistSome0.39
ArchitectMinimal0.37
Legal officerMinimal0.36
PharmacistMinimal0.33
Customs officerMinimal0.32
EngineerNot exposed0.30
TeacherNot exposed0.30
DoctorNot exposed0.29
Agriculture officerNot exposed0.28
PhysiotherapistMinimal0.28
Assistant engineerNot exposed0.28
Medical assistantNot exposed0.23
RadiographerNot exposed0.22
NurseMinimal0.22
FirefighterNot exposed0.18
DentistNot exposed0.15
Prison officerNot exposed0.14
Source: ILO Working Paper 140, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (Gmyrek et al., 2025), CC BY 4.0. Malaysian jobs are matched to ILO groups by their ISCO-08 code; MASCO follows ISCO-08 at four digits. The ILO scores international job groups, not Malaysian titles. How we read the AI scores.
What it means
  • What exposure measures: how much of the work AI could do or speed up. It does not measure job cuts.

What the pay figures include

Every figure is monthly basic pay or fixed allowances, before deductions.

MeasureIncludesExcludes
Basic salaryGaji pokok on the SSPA scaleAllowances, shift, on-call and overtime pay, special payments
Fixed allowancesITP, BISH, ITKA or ITK, and BIPK as advertised for the postShift, on-call and overtime pay
DOSM salaryMonthly salaries and wages of paid employeesSelf-employed and unpaid family workers

Questions

What is the immigration officer salary in Malaysia?

A new government immigration officer starts on RM1,500 basic a month (KP1, SPM or SVM). With fixed allowances in Kuala Lumpur the total is RM2,265 a month, in 2026.

What is the immigration officer salary per year in Malaysia?

RM2,265 a month is RM27,180 a year in fixed pay, before any shift, on-call or overtime pay and before the special payments the government announces each year.

How does a government immigration officer's pay grow with years in service?

On the yearly increment alone, basic pay at grade 1 rises RM100 a year: from RM1,500 to about RM2,000 after 5 years and RM2,500 after 10, before any promotion. Foundific calculation from the Budget 2026 scale.

What is the highest immigration officer salary in government?

Grade 1 runs from RM1,500 to RM4,680 in basic pay. The highest grade in this guide, 14, has a maximum of RM15,360 a month.

How much does a immigration officer earn in a private company?

No official source publishes immigration officer pay outside government.

What is the difference between KP1 and KP9 for immigration officers?

KP1 (immigration officer) is the SPM entry and starts at RM1,500 basic. KP9 (immigration superintendent) is the degree entry and starts at RM2,250. The KP9 scale runs to RM11,110, against RM4,680 at KP1.

Where do these figures come from?

Starting pay is from the SPA service scheme pages, the pay scale from the Budget 2026 establishment list, and allowances from the JPA SSPA circular. Private-sector context is from DOSM and Industrial Court awards.

MalaysiaMalaysia salary overviewPay by state, sector and skill MalaysiaCustoms officer salary in MalaysiaGovernment grades, starting pay and allowancesRM2,250 starting basic MalaysiaFirefighter salary in MalaysiaGovernment grades, starting pay and allowancesRM1,500 starting basic MalaysiaPrison officer salary in MalaysiaGovernment grades, starting pay and allowancesRM1,500 starting basic

Sources

SPA service schemes, Ministry of Finance Budget 2026, JPA SSPA circular, DOSM
  1. Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam, Syarat Permohonan: Pegawai Imigresen Gred Kp1.
  2. Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam, Syarat Permohonan: Penolong Penguasa Imigresen Gred Kp5.
  3. Ministry of Finance, Budget 2026 establishment list, Lampiran A. SSPA minimum-maximum salaries, page A-1.
  4. JPA, Pekeliling Perkhidmatan Bil. 1/2024 (SSPA), Lampiran E: ITP, ITKA and BISH by grade and area.
  5. DOSM, Salaries & Wages Survey Report 2025 and the 2024 report.