Median salary for employees in Malaysia increased by 7.7% in 2017

PUTRAJAYA: The value of median monthly salaries and wages received by employees rose 7.7% per annum to RM2,160 last year, from RM2,000 in 2016.

This is according to the Salaries & Wages Survey conducted by the Department of Statistics, Malaysia (DOSM).

Median monthly salaries & wages for both male and female employees in 2017 posted high growth of 8.2% and 7% to RM2,170 and RM2,145 respectively, while the value of median monthly salaries and wages for employees with tertiary education remained grew by 3% to RM3,400.

Apart from that, the growth rate for median monthly salaries & wages of employees in the urban area increased by 6.6% per annum to RM2,260. 

In comparison, the median monthly salaries & wages for employees in the rural area grew 3.6% to RM1,400.

The survey is conducted yearly through household approach to collect information of monthly salaries & wages from the principal occupation of paid employees. 

It is carried out using probability sampling covering all states in Malaysia. 

Salaries and wages refer to wage rate consisting of the basic wages, cost-of-living allowances and other guaranteed and regularly paid allowances either in cash or in kind (food or lodging) as well as overtime payment.

In this survey, a paid employee is defined as a person who works for at least six hours a day or at least 20 days a month.

The total number of paid employees in 2017 was 8.7 million persons.