Purata gaji, upah bulanan rakyat Malaysia naik 4.1%

According to Malaysia's Department of Statistics, the average monthly salary and wage for Malaysian citizens rose by 4.1% to RM3,803 in 2025, compared to RM3,652 in the previous year, as per the Malaysia Salary and Wage Survey 2025 released by the Department of Statistics today. Simultaneously, the average monthly salary and wage increased by 5.3% to RM2,940 from RM2,793 in 2024.

The Department of Statistics explained that 12.01 million people received monthly salaries and wages in 2024, up from 11.96 million, of which 10.38 million, or 86.4%, were full-time wage earners in Malaysia. "The service sector contributed 71.5% to the increase in the number of wage earners, rising by 1.8% to 7.42 million people.

Meanwhile, the highest average monthly salary and wage remained RM6,175, followed by the service (RM3,993), manufacturing (RM3,357), construction (RM3,188), and agriculture (RM2,575)," the statement noted. In terms of skills, skilled workers, comprising 36.6% of all earners, reported the highest average monthly salary and wage at RM5,799, up from RM5,582 in 2024.

Semi-skilled workers, accounting for 55.6% of earners, saw a 4.2% increase in average monthly salary to RM2,714 from RM2,604, while unskilled workers increased by 2.6% to RM2,184 from RM2,128. "Selangor contributed the highest percentage of total wage earners at 25.6% of the total working population, followed by Johor (13.6%) and Sarawak (7.6%)," the statement added.

The Department of Statistics revealed that five states exceed the national average in monthly salary and wage, namely Putrajaya (RM5,417), Kuala Lumpur (RM4,955), Selangor (RM4,258), Penang (RM3,912), and Labuan (RM3,887). According to the Department of Statistics, positive growth in average and median monthly salary and wage in 2025 reflects better developments in the labor market and worker earnings.

"Moving forward, continued efforts to boost productivity, strengthen skills, and create high-value jobs are crucial in supporting fair wage growth and the well-being of workers. In line with the aspirations of Malaysia's Third Malaysia Plan (RMK13), building a competitive and productive workforce and enforcing labor market reforms are essential in supporting fair and inclusive wage growth," the statement concluded.