Malaysia’s average monthly salary and wages rose 4.1% to RM3,803 in 2025, up from RM3,652 the previous year, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
The median monthly salary and wages also increased 5.3% to RM2,940 from RM2,793 in 2024.
DOSM said Malaysia’s labour market continued to show positive momentum in 2025, with the number of monthly salary and wage recipients rising to 12.01 million from 11.96 million in 2024.
Malaysian citizens accounted for 10.38 million, or 86.4%, of the total full-time paid workforce.
The services sector remained the largest contributor, accounting for 71.5% of wage recipients. The sector grew 1.8% to 7.42 million workers.
In terms of average monthly salary and wages, the mining and quarrying sector recorded the highest at RM6,175, followed by services at RM3,993, manufacturing at RM3,357, construction at RM3,188 and agriculture at RM2,575.
By skill level, skilled workers accounted for 36.6% of all wage recipients and recorded the highest average monthly salary at RM5,799, up from RM5,582 in 2024.
Semi-skilled workers made up 55.6% of wage recipients, with their average monthly salary rising 4.2% to RM2,714 from RM2,604.
Meanwhile, the average monthly salary for low-skilled workers increased 2.6% to RM2,184 from RM2,128 in 2024.
By gender, male wage recipients numbered 6.08 million, or 58.6% of Malaysian citizen wage earners.
The average monthly salary for men rose 4.3% to RM3,921 from RM3,759, while women recorded a 3.9% increase to RM3,635 from RM3,499.
Selangor had the largest share of Malaysian citizen wage earners at 25.6%, followed by Johor at 13.6% and Sarawak at 7.6%.
Putrajaya recorded the highest average monthly salary at RM5,417, followed by Kuala Lumpur at RM4,955 and Selangor at RM4,258.
Five states and federal territories recorded average monthly salaries above the national level: Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang at RM3,912 and Labuan at RM3,887.
DOSM said the positive growth in average and median monthly salaries in 2025 reflected improvements in the labour market and workers’ incomes.
It added that continued efforts to raise productivity, strengthen skills and create high-value jobs would be important to support sustainable real wage growth and workers’ wellbeing.
In line with the aspirations of the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13), DOSM said developing a competitive and productive workforce while strengthening labour market reforms would be crucial to supporting sustainable and inclusive wage growth.
