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Meanwhile, the mean monthly salaries & wages increased to RM3,652, up from RM3,441 in 2023.
Malaysia observed a positive trend in salary increases in 2024 compared to the previous year, with median monthly salaries & wages for Malaysians rising to RM2,793 (2023: RM2,602).
Meanwhile, the mean monthly salaries & wages increased to RM3,652 from RM3,441 in the previous year, according to the Department of Statistics' Salaries & Wages Survey Report 2024 on 29 September 2025.
Chief Statistician Malaysia, Dato’ Sri Dr. Mohd Uzir Mahidin, commented: "Sustained economic expansion and the effective implementation of national policies strengthened Malaysia’s labour market, which led to a steady Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 5.1% 2024.
"Reflecting these favourable economic and healthy labour conditions, the median monthly salaries & wages for Malaysian citizens rose to RM2,793, up from RM2,602 in 2023, while the mean monthly salaries & wages increased to RM3,652 from RM3,441 in the previous year. These gains demonstrated the effectiveness various economic empowerment initiatives in enhancing the quality of life for Malaysia’s workforce."
The Chief Statistician added that as the national economy continues to strengthen, the mean monthly salaries & wages increased by 6.1%, reaching RM3,652 in nominal terms. To assess actual purchasing power and wage resilience, real salaries & wages were analysed after adjusting for inflation.
From this analysis, the real mean monthly salaries & wages of Malaysian citizens rose by 4.2%, from RM2,639 to RM2,750, with the gap widening from RM802 to RM902 compared to nominal salaries & wages in 2024.
Here is a breakdown of the rest of the report:
Age group
In Malaysia, the monthly salaries and wages across age groups in 2023 and 2024 reveal notable differences between median and mean values. In 2024, individuals aged 45–54 had a median income of RM3,345, while the mean was RM4,507. This pattern persists across all age groups, with the 15–24 bracket showing a median of RM1,699 versus a mean of RM2,238. Notably, the 35–44 age group saw one of the highest median increases from RM2,865 in 2023 to RM3,371 in 2024.
Sex
In 2024, males recorded a higher mean monthly salaries & wages at RM3,759 compared to RM3,499 for females.
Strata
On the same note, both urban and rural areas showed a rising trend in mean monthly salaries & wages compared with 2023, reaching RM3,796 in urban areas and RM2,847 in rural areas.
Urban salaries posted a growth of 6.1% (2023: RM3,580, +6.7%), while rural areas experienced a more pronounced increase of 9.2% (2023: RM2,608, +9.9%).
Skill
Elaborating further on salaries & wages by skills category, Chief Statistician Mohd Uzir Mahidin stated that the mean monthly salaries & wages for skilled employees increased by 6.5%, rising by RM340, compared to 7.5% in the preceding year. Within the skilled category, managers continued to record the highest mean monthly salaries & wages, with an increase of 7.2% (2023: 5.1%), followed by professionals at 6.3%, technicians and associate professionals at 5.8%.
For semi-skilled workers, the mean monthly salaries & wages rose moderately by 5.2% (2023: 6.0%), contributed by clerical support workers RM2,931, followed by services and sales workers (RM2,561), craft and related trades workers (RM2,510) and plant and machine-operators and assemblers (RM2,404).
Meanwhile, the mean monthly salaries & wages for the low-skilled category rose by 7.4% to RM2,128, compared to RM1,982 recorded in the previous year.
Sector
According to the Chief Statistician, the services and manufacturing sectors remained key economic pillars that substantially contributed significantly to GDP and employment growth in 2024. In tandem with this situation, the mean monthly salaries & wages for the manufacturing sector posted the highest increase of 7.4% to RM3,278.
This was followed by the services sector, which rose 5.8% to RM3,831, boosted by strong performances in education, information and communication, as well as health and social work activities.
In the meantime, the mining and quarrying sector continued to record the highest mean monthly salaries & wages at RM5,904, while the construction and agriculture sectors recorded at RM3,035 and RM2,409 respectively.
State
At the state level, Putrajaya registered the highest mean monthly salaries & wages at RM5,091. Four other states also surpassed the national mean of RM3,652, namely Kuala Lumpur (RM4,782), Selangor (RM4,052), Labuan (RM3,812), and Pulau Pinang (RM3,787).
Concluding the overall situation on salaries & wages in 2024, this positive growth was driven by various factors that strengthened the nation’s economic activity. Among these were economic and social stability, resilient domestic demand, and the recovery of international trade that supported business and investment expansion.
In this context, the tourism sector, both international and domestic, also played a vital role as a driver of economic growth. Vibrant tourism activities have reinforced related industries such as retail, including small enterprises, accommodation, food and beverages, and transportation.
In addition, the strengthening of the labour market through employment growth, particularly in the services and manufacturing sectors, as well as in the logistics and technology industries, also contributed to the positive momentum that supported the increase in the median and mean monthly salaries & wages of Malaysia citizens.
READ MORE: Malaysia records 7.60 in Happiness Index 2024, placing citizens in the 'Happy' category
Lead image & Infographics / DOSM
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