DOSM: Mean Monthly Salaries In Malaysia Increased By 3.5% In 2021

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

5th October 2022 - 2 min read

Mean monthly salaries and wages received by employees in Malaysia have increased by 3.5% in 2021, from RM2,933 in the previous year to RM3,037. This was revealed in the latest Salaries & Wages Survey Report 2021 released by the Statistics Department of Malaysia (DOSM).

“The increase in monthly salaries and wages was contributed partly by economic and social activities that continued in the second half of 2021 after the country was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said chief statistician of DOSM, Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin in a statement, adding that this clearly signals recovery in the Malaysian economy. In comparison, the mean monthly salaries and wages in 2020 fell by 9% – a first-time decline since DOSM started the Salaries & Wages Survey Report in 2010.

Gender-wise, the average monthly salaries and wages of male employees was reported to have increased by 4.1%, from RM2,963 in 2020 to RM3,085 in 2021. Female workers, meanwhile, saw a hike of 2.7% in their average monthly salaries and wages, from RM2,889 in 2020 to RM2,968 in 2021.

Similarly, the median monthly salaries and wages also recorded an increase of 9.1%, from RM2,062 in 2020 to RM2,250 in 2021. “In 2021, it was found that the median monthly salaries and wages received by male workers was RM2,315 and female workers RM2,145 – an increase of 10.6% and 6.2% respectively compared to 2020,” DOSM shared.

Other than these data, the Salaries & Wages Survey Report 2021 also highlighted various other key statistics regarding the monthly salaries and wages of employees in Malaysia. These include the 3.4% hike in the number of salary and wage earners in Malaysia in 2021, which increased from 9.4 million people in 2020 to 9.7 million people.

Additionally, the report noted that urban areas have higher mean and median monthly salaries and wages as compared to rural areas. Specifically, urban areas have mean and median salaries of RM3,188 and RM2,438, respectively, while rural areas have mean and median salaries of RM2,166 and RM1,520. Other information shared include the mean and median salaries by age group, category of skill, education level, as well as by state.

(Sources: DOSM, Malay Mail)

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Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Previously covered recruitment-related stories and had a short stint as a copywriter for the property industry. She subsequently developed an interest in investment and robo-advisors.

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