Household income in Johor has grown since 2022, with the state now sitting among the highest in Malaysia by both average and median income levels, according to data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

The figures were shared by Lee Ting Han, chairman of the State Investment, Trade, Consumer Affairs and Human Resources Committee, at the Johor State Legislative Assembly on 7 May 2026.

Two Numbers, Two Different Readings

The average and median figures measure different things, and which one is closer to your situation depends on where your household income falls.

Average household income, now RM9,484 per month, tends to sit above what most households actually take home because it is pulled upward by higher earners. Median income, at RM7,712 per month, is the midpoint where half of all Johor households earn above this and half earn below it. In 2022, the average stood at RM8,517 and the median at RM6,879.

Both have risen since 2022, which suggests income gains have not been limited to the top end of the distribution.

Unemployment Stays Below The National Rate

The state’s unemployment rate stood at 2.5% as of end-2025, compared with the national average of 2.9%, based on DOSM’s Labour Force Survey.

Lee attributed part of this to Johor’s investment activity, which drew RM49.5 billion in domestic direct investment (DDI) and RM60.5 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) last year.

Where Your Household Stands In The Distribution

The median figure of RM7,712 is the more practical reference point if you want to gauge where your household income stands relative to others in Johor. If you are earning below RM7,712 per month, you are in the lower half of the state’s income distribution. If you are above it, you are in the upper half.

The RM1,772 gap between the median and the average reflects how higher earners pull the overall average upward, which is worth bearing in mind when reading state-level income headlines. A rising average does not necessarily mean the gains are reaching every household equally.

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Christina Chandra

Christina writes about personal finance with an eye for making the complicated feel straightforward. She is drawn to the everyday money decisions people face and genuinely enjoys finding the clearest way to explain them. Between articles, she is probably napping, on a hiking trail, or terrorising her sister’s cats.

About THE AUTHOR

Christina Chandra

Christina Chandra

Christina writes about personal finance with an eye for making the complicated feel straightforward. She is drawn to the everyday money decisions people face and genuinely enjoys finding the clearest way to explain them. Between articles, she is probably napping, on a hiking trail, or terrorising her sister's cats.

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