Malaysia formal sector wage trends

In June 2026, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) reported that the median monthly wage for formal sector workers rose by 4.8 percent year-on-year to RM3,000. The total number of formal citizen workers increased by 3.3 percent to 7.2 million. A gender wage gap was noted, with female workers earning a median of RM2,964 compared to RM3,000 for males. Sectoral data showed mining and quarrying had the highest median wages, while agriculture had the lowest.

Data from Jobstreet by SEEK Malaysia indicated that the median advertised minimum salary for job vacancies remained unchanged at RM3,000 during the second quarter of 2026 compared to the previous year. While the DOSM figures include bonuses, commissions, and allowances, the Jobstreet data specifically reflects advertised minimums in job postings.

Sectoral growth in advertised minimums was observed in Banking and Financial Services, which rose by 14.3 percent to RM4,000, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT), which increased by 11.1 percent to RM5,000. Geographically, Kuala Lumpur recorded a median advertised minimum of RM3,500, while Sabah recorded RM2,100, and Kelantan, Terengganu, and Pahang recorded RM2,000.