MigrantoAverage salary in Malaysia
What people take home per month and earn per year, by industry and against other countries
Wages in Malaysia
84% of gross pay stays in hand after income tax and employee contributions
Per employee, all industries
Take-home / mo
MYR 3,450
Gross / yr
MYR 49,300
Salaries in Malaysia by industry
Take-home pay by industry against the national average
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Key facts
Salaries in Malaysia in numbers
Education pays the most, and by an unusual margin
It averages MYR 5,980 a month, +73% against the national average, where the same industry usually sits at +16%.
Pays 4.7× what its neighbour Indonesia pays
MYR 3,450 a month here against MYR 726 in Indonesia, the widest gap to any neighbouring country.
Public-sector work pays above average
Public administration, education and health together average MYR 5,220 a month, 51% above the national average.
Industries pay 3.2× apart
Agriculture & fishing sits at the bottom on MYR 1,880 a month, against a national average of MYR 3,450.
Pays well above the middle in Asia
MYR 3,450 a month against MYR 1,850 for the middle country in Asia.
Agriculture & fishing is where the country places highest
It ranks #33 of 105 in the world, while Malaysia ranks #75 of 169 on pay overall.
How salaries in Malaysia compare
Neighbours, region and the world on the same take-home figure
Industries against the world
Where this country pays an industry more, or less, than that industry is usually paid
Pays more than usual here
- Education+73% here, usually +16%
- Mining & quarrying+73% here, usually +24%
- Health & social work+39% here, usually +12%
Pays less than usual here
- Wholesale & retail-31% here, usually -15%
- Staffing & facilities-32% here, usually -18%
- Transport & storage-15% here, usually +0%
“Usually” is what the same industry pays above or below the national average in a typical country
Data source: Mean monthly earnings 2020 (ILOSTAT), adjusted to 2026 using IMF GDP-per-capita growth
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What you could earn in Malaysia
Tell us what you do and what you earn today — we'll estimate what someone with your background could earn in Malaysia, what your living costs might be, and what you could save
- What someone in your field earns
- What you could spend and save
- How it compares with today
Take-home in Malaysia
MYR 2,030/mo
vs MYR 4,870 in your country
Cost of living
MYR 860
vs MYR 3,250 in your country
Potential savings
MYR 1,170
more than in your country
Standard of living
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Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Malaysia?
The average salary in Malaysia is MYR 4,110 a month before tax, or MYR 3,450 take-home after tax and social contributions. Over a year that's MYR 49,300 before tax and MYR 41,400 after.
What is the average salary in Malaysia in US dollars?
The average salary in Malaysia in US dollars is about $12,144 a year before tax, or $850 a month after tax.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Malaysia?
The highest-paying jobs in Malaysia are in education, mining, and IT. Take-home pay in these industries averages around MYR 5,980 a month (about MYR 85,500 gross a year), roughly 73% above the national average.
What is a good salary in Malaysia?
A good salary in Malaysia is generally one above the national average — more than MYR 3,450 take-home a month, or MYR 49,300 gross a year. But a lot depends on your spending, where you live, and your financial goals.
What salary do you need to live comfortably in Malaysia?
A typical person in Malaysia spends about MYR 2,190 a month, while the average take-home pay is MYR 3,450. How much you need to live comfortably depends on the city, your family situation, and how you usually spend. See the cost of living in Malaysia for the full picture.
What are the lowest-paying jobs in Malaysia?
Agriculture is the lowest-paying industry in Malaysia. Pay there averages around MYR 1,880 a month take-home (about MYR 26,800 gross a year). For comparison, the highest-paying industries pay about 3.2 times more.
Is Malaysia a high-salary country?
Moderately. By average after-tax pay, Malaysia is ahead of 56% of countries worldwide and ranks 9th out of 30 countries in Asia.
Where to live?
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Living in Malaysia
See the full country overview