MigrantoAverage salary in Palau
What people take home per month and earn per year, by industry and against other countries
Wages in Palau
86% of gross pay stays in hand after income tax and employee contributions
Per employee, all industries
Take-home / mo
$1,232
Gross / yr
$17,184
Salaries in Palau by industry
Take-home pay by industry against the national average
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Key facts
Salaries in Palau in numbers
Pays 9.3× what its neighbour East Timor pays
$1,232 a month here against $133 in East Timor, the widest gap to any neighbouring country.
Other services is paid unusually well in Palau
Here it sits at +22% against the national average, where the same industry usually sits at -19%.
Finance & insurance pays the most
It averages $2,043 a month, 66% above the national average of $1,232.
Industries pay 2.7× apart
Agriculture & fishing sits at the bottom on $753 a month, against a national average of $1,232.
Public-sector work pays above average
Public administration, education and health together average $1,483 a month, 20% above the national average.
Agriculture & fishing is where the country places highest
It ranks #19 of 105 in the world, while Palau ranks #57 of 169 on pay overall.
How salaries in Palau 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
- Other services+22% here, usually -19%
- Arts & recreation+20% here, usually -13%
- Transport & storage+19% here, usually +0%
Pays less than usual here
- IT & communication+28% here, usually +47%
- Energy & utilities+25% here, usually +36%
- Wholesale & retail-22% here, usually -15%
“Usually” is what the same industry pays above or below the national average in a typical country
Data source: Mean monthly earnings 2023 (ILOSTAT), adjusted to 2026 using IMF GDP-per-capita growth
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What you could earn in Palau
Tell us what you do and what you earn today — we'll estimate what someone with your background could earn in Palau, 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 Palau
$632/mo
vs $1,200 in your country
Cost of living
$506
vs $800 in your country
Potential savings
$126
more than in your country
Standard of living
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Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Palau?
The average salary in Palau is $1,432 a month before tax, or $1,232 take-home after tax and social contributions. Over a year that's $17,184 before tax and $14,784 after.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Palau?
The highest-paying jobs in Palau are in finance, professional, and IT. Take-home pay in these industries averages around $2,043 a month (about $28,500 gross a year), roughly 66% above the national average.
What is a good salary in Palau?
A good salary in Palau is generally one above the national average — more than $1,232 take-home a month, or $17,184 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 Palau?
A typical person in Palau spends about $1,184 a month, while the average take-home pay is $1,232. 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 Palau for the full picture.
What are the lowest-paying jobs in Palau?
Agriculture is the lowest-paying industry in Palau. Pay there averages around $753 a month take-home (about $10,512 gross a year). For comparison, the highest-paying industries pay about 2.7 times more.
Is Palau a high-salary country?
Yes. By average after-tax pay, Palau is ahead of 67% of countries worldwide and ranks 6th out of 11 countries in Oceania.
Where to live?
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Living in Palau
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