MigrantoAverage salary in South Korea
What people take home per month and earn per year, by industry and against other countries
Wages in South Korea
84% of gross pay stays in hand after income tax and employee contributions
Per employee, all industries
Take-home / mo
₩4.3M
Gross / yr
₩62M
Salaries in South Korea by industry
Take-home pay by industry against the national average
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Key facts
Salaries in South Korea in numbers
Out-earns every neighbour
No neighbouring country pays more. The closest is Hong Kong at ₩3,500,000 a month against ₩4,330,000 here. The widest gap is to Mongolia, where pay is 6.3× lower.
Pays well above the middle in Asia
₩4,330,000 a month against ₩692,000 for the middle country in Asia.
Health & social work is paid unusually poorly in South Korea
Here it sits at -26% against the national average, where the same industry usually sits at +12%.
Finance & insurance pays the most
It averages ₩7,010,000 a month, 62% above the national average of ₩4,330,000.
Industries pay 2.7× apart
Hospitality & food sits at the bottom on ₩2,620,000 a month, against a national average of ₩4,330,000.
Public-sector work pays below average
Public administration, education and health together average ₩3,550,000 a month, 18% below the national average.
How salaries in South Korea 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
- Agriculture & fishing-11% here, usually -38%
- Energy & utilities+56% here, usually +36%
- Wholesale & retail+0% here, usually -15%
Pays less than usual here
- Health & social work-26% here, usually +12%
- Real estate-26% here, usually +5%
- IT & communication+20% here, usually +47%
“Usually” is what the same industry pays above or below the national average in a typical country
Data source: Mean monthly earnings 2022 (ILOSTAT), adjusted to 2026 using IMF GDP-per-capita growth
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What you could earn in South Korea
Tell us what you do and what you earn today — we'll estimate what someone with your background could earn in South Korea, 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 South Korea
₩2,070,000/mo
vs ₩1,820,000 in your country
Cost of living
₩850,000
vs ₩1,210,000 in your country
Potential savings
₩1,230,000
more than in your country
Standard of living
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Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in South Korea?
The average salary in South Korea is ₩5,160,000 a month before tax, or ₩4,330,000 take-home after tax and social contributions. Over a year that's ₩62,000,000 before tax and ₩51,900,000 after.
What is the average salary in South Korea in US dollars?
The average salary in South Korea in US dollars is about $40,848 a year before tax, or $2,852 a month after tax.
What are the highest-paying jobs in South Korea?
The highest-paying jobs in South Korea are in finance, energy, and professional. Take-home pay in these industries averages around ₩7,010,000 a month (about ₩100,000,000 gross a year), roughly 62% above the national average.
What is a good salary in South Korea?
A good salary in South Korea is generally one above the national average — more than ₩4,330,000 take-home a month, or ₩62,000,000 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 South Korea?
A typical person in South Korea spends about ₩1,910,000 a month, while the average take-home pay is ₩4,330,000. 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 South Korea for the full picture.
What are the lowest-paying jobs in South Korea?
Hospitality is the lowest-paying industry in South Korea. Pay there averages around ₩2,620,000 a month take-home (about ₩37,500,000 gross a year). For comparison, the highest-paying industries pay about 2.7 times more.
Is South Korea a high-salary country?
Yes. By average after-tax pay, South Korea is ahead of 88% of countries worldwide and ranks 2nd out of 30 countries in Asia.
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Living in South Korea
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