MINIMUM AND AVERAGE SALARY IN SOUTH KOREA
A Korean salary offer needs more than a quick monthly comparison. Pay differs widely by employer size, industry, work pattern and location, while pension, health-insurance and other deductions affect the amount that reaches your bank account. For anyone planning work in South Korea, the national minimum wage is the legal starting point, not a typical professional salary.
AT A GLANCE
- South Korea’s 2026 national minimum wage is KRW 10,320 per hour.
- The official monthly equivalent is KRW 2,156,880, based on 209 hours a month for a standard 40-hour week including paid weekly rest time.
- Average total monthly wages at establishments with at least one regular employee reached KRW 4.205 million in 2025.
- For December 2024, the average monthly income of wage workers was KRW 3.75 million; the median was KRW 2.88 million.
CONTENTS
Minimum wage in South Korea
South Korea has one nationwide statutory minimum wage. It applies across regions and industries, unlike systems in which each province or city sets a separate rate. From 1 January 2026, the minimum is KRW 10,320 per hour, up KRW 290 from 2025.
National minimum wage
| Measure | KRW | Approx. EUR |
|---|---|---|
| Per hour | 10,320 | 6.59 |
| Per 8-hour day | 82,560 | 52.70 |
| Monthly equivalent | 2,156,880 | 1,377 |
The monthly amount is a legal conversion based on 209 hours: a 40-hour working week plus paid weekly rest time. It is not a separate flat monthly rate for every employee. Part-time workers should assess their pay against the hourly minimum and their actual contractual hours.
IMPORTANT
The minimum wage applies to all businesses, regardless of industry or size. A worker on a probationary period under a contract of at least one year may in some circumstances be paid up to 10% less for the first three months. This reduction does not apply to every role, including specified simple-labour occupations.
Average and median salary
There is no single figure that represents everyone’s salary in South Korea. Government surveys use different populations and definitions, so their results should not be treated as interchangeable.
Ministry of Employment and Labor workplace statistics reported average total monthly wages of KRW 4.205 million in 2025 for employees at establishments with at least one regular worker. This is gross pay and may include regular wages, overtime pay and bonuses.
A separate government study of wage-worker income measured average monthly income at KRW 3.75 million in December 2024, with median income at KRW 2.88 million. The median is especially useful because half of wage workers earned less and half earned more; the average is raised by high incomes among a smaller group of employees.
At an ECB reference rate of roughly KRW 1,566.56 per euro, the 2025 workplace average is about €2,684 per month. The conversion is only a guide: Korean employment contracts, taxes and living costs are all paid in won.
NOTE
Average earnings are not a salary benchmark for a particular vacancy. Experience, Korean-language ability, visa status, shift work and the employer’s benefits package can have a larger effect on an individual offer.
How employer size affects pay
The gap between large corporations and smaller employers is one of the most important features of the Korean labour market. The figures below come from the government’s wage-worker income statistics for December 2024 and show monthly income before an individual employee’s deductions.
Average monthly income by organisation type
| Employer category | KRW per month | Approx. EUR per month |
|---|---|---|
| Large enterprises | 6,130,000 | 3,913 |
| Non-profit enterprises | 3,570,000 | 2,279 |
| Small and medium-sized enterprises | 3,070,000 | 1,959 |
| Sole proprietorships | 2,270,000 | 1,449 |
Financial and insurance activities recorded the highest sectoral average in the same income release, at KRW 7.77 million a month. That does not mean every finance role pays at that level: entry positions, customer-facing work and senior specialist roles can sit far apart.
For foreign professionals, current demand and immigration eligibility matter as much as national wage averages. The page on shortage occupations in South Korea helps place professional skills in the context of the local labour market.
Taxes, social insurance and take-home pay
South Korea uses progressive personal income-tax rates. The taxable base is not simply the gross annual salary: employment-income deductions, personal deductions and other eligible allowances can reduce it. Employees also usually contribute to the National Pension, National Health Insurance, long-term care insurance and employment insurance.
Personal income-tax rates
| Annual taxable income | Tax rate | Quick deduction, KRW |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 14,000,000 | 6% | 0 |
| 14,000,001–50,000,000 | 15% | 1,260,000 |
| 50,000,001–88,000,000 | 24% | 5,760,000 |
| 88,000,001–150,000,000 | 35% | 15,440,000 |
| 150,000,001–300,000,000 | 38% | 19,940,000 |
| 300,000,001–500,000,000 | 40% | 25,940,000 |
| 500,000,001–1,000,000,000 | 42% | 35,940,000 |
| Over 1,000,000,000 | 45% | 65,940,000 |
Local income tax is generally added to national income tax, while insurance contributions depend on the employee’s circumstances and the applicable contribution base. As a result, taking one percentage from gross salary does not produce a reliable net-pay estimate. Use the net salary calculator with the salary stated in the offer and your own circumstances.
Comparing offers and living costs
Seoul often offers the largest number of professional roles and higher nominal pay, but housing can consume a substantial share of income. Deposit requirements, the type of lease, commuting costs and whether an employer provides accommodation can change the value of an offer more than a small difference in gross salary.
Busan, Daegu, Daejeon and Gwangju can offer lower housing costs, although the mix of jobs is different. Understanding living in South Korea helps turn a salary figure into a practical monthly budget rather than a headline number.
Before relocating, include the deposit, first months of rent, travel, documents and an emergency reserve in your plan. The savings calculator can model that target. Once you have a net-pay estimate and expected housing costs, the country salary comparison tool can compare the same scenario with another destination.
Sources
- Ministry of Employment and Labor of the Republic of Korea
- Minimum Wage Commission of the Republic of Korea
- Ministry of Data and Statistics of the Republic of Korea
- Statistics Korea
- National Tax Service of Korea
- European Central Bank
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum wage in South Korea in 2026?
From 1 January 2026, the national minimum wage is KRW 10,320 an hour. Its official monthly equivalent is KRW 2,156,880 based on 209 hours.
Does South Korea have different minimum wages by city?
No. South Korea applies one national minimum wage, so Seoul, Busan and other cities use the same statutory hourly rate.
What is the average salary in South Korea?
Workplace statistics reported average total monthly wages of KRW 4.205 million in 2025. A different wage-worker income survey recorded an average of KRW 3.75 million and a median of KRW 2.88 million in December 2024.
Why are average and median salary different?
High salaries among a smaller number of employees lift the average. The median marks the middle of the distribution and is often closer to what a typical worker earns.
Which employers generally pay more?
Government data show that large enterprises pay considerably more on average than small and medium-sized enterprises. Finance and insurance also record high sectoral average income, although pay varies substantially by role.
How is salary taxed in South Korea?
Personal income tax is progressive, from 6% to 45% of taxable income after deductions. Employees may also pay pension, health-insurance, long-term-care and employment-insurance contributions, plus local income tax.
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of WageCentre, with a degree in finance and 15+ years of professional experience. He writes about salaries, taxes, labour markets, immigration and financial planning for relocation.
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