HOW TO FIND A JOB IN MALAYSIA
Malaysia is a rapidly developing state in Southeast Asia. Through the implementation of a number of measures aimed at attracting foreign investment, the development of science, high technology and services, the local government intends to improve the quality of life of Malaysians to a high level in the near future.
Today, Malaysia's budget revenues are still largely dependent on the export of traditional goods, such as oil, palm oil and rubber. However, the situation is changing rapidly, the economy is transforming, which creates additional prerequisites for the inflow of migrant workers.
Jobs in Malaysia in 2025 for foreigners are available to skilled professionals in services, information technology, medicine, tourism and some industries. Slightly more than a third of the local workforce is employed in the industrial sector (36%), agriculture accounts for up to 11% of workers, and about 53% are in services.
Unemployment in Malaysia in 2025 is about 3–4%. The country is reasonably priced, has good infrastructure, excellent food, affordable medicine and many beautiful places to visit. Next, find out how to find a job in Malaysia, what jobs and salaries are available in 2025 and identify the peculiarities of employment for foreigners.
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Features of labor migration to Malaysia
The population of Malaysia in 2025 is 35.8 million people, of which about 14.3 million is a very real labor force. In addition, the country hosts a large number of migrant workers from other Asian countries. All this creates tangible competition when looking for a job in Malaysia. Also, the local authorities are interested in providing maximum employment for their citizens and impose certain requirements for employment of foreigners.
First of all, forget about illegal work in Malaysia. The country has very strict laws on this subject; violators face heavy fines, deportation, and even imprisonment. To move to Malaysian territory, you need to find an employer in advance, who will issue a foreigner a work permit, after which the Consulate of Malaysia will issue a work visa.
The process of reviewing applications for employment of foreigners and issuance of permits is supervised by the Immigration Department of Malaysia. In most cases to hire a foreign worker local company must prove extreme interest in hiring a specialist from another country due to the lack of such specialists on the local labor market.
There are also age restrictions, the foreigner must be at least 27 years old. The exception is the IT-sector, where the age of 23 is allowed. Usually a work permit in Malaysia is issued for a period of 2 to 5 years. The procedure for obtaining the document is quite complex and lengthy, and can stretch from 2-3 months to six months.
As a rule, qualified technicians and managers of companies have a better chance of employment and obtaining a work visa. Sometimes work experience of at least 2 years and a salary of at least 8 thousand Malaysian ringgit (about 1630 euros) is required.
The official information on the requirements for foreign workers can be found on the website of the Department of Immigration Malaysia – imi.gov.my
How to find a job in Malaysia. Search for a job without intermediaries.
Work in Malaysia requires language skills and qualifications. The main language used by the population of this country is Malay. English and South Chinese dialects are also widespread. Finding a prestigious job in Malaysia without knowing at least an advanced level of English is almost impossible. Higher education and work experience of at least 2-3 years are often mandatory for hiring foreigners.
If possible, visit Malaysia on a tourist visa, look around and talk to locals. Most jobs for foreign applicants are offered in major cities, especially in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. There is a huge concentration of both Malaysian and international companies. For example, Shell, CIMB Group, Exxon Mobil, HSBC, Tenaga, PetGas, Accenture. Contact employers directly.
Have patience and use as many options as possible to find a job in Malaysia. Visit thematic forums and communicate with experienced migrant workers on social media, especially the professional ones – linkedin.com.
Popular Malaysian job search sites
International job portals in Malaysia
Malaysian newspaper websites
If a job in Malaysia without an intermediary is not available, contact an international recruitment agency. For example, adecco.
Jobs and wages in Malaysia
Today Malaysia has a rather comfortable standard of living and as it was already mentioned above, the government is making concrete practical steps to increase the income of local people. The minimum wage in the country, depending on the region, reaches 1,700 ringgit monthly (about 380 dollars). The average wage in Malaysia in 2025 is about 3,160 ringgit per month or 700 dollars.
Available jobs in Malaysia in 2025 for foreigners
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IT and communications industry.
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Oil and gas industry.
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Medicine.
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Tourism and hotel and restaurant business.
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Banking and financial sector.
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Teaching foreign languages, mostly English.
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Electronics and other industries.
As a rule, prestigious and highly paid jobs in Malaysia for men, with salaries starting from 2 thousand euro and more, are offered by large international companies operating in the country. Mostly qualified technical specialists and top managers are needed. There are vacancies for girls in the tourism industry.In the field of unskilled professions, work in Malaysia is practically unavailable.
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