Cover image via 
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp for the latest stories and breaking news.
The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) has released its Employee Wages Statistics (Formal Sector) Report for Q1 2025
Thanks to the latest DOSM data, you can now see how your salary compares to other Malaysians by age, gender, state, industry, and more.
The data shows that Malaysians tend to earn more as they age, until their wages peak in their late 40s
According to DOSM, Malaysians' wages typically rise with age, peaking at RM4,000 per month for those aged 45 to 49. After that, median incomes begin to dip as people approach retirement.
Here's how median wages stack up by age group as of March 2025:
– <20 years – RM1,700
– 20 to 24 years – RM2,045
– 25 to 29 years – RM2,900
– 30 to 34 years – RM3,200
– 35 to 39 years – RM3,627
– 40 to 44 years – RM3,964
– 45 to 49 years – RM4,000 (peak)
– 50 to 54 years – RM3,845
– 55 to 59 years – RM3,627
– 60 to 64 years – RM3,245
– >64 years – RM2,645
Interestingly, the under-20 group saw the highest year-on-year wage growth, increasing by 13.3% despite earning the lowest overall.
Men still earn more than women, but the gap is narrowing
In March 2025, the median monthly wage for men in the formal sector was RM3,000, while women earned RM2,982, a narrow RM18 difference.
Still, DOSM found that men consistently earned more across every age group, reinforcing the continued presence of a gender pay gap, even if it's shrinking slowly.
Here are some of the highest and lowest-paying industry sectors, according to the report
This is how different industries performed in March 2025 based on median monthly wages:
– Mining & quarrying – RM8,800
– Finance & insurance – RM7,700
– Information & communication – RM6,100
– Utilities – RM4,482
– Construction – RM3,000
– Manufacturing – RM2,809
– Agriculture – RM2,200
– Hospitality (F&B and accommodation) – RM2,045
While agriculture saw a 10% wage increase, it still remained one of the lowest-paying sectors.
KL has the highest salaries, but Selangor has the most jobs
Here's a look at median monthly wages by state as of March 2025:
– Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur – RM4,445 (highest)
– Selangor – RM3,300
– Penang – RM3,000 (on par with the national median)
– Johor – RM2,745
– Sabah – RM2,000
– Kelantan and Perlis – RM1,800 (lowest)
Meanwhile, Selangor leads formal sector employment with 1.91 million workers, followed by Kuala Lumpur (1.4 million) and Johor (730,000).
There's good news overall: Salaries are rising. Slowly, but steadily.
DOSM reported that the national median wage in March 2025 hit RM3,000, up from RM2,844 in the same period last year. That's a 5.5% increase year-on-year.
This growth may be linked to steady economic activity, low unemployment, and improved workforce stability in the formal sector.
