A person working as Journalist in Kuala Lumpur typically earns around 8,540 MYR. Salaries range from 4,180 MYR (lowest) to 13,300 MYR (highest).
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Journalist salaries in Kuala Lumpur vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Minimum Salary 4,180 MYR |
Median 7,960 MYR |
Maximum 13,300 MYR |
Salaries for the position Journalist in Kuala Lumpur range from 4,180 MYR (starting salary) to 13,300 MYR (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.
With a median salary of 7,960 MYR, half of the professionals who work as Journalist in Kuala Lumpur earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.
The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Journalist in Kuala Lumpur earn less than 6,510 MYR, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 9,110 MYR while 25% earn more.
To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Journalist in Kuala Lumpur compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 4,960 MYR to 6,990 MYR. About 20% of salaries are below the 4,960 MYR mark, while 10% fall within the range of 6,990 MYR to 7,920 MYR. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 7,920 MYR.
0 - 2 Years | 4,960 MYR | |
2 - 5 Years | +29% | 6,380 MYR |
5 - 10 Years | +38% | 8,800 MYR |
10 - 15 Years | +24% | 10,900 MYR |
15 - 20 Years | +7% | 11,700 MYR |
20+ Years | +7% | 12,500 MYR |
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Journalist and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 4,960 MYR.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 6,380 MYR, 29% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 8,800 MYR, 38% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 10,900 MYR, 24% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 11,700 MYR, 7% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 12,500 MYR, 7% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
High School | 6,190 MYR | |
Certificate or Diploma | +15% | 7,110 MYR |
Bachelor's Degree | +35% | 9,570 MYR |
Master's Degree | +26% | 12,000 MYR |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position Journalist in order to make a comparison.
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 6,190 MYR.
At this level, the average salary becomes 7,110 MYR, 15% more than the previous level.
At this level, the average salary becomes 9,570 MYR, 35% more than the previous level.
At this level, the average salary becomes 12,000 MYR, 26% more than the previous level.
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Malaysia costs anywhere from 33,100 MYR to 99,200 MYR and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch to a higher-paying job. The numbers seem to support the theory. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Journalist in Malaysia, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 5%.
Male | 7,840 MYR | |
Female | -5% | 7,430 MYR |
Individuals working as Journalist in Malaysia are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately % every months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 17 months.
The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency
Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.
100% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while % said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from % to % of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | % | |
No Bonus | 100% |
The most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
The main two types of jobs | |
Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Journalist in Kuala Lumpur is 24 MYR. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment | -100% | |
3D Artist | 6,660 MYR | -22% |
3D Designer | 6,420 MYR | -25% |
3D Generalist | 5,610 MYR | -34% |
3D Visualization Specialist | 6,270 MYR | -27% |
Acrobatic Rigger | 4,180 MYR | -51% |
Actor | 8,760 MYR | +3% |
Art Administrator | 6,830 MYR | -20% |
Art Director | 8,800 MYR | +3% |
Art Lead | 8,350 MYR | -2% |
Artificial Intelligence Generated Art Creator | 6,360 MYR | -26% |
Associate Media Director | 7,240 MYR | -15% |
Associate Producer | 9,540 MYR | +12% |
Broadcast and Sound Engineer | 5,740 MYR | -33% |
Broadcast Associate | 4,840 MYR | -43% |
Broadcast News Analyst | 6,920 MYR | -19% |
Broadcast Technician | 4,170 MYR | -51% |
Broadcasting Journalist | 7,840 MYR | -8% |
Broadcasting Presenter | 8,490 MYR | -1% |
Camera Equipment Repairer | 4,420 MYR | -48% |
Camera Operator | 4,100 MYR | -52% |
Cartoonist / Animator | 6,580 MYR | -23% |
CAS Engineer | 7,040 MYR | -18% |
Censorship Executive | 7,660 MYR | -10% |
Chief Social Media Officer | 11,400 MYR | +34% |
Choreographer | 5,830 MYR | -32% |
Colorist | 3,450 MYR | -60% |
Communications Manager | 9,900 MYR | +16% |
Content Moderator | 5,890 MYR | -31% |
Correspondent | 7,560 MYR | -11% |
Dance Director | 6,610 MYR | -23% |
Dancer | 5,960 MYR | -30% |
Digital Content Manager | 9,470 MYR | +11% |
Digital Music Promoter | 8,130 MYR | -5% |
Director of Photography | 7,260 MYR | -15% |
Disc Jockey | 4,200 MYR | -51% |
Drone Cinematographer | 6,770 MYR | -21% |
Editorial Assistant | 3,720 MYR | -56% |
Events Manager | 6,580 MYR | -23% |
Graphic Designer | 4,780 MYR | -44% |
Illustrator | 5,060 MYR | -41% |
Industrial Designer | 4,440 MYR | -48% |
Influencer Marketing Manager | 9,250 MYR | +8% |
Influencer Outreach Specialist | 7,320 MYR | -14% |
Instructional Designer | 4,400 MYR | -48% |
Internet Community Manager | 6,250 MYR | -27% |
Internet Radio Producer | 10,100 MYR | +18% |
Journalist | 8,540 MYR | +0% |
Live Streaming Moderator | 5,830 MYR | -32% |
Live Streaming Producer | 8,880 MYR | +4% |
Live Streaming Specialist | 6,270 MYR | -27% |
Makeup Artist | 4,380 MYR | -49% |
Media Design Manager | 11,600 MYR | +36% |
Media Equipment Operator | 3,850 MYR | -55% |
Media Operations Manager | 9,300 MYR | +9% |
Media Planner | 6,460 MYR | -24% |
Media Producer | 8,910 MYR | +4% |
Media Product Development Manager | 11,100 MYR | +30% |
Media Production Manager | 11,000 MYR | +29% |
Media Program Director | 12,500 MYR | +46% |
Media Relation Executive | 12,700 MYR | +49% |
Media Relations Manager | 12,000 MYR | +41% |
Media Sales Manager | 12,400 MYR | +45% |
Movement and Dance Coordinator | 7,150 MYR | -16% |
Multimedia Coordinator | 4,710 MYR | -45% |
Multimedia Designer | 4,780 MYR | -44% |
Music Consultant | 5,870 MYR | -31% |
Music Producer | 9,760 MYR | +14% |
Musician | 4,980 MYR | -42% |
News Associate | 6,040 MYR | -29% |
News Reporter | 8,120 MYR | -5% |
Online Community Moderator | 6,110 MYR | -28% |
Podcast Advertising Specialist | 6,410 MYR | -25% |
Podcast Producer | 6,850 MYR | -20% |
Post Production Assistant | 4,210 MYR | -51% |
Producer | 11,000 MYR | +29% |
Product Designer | 4,650 MYR | -46% |
Product Planner | 6,210 MYR | -27% |
Production Artist | 6,320 MYR | -26% |
Production Assistant | 3,970 MYR | -54% |
Production Director | 9,290 MYR | +9% |
Production Technician | 3,880 MYR | -55% |
Program Researcher | 7,040 MYR | -18% |
Promotion Coordinator | 5,580 MYR | -35% |
Social Media Compliance Manager | 7,590 MYR | -11% |
Social Media Compliance Officer | 6,600 MYR | -23% |
Sound Engineer | 5,770 MYR | -32% |
Sound Engineering Technician | 3,340 MYR | -61% |
Stage Technician | 3,660 MYR | -57% |
Sub Editor | 3,990 MYR | -53% |
Television Executive Producer | 12,600 MYR | +48% |
Transmission Engineer | 6,410 MYR | -25% |
Video Editor | 5,270 MYR | -38% |
Video Producer | 6,730 MYR | -21% |
Videographer | 6,110 MYR | -28% |
Virtual / Augmented Reality Content Creator | 10,400 MYR | +22% |
Virtual Set Designer | 7,190 MYR | -16% |
Virtual Staging Specialist | 7,520 MYR | -12% |
Visual Designer | 6,450 MYR | -24% |
Visual Effects Artist | 6,680 MYR | -22% |
Voiceover Artist | 5,760 MYR | -33% |
City | Average Salary |
Johor Bahru | 7,900 MYR |
Kuala Lumpur | 8,540 MYR |
Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in Malaysia is 9% on average across all career fields.
Private Sector | 6,340 MYR | |
Public Sector | +9% | 6,900 MYR |
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 7,960 MYR and 9,110 MYR. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.
The base salary for a careers like Journalist in Kuala Lumpur ranges from 4,180 MYR to 6,510 MYR. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary