Average Salary in Seoul 2024

How much money does a person working in Seoul make?

Average Monthly Salary

4,380,000 KRW

( 52,500,000 KRW yearly)

LOW
1,100,000
KRW AVERAGE
4,380,000
KRW HIGH
19,500,000
KRW

Pay Scale and Salaries in Seoul

Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison

5% of people earn
8,110,000 KRW or more

10% of people earn
6,350,000 to 8,110,000 KRW

20% of people earn
2,470,000 KRW or less

65% of people earn
2,470,000 to 6,350,000 KRW

Minimum Salary 1,100,000 KRW

Median 3,730,000 KRW

Maximum 19,500,000 KRW

Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range

• Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary

  Salaries in Seoul range from 1,100,000 KRW (starting salary) to 19,500,000 KRW (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher). This is not the minimum wage as per the law, only the lowest reported number in the salary survey that had thousands of participants and professionals from all over the country.

• Median Salary

  The median salary is 3,730,000 KRW, which means that 50% of the population in Seoul earns less than that while the other half earns more. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.

• Percentiles and Salary Scale

  Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of the population in Seoul earn less than 2,690,000 KRW while 75% of them earn more. Also from the diagram, 75% of the population earn less than 5,650,000 KRW while 25% earn more than that.

• Pay Scale Structure

  We grouped the most common and recurring salaries into brackets to give more insight into what salary to expect. This method is more accurate than just the average salary and gives more insights into how salaries are actually distributed in Seoul. Around 65% of all reported figures are in the range 2,470,000 KRW to 6,350,000 KRW. Approximately 20% fall under the 2,470,000 KRW cap. Ten percent of wages are from 6,350,000 KRW to 8,110,000 KRW. Only 5% of people grossed 8,110,000 KRW or more.

Salary Comparison by Years of Experience

How does a person's salary progress over time?

Salary is primarily determined by the level of experience one possesses, with higher levels of experience resulting in higher wages.

In Seoul, employees with two to five years of experience typically earn an average of 32% more than entry-level and junior workers in all industries and fields.

Individuals with more than five years of experience tend to earn an average of 36% more than those with less than five years of experience.

After ten years of work, salaries increase by 21%, with an additional 14% increase for those who have worked for over 15 years.

These figures should be used as rough estimates, as considering individual job titles can lead to more accurate assessments.

Salary Comparison By Education

How does the education level affect your salary?

The correlation between higher education and higher salary is widely acknowledged, but how much of an income increase can one expect from obtaining a degree?

We conducted a study in Seoul comparing the salaries of professionals with different levels of college degrees who held similar positions in various industries.

Our results showed that individuals with a certificate or diploma earned an average of 17% more than those who only completed high school.

Those who obtained a Bachelor's Degree earned 24% more than their counterparts with a certificate or diploma.

Professionals with a Master's Degree earned 29% more than those with a Bachelor's Degree.

Finally, those who held a PhD earned an average of 23% more than those with a Master's Degree while performing the same job.

Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Seoul

Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? In Korea (South), the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 6% across all career fields.

Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage in Seoul

How much are annual salary increments in Seoul? How often do employees get salary raises?

Korea (South)

Employees in Korea (South) are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 9% every 16 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.

How to calculate the salary increment percentage?

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

Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs

Bonus and Incentive Rates in Korea (South)

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?

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100% of surveyed staff in Korea (South) 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%

Types of Bonuses Considered

Individual Performance-Based Bonuses

The most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.

Company Performance Bonuses

Occasionally, 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 Bonuses

Granted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.

Holiday / End of Year Bonuses

These types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.

Bonuses Are Not Commissions!

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.

Bonus Rates Comparison by Career Field

What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?

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.

Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level

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.

Salaries for specific job categories

Choose a job category to explore specific salary details

Salaries for popular jobs. Salaries by occupations.

Average Hourly Wage in Seoul

25,200 KRW per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) for all employees in Seoul is 25,200 KRW.This is the rate that the average individual gets paid for every worked hour.

About The Hourly Pay Rate

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.

What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?

The minimum pay rate per hour for a person in Seoul is 6,360 KRW. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.

Salary Comparison By City

Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison

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 Korea (South) is 6% on average across all career fields.

Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide

What is considered to be a good and competitive salary in Seoul?

It is extremely difficult to give an exact figure of a good salary when no specific job is selected, however; an estimate can be provided based purely on the cost of living. A good compensation in Seoul would range anywhere between 3,730,000 KRW and 5,650,000 KRW.

Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)

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.

Base / Basic Salary

The base salary in Seoul ranges from 1,100,000 KRW to 2,690,000 KRW. The base salary depends on many factors including profession, experience, and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.