Average salary in Malaysia 2026: RM3,803 a month

Mean or median: which number to use

The mean of RM3,803 is pulled up by high earners. The median of RM2,940 is what the employee in the middle earns, and is the better guide to a typical salary. The gap, RM863 a month, has widened: in 2023 the mean was RM3,441 and the median RM2,602.

The headline series covers Malaysian citizens. Non-citizen employees earned a median of RM2,663 and a mean of RM3,577 in 2025. Figures are salaries and wages before deductions; DOSM does not use the word gross in the summary we read. If you searched for a 2026 salary per month, this 2025 survey, published in 2026, is the latest official figure.

Average salary in Malaysia by region

Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor

The release summary names only the three highest-paying states, all on means: the federal territory of Putrajaya at RM5,417, Kuala Lumpur at RM4,955 and Selangor at RM4,258. All three sit well above the national RM3,803, so a hire in the Klang Valley costs more than the national figure suggests. Other states and industry figures are in the full report tables, which we did not use, so none appear here.

Employer contributions at the mean salary

For a Malaysian employee under 60 on RM3,803 a month (EPF rate from KWSP; SOCSO and EIS percentages from a secondary Deloitte summary):

• EPF at 13% (wages of RM5,000 or less): RM494.39
• SOCSO at 1.75% (wage ceiling RM6,000): RM66.55
• EIS at 0.2%: RM7.61
• Total: RM568.55 a month, 14.95%, or RM6,822.60 a year

Above RM5,000 a month the employer EPF rate drops to 12%, and SOCSO and EIS stop growing at RM6,000, so the percentage falls as pay rises. The 1% HRD Corp levy for employers with 10 or more staff would add RM38.03, but we did not verify that rate. There is no statutory bonus. See how Malaysia compares in the employer cost index.

Against the minimum wage

The mean of RM3,803 is 2.24 times the RM1,700 minimum wage; the median of RM2,940 is 1.73 times. If the announced RM2,000 minimum takes effect in 2027, the median would be 1.47 times the floor. The Malaysian minimum wage page covers the daily and hourly rates and the exemption for smaller firms.

Hiring in Malaysia at a typical salary

An employer of record lets you hire without a Malaysian company, handles EPF, SOCSO and EIS and applies the Employment Act's leave and notice rules. Published EOR list prices run from $99 (Native Teams, whose help center says EUR 99) to $699 (Oyster) per employee per month (checked October 16 and 18, 2026). Remote lists from $599, which is close to the RM2,940 median salary itself (about $720), so the fee matters more here than in high-wage countries.

Read the Malaysia EOR guide for termination benefits and a monthly example, then compare ranked EOR providers and EOR prices. For the region, see average salary in Singapore.