Malaysia’s Wage Reality in 2025
The latest DOSM data paints a picture of a workforce that’s growing, but where the spoils are anything but evenly distributed across ethnicity, age, gender and geography.
- Source: DOSM Formal Sector Wages Q4 2025
Overview
Malaysia’s median formal wage jumped 9.9% month-on-month, from RM 2,882 in November 2025 to RM 3,167 in December 2025, according to DOSM.
Ethnicity
In December 2025, the Chinese recorded a median wage of RM 4,767, the Indian group sat at RM 3,120, the Bumiputera (RM 2,627) and the “Others” group at RM 2,364. Year-on-year, Chinese wage growth (+4.9%) outpaced both Bumiputera (+4.0%) and Indian (+4.0%) growth in December 2025.
State
W.P. Kuala Lumpur leads all states at a median RM 4,391 in December 2025, followed by Pulau Pinang (RM 3,500) and Selangor (RM 3,400). At the other end, Kelantan sits at just RM 1,800, meaning the typical KL formal worker earns 2.4 times as much as a Kelantan worker. Perlis (RM 1,864) and Sabah (RM 2,045) also remain stubbornly low.
Age
Wages peak in the 45–49 age group (median monthly wages of RM4,245 in December 2025), before gradually declining through the 50s and 60s.
Meanwhile, workers aged below 20 recorded the lowest median monthly wages at RM1,700 in December 2025.
