Malaysia’s formal-sector pay median reaches RM3,000 after 4.8% rise
Formal employment increased 3.3% to 7.20 million in June, while the share of workers earning below RM1,700 fell to 8.2%, according to DOSM.
Median pay among Malaysia’s formal-sector employees rose 4.8% in June to RM3,000 a month, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) reported. Its wage statistics for the second quarter of 2026 showed differences in earnings by location, industry and age.
Monthly pay for the top 10% started at RM9,600, whereas the bottom 10% received no more than RM1,700. Separately, DOSM recorded a fall in the proportion earning below RM1,700, from 10.4% a year earlier to 8.2% in June, a reduction of 2.2 percentage points.
The Malaysian formal-sector workforce numbered 7.20 million in June, up 3.3% from 6.97 million a year before, according to DOSM.
By location, the monthly median was highest in Kuala Lumpur at RM4,245, ahead of Selangor’s RM3,245 and Penang’s RM3,000. The lowest readings came from Kelantan at RM1,827, followed by Perlis at RM1,864 and Sabah at RM2,045.
Mining and quarrying topped the industry figures with a median of RM6,722 a month and accounted for 0.5% of formal employment. Agriculture’s median was the lowest, at RM2,282, with the sector making up 1.8% of formal employees.
Workers aged 45 to 49 led the age categories throughout the quarter, with median earnings of RM4,000 in April, then RM3,945 in May and June. Among employees younger than 20, median pay stayed at RM1,700, the level recorded since February 2025.
