Increasing trends in Malaysians’ average monthly salaries and wages

PUTRAJAYA: The average monthly salaries and wages of Malaysians have shown increasing trends, according to the studies by the Statistics Department.

The mean monthly salaries and wages of Malaysians recorded annual growth of 6.3 per cent to RM2,463 compared with RM2,312 in 2015.

Chief statistician Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the labour force in the country also rose from RM14.51 million in 2015 to RM14.66 million last year.

“The median and mean monthly salaries and wages of employees showed increasing trends,” he said at a briefing on Malaysia’s economic statistics for the first quarter of this year.

The mean (average) monthly salaries and wages refer to all remuneration received before deduction of the Employee Provident Fund contributions and personal income tax.

“If we compare the salary and wages by gender, the median monthly payment for male employees was RM1,721 compared with RM1,685 received by female employees last year.

“For the mean category, male employees received RM2,500 a month, higher than female employees, at RM2,398 monthly,” he said.

According to the studies, employees residing in Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor were the highest monthly median salary and wage recipients.

They earned between RM2,362 and RM3,250 last year, compared with between RM1,700 and 2,067 in 2010. “This is because there are many government servants and professionals in Putrajaya... earning (at least) a minimum wage of RM1,000 monthly.

“There is no factory in Putrajaya, only offices and commercial buildings. So, the number of lowpaid employees are much fewer here compared with other states. I was informed that even a salesgirl in a shopping mall earns about RM2,000 monthly,” he said.

On the labour force in the country, Mohd Uzir said it had edged up 0.1 per cent to 14.93 million in March this year, from 14.92 million last February.

Earlier, he said the services, manufacturing and agriculture sectors were key contributors to the Malaysian economy in the first quarter of this year.

The country’s gross domestic product grew at 5.6 per cent in the quarter against 4.5 per cent previously.