“Does a university degree matter?” This is a question many have raised in recent years — and the latest salary survey by Malaysia’s Department of Statistics has a clear answer: yes.
Education level remains a key factor in determining income, with university graduates earning up to 85% more than those with only a secondary school qualification.
University grads earn nearly RM5k a month
According to the 2024 Salaries and Wages Survey Report, the average monthly salary for Malaysians with higher education qualifications reached RM4,962 in 2024, an increase from RM4,702 in 2023.
In contrast, those with only secondary school education earned an average of RM2,684 monthly (up from RM2,536), creating a salary gap of RM2,278 — or 84.9% — between the two groups.
The data shows that in 2024, the average monthly salary for Malaysians rose by 6.1% to RM3,652.
At the national level, workers with higher education qualifications earned RM1,310 or 35.9% more than the average.
Those with no formal education earned RM1,900
For workers with only a primary school education, the average monthly salary stood at RM2,128 in 2024, just RM556 less than those with secondary school certificates but RM2,834 below those with higher education degrees — more than 1.3 times less.
Meanwhile, employees with no formal education earned RM1,900 per month on average, only RM200 above the minimum wage of RM1,700.
In terms of location, Putrajaya recorded the highest average monthly salary at RM5,091. Other states above the national average include:
- Kuala Lumpur: RM4,782
- Selangor: RM4,052
- Labuan: RM3,812
- Penang: RM3,787
Gender-wise, men earned an average of RM3,759, compared to RM3,499 for women — a gap of RM260.
