Malaysia’s median salary for formal-sector employees rose 4.3% year-on-year to RM2,864 in June 2025, according to the latest Second Quarter Salaries and Wages Report released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
The report also pointed to noticeable income differences between ethnic groups. Chinese employees recorded the highest median salary at RM4,445 in June, followed by Indian employees at RM2,800, Bumiputera employees at RM2,427 and other ethnic groups at RM2,200.
Overall, the data shows that Chinese workers earned over RM2,000 more than Bumiputera employees on the median scale, indicating that wage levels continue to vary across demographics.
Median salaries continued their upward trend
Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin noted that Malaysia’s labour market remains stable, with the number of formal-sector employees rising 3.5% in June to 6.97 million.
Median salaries also continued their upward trend, recording annual increases of 3.6% in April, 5.4% in May, and 4.3% in June.
DOSM added that the median salary is a more accurate indicator of typical earnings compared to the average, which can be distorted by extreme income levels.
