One in Four Office Workers Earns Over 4 Million Won Monthly... Highest Ever Recorded

Wage Level Above 4 Million Won Accounts for 25.9%

One in four office workers earns a monthly average wage of over 4 million won, according to newly released statistics. This marks the highest record ever.

On the 19th, after the five-day Chuseok holiday ended and the routine of commuting resumed, citizens hurried on their way to work at the Gwanghwamun intersection in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

According to Statistics Korea on the 9th, the number of wage workers in the first half of this year was counted at 28.693 million, an increase of 261,000 compared to the first half of the previous year.

Looking at their wage levels, 32.1% earned between 2 million and less than 3 million won, the largest group, followed by 25.9% earning 4 million won or more. Next were 21.9% earning between 3 million and less than 4 million won, 10.7% earning between 1 million and less than 2 million won, and 9.4% earning less than 1 million won.

In particular, the proportion of those earning 4 million won or more increased the most by 1.9 percentage points, and those earning between 3 million and less than 4 million won also rose by 0.6 percentage points, drawing attention. Those earning less than 1 million won increased by 0.3 percentage points, while those earning between 1 million and less than 2 million won and between 2 million and less than 3 million won decreased by 1.6 percentage points and 1.2 percentage points, respectively.

In the manufacturing sector, which has the largest number of wage workers at 4.084 million, the proportion of those earning 4 million won or more was 36.6%, up 2.0 percentage points from the first half of the previous year. Among manufacturing wage workers, the share of those earning 4 million won or more was the highest.

By major industry classification, the occupation with the highest proportion of wage workers earning 4 million won or more was finance and insurance, with 49.5% earning 4 million won or more. In health and social welfare services, only 9.5% earned 4 million won or more, the lowest proportion among all industries.

The total number of employed persons, including wage workers, was 28.693 million in the first half of last year, an increase of 261,000 from 28.432 million in the same period of the previous year.

By detailed industry classification, restaurant workers were the largest group at 1.666 million (5.8%), increasing by 35,000 compared to the previous year. Workers in ‘non-residential welfare facility operation’ such as daytime care facilities numbered 1.553 million (5.4%), followed by crop cultivation workers at 1.375 million (4.8%). By detailed occupation classification, management-related clerks numbered 2.499 million (8.7%), an increase of 91,000 compared to the first half of the previous year, recording the highest number of employed persons. Store sales workers numbered 1.55 million (5.4%), followed by crop cultivation workers at 1.303 million (4.5%).

By major field of study, graduates in education and health fields had a high proportion of employment in their respective fields. Among education majors, 52.7% were employed in the education service industry, and 60.1% of health majors found jobs in health and social welfare services. Among engineering, manufacturing, and construction majors, 28.1% were employed in manufacturing. Among humanities majors, the highest proportion entered the education service industry, while among business, administration, and law majors, the largest number entered wholesale and retail trade.