51% of Foreign Workers Earn 2 to 3 Million Won Monthly on Average

More Than Half Reside in the Seoul Metropolitan Area
High School Graduates Account for 43.1%

It was found that 51% of foreign workers residing in Korea receive a monthly salary of between 2 million and less than 3 million KRW. Many employed foreigners worked as simple laborers and were engaged in mining and manufacturing, wholesale and retail, accommodation, and food service industries.

Yonhap News

According to the "2024 Immigrant Residency and Employment Survey Results - Foreigners' Life in Korea by Residence Status" released by Statistics Korea on the 18th, as of May last year, there were 1.56 million foreigners aged 15 and over residing in Korea. The age distribution was 15-29 years old (29.7%), 30s (27.7%), and 40s (15.5%) in that order.

In non-professional employment, those aged 30 and under accounted for 90.7%, making up the majority. Visit employment had the highest proportion in their 50s (50.4%), and overseas Koreans were mostly aged 60 and over (37.7%). Professionals (50.4%) and marriage immigrants (41.5%) had the highest proportion in their 30s. 90.1% of international students were aged 15-29.

Regarding economic activity status by residence status, 64.7% of foreigners were employed, and 3.9% were unemployed. The economically inactive population accounted for 31.4%. By industry, mining and manufacturing (45.6%), wholesale and retail, accommodation and food service (18.9%), business, personal and public services (14.2%), and construction (10.6%) followed in order.

The occupational distribution of employed foreigners was simple labor workers (28.2%), equipment and machine operators and assemblers (25.8%), and craft and related trades workers (16.2%). In particular, simple labor workers accounted for the highest proportion among visit employment (38.0%), marriage immigrants (30.2%), and overseas Koreans (27.2%).

The proportion of foreign wage workers by monthly average wage level was 2 million to less than 3 million KRW (51.2%), followed by 3 million KRW or more (37.1%). In non-professional employment (70.8%), professionals (50.5%), marriage immigrants (46.6%), and visit employment (44.9%), the 2 million to less than 3 million KRW range had the highest proportion. Permanent residents (55.2%) and overseas Koreans (46.1%) had the highest proportion earning 3 million KRW or more, while international students mostly earned between 1 million and less than 2 million KRW (48.3%).

By nationality, other Asian countries such as Uzbekistan and the Philippines accounted for the highest proportion (35.8%), followed by Korean-Chinese (31.6%), Vietnam (15.0%), non-Asian countries (9.0%), and China (8.6%). Non-professional employment (86.3%), professionals (47.5%), and marriage immigrants (33.4%) had the highest proportion from other Asian countries, while visit employment (86.2%), overseas Koreans (74.5%), and permanent residents (68.5%) had the highest proportion of Korean-Chinese. International students were mostly Vietnamese (36.5%).

By education level, high school graduates accounted for 43.1%, followed by college graduates or higher at 31.1%. Among professionals, 59.4% had a college degree or higher, and in all residence statuses except professionals and others, high school graduates had the highest proportion.

It was found that 59.0% of foreigners reside in the Seoul metropolitan area. Visit employment (80.3%), permanent residents (77.0%), and overseas Koreans (76.9%) had a high proportion living in the metropolitan area, while non-professional employment had higher residence proportions in Gyeonggi (38.9%), the southeastern region (17.2%), and the Chungcheong region (16.5%).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.