Education still makes a huge difference when it comes to paychecks. Fresh figures from the 2024 Salaries and Wages Survey Report reveal that Malaysians with university degrees are earning almost 85% more than those who stopped at secondary school.
Image credits: Canva
Higher education graduates receive higher pay
According to a government survey, degree holders are now taking home close to RM5,000 a month, specifically RM4,962 in 2024, up from RM4,702 the year before. In comparison, workers with only secondary school education earned an average of RM2,684, leaving a sizeable gap of RM2,278 between the two groups.
Overall, the average monthly salary in Malaysia rose by 6.1% to RM3,652 in 2024. That means graduates are still well ahead, earning about 36% more than the national average.
Those without higher education are further behind. Workers with only a primary school education brought in RM2,128, just slightly below those with secondary qualifications but more than RM2,800 less than degree holders. Meanwhile, employees with no formal education earned RM1,900 per month on average, which is barely RM200 above the minimum wage of RM1,700.
Image credits: NST
On top of that, location also plays a big role in salaries. Putrajaya recorded the highest average monthly pay at RM5,091, while Kuala Lumpur (RM4,782), Selangor (RM4,052), Labuan (RM3,812) and Penang (RM3,787) also sat above the national average.
The gender pay gap still exists too. Men earned an average of RM3,759 compared to RM3,499 for women, a difference of RM260.
In short, education, location and even gender continue to shape how much Malaysians take home at the end of each month.
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