Average hourly earnings of employees (Local currency) in South Korea
South Korea: Average hourly earnings of employees (Local currency) was 24,931 in 2022. ▲ Rising
Average hourly earnings of employees in South Korea, 2009–2022
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 24,931 for average hourly earnings of employees in 2022. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.
That represents a change of up 13.5% on the previous year and up 46.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average hourly earnings of employees in South Korea peaked at 24,931 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 14,463, in 2009.
That places South Korea 2nd out of 73 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Average hourly earnings of employees (Local currency) in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 14,463 | — |
| 2010 | 15,088 | +4.3% |
| 2011 | 15,954 | +5.7% |
| 2012 | 17,074 | +7.0% |
| 2013 | 18,459 | +8.1% |
| 2014 | 19,108 | +3.5% |
| 2015 | 18,142 | -5.1% |
| 2016 | 18,786 | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 19,512 | +3.9% |
| 2018 | 21,922 | +12.4% |
| 2019 | 23,069 | +5.2% |
| 2020 | 21,468 | -6.9% |
| 2021 | 21,957 | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 24,931 | +13.5% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 24,931 is above the median for high income countries, which is 24.96, 998.8× the median. (26 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 24,931 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1,279, 19.5× the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14,463 | 14,463 | 14,463 | 1 |
| 2010s | 18,711 | 15,088 | 23,069 | 10 |
| 2020s | 22,785 | 21,468 | 24,931 | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More work & labour data for South Korea
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 16,840 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 63.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 29,824 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 2.96 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 0.78 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 97,052 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 65,686 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 62.02 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 0.9719 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate -0.1065 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average hourly earnings of employees in South Korea?
- Average hourly earnings of employees in South Korea was 24,931 in 2022, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest average hourly earnings of employees recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 24,931 in 2022.
- What is the lowest average hourly earnings of employees recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 14,463 in 2009.
- How does South Korea rank for average hourly earnings of employees?
- South Korea ranks 2nd out of 73 countries with data for 2022.
- Is average hourly earnings of employees rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 46.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Average hourly earnings of employees (Local currency). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. The earnings of employees relate to the gross remuneration in cash and in kind paid to employees, as a rule at regular intervals, for time worked or work done together with remuneration for time not worked, such as annual vacation, other type of paid leave or holidays. Earnings exclude employers' contributions in respect of their employees paid to social security and pension schemes and also the benefits received by employees under these schemes. Earnings also exclude severance and termination pay. Data are converted to U.S. dollars as the common currency, using exchange rates or using purchasing power parity (PPP) rates for private consumption expenditures. The latter series allows for international comparisons by taking account of the differences in relative prices between countries. For more information, refer to the Wages and Working Time Statistics (COND) database description.