In March 2026, the top 10% of Malaysian formal employees took home at least RM11,500 a month. The bottom 10% took home RM1,700 or less. That is a gap of RM9,800 every month between the highest and lowest paid workers in the same formal sector, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia.
The median monthly wage sat at RM3,027, meaning half of all formal employees earned above that and half earned below. Of those at the bottom, 7.9% were earning less than RM1,700, though that figure had improved slightly from the year before
Where the numbers change
The gap is not spread evenly across Malaysia, and where someone works can make a substantial difference to what they earn.
Kuala Lumpur recorded the highest median monthly wage among states and federal territories at RM4,527, followed by Selangor at RM3,445 and Penang at RM3,064. At the other end, the median was RM1,827 in Kelantan, RM1,855 in Perlis and RM2,082 in Sabah.
The differences are also visible between industries. Mining and quarrying recorded the highest median monthly wage at RM9,678, although the sector accounted for only 0.5% of formal employees. Agriculture had the lowest sectoral median at RM2,327, despite recording a 5.8% year-on-year increase.
Experience matters too
Age was another factor reflected in the figures. Employees aged between 45 and 49 recorded the highest median monthly wage in each month of the first quarter, reaching RM4,100 in March.
Meanwhile, employees below the age of 20 had a median wage of RM1,700, a figure that remained unchanged since February 2025.
Overall, Malaysia had 7.05 million formal employees in March, an increase of 3.8% from the same month a year earlier.
Men made up 55% of the formal workforce and recorded a median monthly wage of RM3,064, while women accounted for 45% and had a median of RM3,000.
So while the number of formal employees continues to grow and some groups are seeing higher wages, the latest figures also put a very large distance between the people at either end of the pay scale into perspective.
For someone earning RM1,700 a month, RM11,500 is not simply a higher salary. It represents a difference of RM9,800 every month, or RM117,600 over a year.
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