Graduate salary in Malaysia (2026): the median is RM4,521 — but not for fresh grads
The median graduate salary in Malaysia is RM4,521/month (DOSM 2024) — but that's all employed graduates, not fresh ones. Degree vs diploma, mean vs median, explained.
The median salary for an employed graduate in Malaysia is RM4,521 a month (2024), up from RM4,409 in 2023. But that number is widely misread — it's the median for all employed graduates, at any stage of their career. It is not what a fresh graduate earns in their first job.
Here's what the official DOSM data actually says, and where the fresh-graduate question runs out of official answers.
The official figures (DOSM, 2024)
| Measure | Median (RM) | Mean (RM) |
|---|---|---|
| All employed graduates | 4,521 | 5,330 |
| Graduates in skilled occupations | 5,723 | 6,243 |
By qualification, the median monthly salary splits sharply:
- Degree holders: RM5,724
- Diploma holders: RM3,390
Source: DOSM, Graduates Statistics 2024.
As always, the mean (RM5,330) sits above the median (RM4,521) — a minority of high earners pulls the average up. The typical graduate is nearer the median.
Why this isn't the "fresh graduate" number
The RM4,521 figure covers graduates across their whole working life — a 40-year-old manager with a degree is counted the same as someone in month one of their first job. Averaged together, that lands well above a genuine starting salary.
Official, first-job-specific salary data is thin. DOSM's graduate figures aren't cleanly broken down by years of experience, and there's no official "fresh graduate starting salary" table at the job-title level. A fresh graduate's actual first-job pay is typically lower than the RM4,521 all-graduate median, and it varies widely by field — but published, primary figures for it don't exist, so we won't invent a single number.
What we don't publish
- We do not quote a precise "fresh graduate salary by course" figure. Those ranges circulate widely but trace to private salary surveys and job-portal samples, not an official source — so we won't present them as fact.
- The DOSM figures are employed graduates only; the unemployed and those outside the labour force aren't in them.
- "Graduate" here means holders of a tertiary qualification (diploma and above) — it isn't limited to a specific age or first job.
For the national picture across all workers (not just graduates), see average salary in Malaysia.
Common questions
- What is the average graduate salary in Malaysia?
- The median for all employed graduates is RM4,521 a month, with a mean of RM5,330 (DOSM, Graduates Statistics 2024). Graduates in skilled occupations earn a median of RM5,723.
- What is the median salary for degree versus diploma holders?
- Degree holders earn a median of RM5,724 a month and diploma holders RM3,390, according to DOSM's Graduates Statistics 2024.
- Is RM4,521 the fresh graduate starting salary?
- No. That figure covers graduates across their whole working life, so a 40-year-old manager with a degree counts the same as someone in month one of their first job. A fresh graduate's actual first-job pay is typically lower, and it varies widely by field.
- Why won't you publish a fresh-graduate salary by course?
- Because no official source publishes one. DOSM's graduate figures are not cleanly broken down by years of experience, and there is no official fresh-graduate starting-salary table at job-title level. The ranges that circulate trace to private salary surveys and job-portal samples, not primary data, so we do not present them as fact.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page is traceable to a primary source. If we could not verify something, we say so.
- DOSM — Graduates Statistics 2024Department of Statistics Malaysia, Graduates Statistics 2024 (released 2026)https://www.dosm.gov.my/portal-main/release-content/graduates-statistics-2024
How these numbers were checked
Written and checked by The kerjaya team. Last checked against official sources: .
The key figures in this article were checked against DOSM — Graduates Statistics 2024.
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