Everything About Salary Rank by Age in Korea
How does your salary compare with your peers in Korea? Comparing against the overall average alone is misleading, because the salary distribution of workers in their 20s differs completely from that of workers in their 40s. This salary rank calculator uses the age-group income distributions from Statistics Korea's "2023 Wage-Job Income Results" to show your rank among all workers and within your own age group at the same time.
By official statistics, average monthly income is 2.63M KRW in your 20s, 3.86M in your 30s, 4.51M in your 40s (the highest of all age groups), 4.29M in your 50s, and 2.5M at 60 or older — roughly 31.56M, 46.32M, 54.12M, 51.48M, and 30M KRW per year respectively. Since averages are pulled up by high earners, the median (2.78M KRW/month, about 33.36M/year overall) is the more realistic yardstick.
Your top-percent within an age group can differ a lot from your gut feeling. A 54M KRW salary (4.5M/month) puts you in the top 8.8% of workers in their 20s, but only the top 39.9% of workers in their 40s. A 78M salary is top 10.3% among 30-somethings, and 120M+ (10M/month) is earned by just 6.2% even in the 40s group. The tool also translates your rank into a fun "Nth out of 100 peers" expression.
The comparison table shows each age group's average, median, top-25% and top-10% cutoffs with arrows marking where your salary stands. Use it to gauge your position before a job change or salary negotiation, or to set career goals such as reaching the top 10% of your 30s peers (about 79M KRW). Results are statistical estimates; pair this tool with the Korean salary calculator to see your actual take-home pay.