40.5% of finance and insurance workers earn 5 million won or more
Semiconductor bonuses push up high-wage share
Aging population drives growth in welfare and healthcare jobs
More than half of salaried workers in the first half of this year earned an average monthly wage exceeding 3 million won ($2,270), and the share of high earners taking home 5 million won or more reached a record high since statistics on the matter were first compiled.
Job growth was concentrated in the health and social welfare sector, driven by rising demand for care and medical services amid an aging population.
![Office workers rest in the shade near IFC Mall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. [Yonhap]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/10/27/rcv.YNA.20260518.PYH2026051813200001300_P1.jpg)
The Ministry of Statistics released its "Industrial and Occupational Characteristics of Employed Persons by Region in the First Half of 2026" on Tuesday, showing that the number of salaried workers stood at 22.373 million as of April. Among them, 51.9 percent earned a monthly average wage exceeding 3 million won — the first time the share has surpassed the halfway mark.
Breaking down the wage brackets, 22.8 percent of workers earned between 3 million and 4 million won per month, 11.5 percent earned between 4 million and 5 million won, and 17.6 percent earned 5 million won or more. Compared with the same period last year, those shares rose by 0.4 percentage points, 0.3 percentage points and 1.2 percentage points, respectively.
The share of workers earning 5 million won or more per month was the highest on record for a first-half period since the relevant statistics were first compiled in 2013.
The monthly average wage used in the survey covers base salary plus bonuses and in-kind payments received from a primary job over the preceding three months. Performance bonuses paid out primarily in the semiconductor sector during the first half of this year are believed to have been a key factor pushing up the share of high earners.
By industry, the finance and insurance sector had the highest share of workers earning 5 million won or more at 40.5 percent, followed by professional, scientific and technology services at 37.5 percent and information and communications at 35.8 percent. Manufacturing rose 2.5 percentage points, from 22.9 percent in the first half of last year to 25.4 percent this year. The health and social welfare services sector, by contrast, remained low at 5.8 percent.
In terms of overall employment, the expansion of the health and social welfare sector stood out. The number of workers in non-residential welfare facility operations — encompassing community welfare centers and home-visit welfare services — reached 1.843 million, an increase of 155,000 from a year earlier. The sector's share of total employment also climbed to 6.4 percent, crossing the 6 percent threshold for the first time.
Healthcare facilities also continued to add staff. Hospital employment rose by 64,000 from the same period last year, while clinics added 26,000 workers. Real estate-related services also saw an increase of 29,000.
On the other hand, crop cultivation shed 82,000 workers. Architectural engineering and related technical services lost 62,000, and general retail shed 31,000, highlighting diverging employment trends across industries.
Employment trends also varied by age group. Workers aged 15 to 29 saw gains of 9,000 each in hospitals and higher education institutions, but general retail shed 18,000 in that age group. Among workers aged 30 to 49, hospital employment rose by 38,000, while architectural engineering and related technical services lost 34,000.
Among workers aged 50 and older, the concentration of new employment in the care sector was pronounced. Non-residential welfare facility operations alone added 141,000 workers in this age group. Notably, male workers in the sector — which had traditionally been dominated by women — also increased by 66,000.
y2k@heraldcorp.com
