‘If you are hoping for a job, they only increased it by 25%’: Manager shares salary negotiation insight in Malaysia

In a competitive labour market and the uncertainty in the economy, most inexperienced job seekers are not even able to understand what it means to have a competitive salary in Malaysia.

Quoted from Jobstreet, Malaysia’s average salary typically ranges from RM2,500 to RM10,000 (around $S793 to S$3,175), depending on industry, education, experience, and job type.

Corporate roles such as HR managers, supply chain managers, accountants, and risk managers command higher salary ranges, often between RM5,000 and RM10,000+ (S$1,587 and S$3,175) monthly.

Casual roles like receptionists, baristas, and sales assistants usually earn between RM1,800 and RM3,800 (S$570 and S$1,205) per month.

Overall, salaries are strongly influenced by factors such as academic qualifications, professional certifications, years of experience, and workforce demand within each sector.

However, this is just a benchmark; it might not be the exact figure for employment salary.

A manager in the financial industry suggests, “If you are hoping for a job, from my experience, they only increased it by 25%, but based on the situation and position, you might be able to negotiate for a 35% increase.” This increase, he said, is considered high in certain industries.

He also added that “if you are a fresh grad with a good GPA and good university background, you might be able to ask for around RM3000-RM3500 (S$950-S$1100) for an executive role”.

Online, one user suggested that “competitive salary usually means salary that matches the market, but instead of stating the salary offered (or even the salary range), employers here can just ask for your previous salary and hope to lowball you if your previous salary is low; if it’s a high salary, they’ll say it’s not within budget, so offer a lower salary than what you’re earning, but this really depends, but still, you should have considered this.”

Besides qualifications, certifications and experience, salary benchmarks also depend on locations and the type of organisation, such as Public Listed Company (PLC) & Private Limited Company, Government Link Company (GLC), Multinational Company (MNC), Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) or startup. Different types of companies will be able to provide different levels of benefits and packages.