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Living in Korea
Korea Salary Guide for Foreigners
Expected salaries by industry and experience level — IT, teaching, engineering, finance & more. Plus negotiation tips.
1Industry
2Experience Level
IT / Tech (IT/테크)
E-7 (Professional)Junior (1-3 yr) level · Monthly salary range
Min
₩35,000,000
Median
₩45,000,000
/month
Max
₩55,000,000
Annual: ₩540,000,000/year (before tax)
Typical Benefits
- Stock options (RSU/SO) common at startups
- Flexible working hours
- Remote work options (재택근무)
- Annual training/conference budget
Korean tech companies (Naver, Kakao, Coupang, Samsung) offer competitive salaries. Foreign companies (Google, Microsoft) in Korea pay 20-50% more. English-speaking roles in international teams are in demand.
Salary Comparison by Experience
Entry
₩35,000,000
Junior
₩45,000,000
Mid
₩58,000,000
Senior
₩75,000,000
Expert
₩100,000,000
Salary Negotiation Tips in Korea
Tip 1Ask about total compensation (연봉 패키지): Korean salary offers typically quote the annual amount. Ask about bonuses (상여금/성과급), which can add 100-400% of monthly salary. The "13th month bonus" (명절 상여) is common — extra payments at Seollal and Chuseok.
Tip 2Negotiate benefits, not just salary: Housing support (주거비 지원) is especially valuable — free housing or ₩500K-1M/month allowance saves ₩6-12M/year. Also negotiate: flight tickets home, moving allowance (이사비), Korean language classes, and flexible hours (유연근무).
Tip 3Know your severance (퇴직금): Korean law guarantees 1 month's salary for each year of employment as severance pay. This is separate from your salary and is legally required. Some companies offer a defined contribution pension (DC형 퇴직연금) instead.
Tip 4Check pension refund eligibility: Workers from countries without a pension totalization agreement with Korea can claim a pension lump-sum refund (국민연금 반환일시금) when leaving Korea. This returns your National Pension contributions. Countries with agreements (USA, UK, etc.) transfer pension credits instead.
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