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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.

Calculate your take-home pay: Salary Calculator

✓Updated for 2026Last reviewed October 6, 2026See what changed

Written and reviewed by Taeyang Kim · Rates and thresholds are taken directly from the official notices of Korea's National Tax Service, National Pension Service, National Health Insurance Service, Ministry of Employment and Labor, and Minimum Wage Commission. Results are non-binding estimates for reference only and may differ from the actual amount depending on your circumstances. Found a mistake? Tell us through Contact.