Average Construction Worker Salary in South Korea for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Construction Worker salary for 2024 in South Korea and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the South Korean won. To keep things simple, we are using the KRW currency code instead of the currency symbol โ‚ฉ.

How Much Does a Construction Worker Make in South Korea?

A Construction Worker working in South Korea will typically earn around 13,199,100 KRW per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 6,457,900 KRW to the highest average salary of 20,518,900 KRW.

Average Annual Salary
13,199,100 KRW
Average Monthly Salary
1,099,925 KRW

Lowest Annual Salary
6,457,900 KRW
Lowest Monthly Salary
538,158 KRW

Highest Annual Salary
20,518,900 KRW
Highest Monthly Salary
1,709,908 KRW

These are average salaries for a Construction Worker in South Korea and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Construction Worker to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Construction Worker salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Construction Worker Salaries in South Korea

So we've looked at the average salaries a Construction Worker will earn in South Korea. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Construction Worker can earn between 6,457,900 KRW and 20,518,900 KRW on average in South Korea. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Construction Worker in South Korea is 13,441,600 KRW. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 13,441,600 KRW, and 50% of the population earn more than 13,441,600 KRW.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Construction Worker salary in South Korea, 25% of the population are earning less than 8,962,200 KRW while 75% of the population earn more than 8,962,200 KRW.

75% of the population earn less than 17,399,400 KRW, and 25% of the population earn more than 17,399,400 KRW.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Construction Worker Salary by Experience Level in South Korea

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average construction worker salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Construction Worker in South Korea that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 7,655,900 KRW.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Construction Worker salary would increase to 9,850,400 KRW.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Construction Worker, the average salary would be 13,561,900 KRW.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 16,799,900 KRW.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Construction Worker with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 18,001,100 KRW.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Construction Worker with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 19,200,400 KRW.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
7,655,900 KRW
2-5 Years +29%
9,850,400 KRW
5-10 Years +38%
13,561,900 KRW
10-15 Years +24%
16,799,900 KRW
15-20 Years +7%
18,001,100 KRW
20+ Years +7%
19,200,400 KRW

Construction Worker Salary by Education Level in South Korea

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Construction Worker in South Korea based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. A Construction Worker in South Korea with a high school education can earn an average salary of 9,850,400 KRW.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Construction Worker in South Korea with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 14,038,300 KRW.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Construction Worker in South Korea with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 19,439,300 KRW.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
9,850,400 KRW
Certificate or Diploma +43%
14,038,300 KRW
Bachelor's Degree +38%
19,439,300 KRW

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in South Korea is around 19,400,000 to 58,300,000 KRW and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Construction Worker Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In South Korea, a male construction worker will earn an average of 13,561,900 KRW, while a female construction worker will earn around 12,721,300 KRW.

This means that a male construction worker earns approximately 7% more than a female construction worker for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in South Korea

Male
13,561,900 KRW
Female -7%
12,721,300 KRW

Construction Worker Average Pay Raise in South Korea

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Construction Worker in South Korea is around 9% every 17 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in South Korea is around 9% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 9 ÷ 17 ) × 12  = 6%

What this means is that a Construction Worker in South Korea can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 6% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in South Korea for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in South Korea.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
6%
Energy
3%
Information Technology
9%
Healthcare
6%
Travel
3%
Construction
9%
Education
6%

Construction Worker Bonus and Incentive Rates in South Korea

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Construction Worker is a low bonus based job, with 30% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

70% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4%.

Received Bonus
30%
No Bonus
70%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in South Korea earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
47,880,300 KRW
Private Sector -6%
45,239,100 KRW

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Construction Worker

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Construction Worker in South Korea.

Job Title Category Salary
Adjudicator Construction / Building / Installation 18,958,500 KRW
Assembler Construction / Building / Installation 14,880,300 KRW
Boat Builder and Shipwright Construction / Building / Installation 23,040,200 KRW
Bricklayer Construction / Building / Installation 13,319,300 KRW
Building Administrator Construction / Building / Installation 20,038,100 KRW
Building Contracts Manager Construction / Building / Installation 69,359,500 KRW
Building Inspector Construction / Building / Installation 19,439,300 KRW
Building Monitor Construction / Building / Installation 15,838,200 KRW
Building Sales Manager Construction / Building / Installation 63,241,900 KRW
Cabinetmaker Construction / Building / Installation 15,599,800 KRW
Carpenter Construction / Building / Installation 17,519,700 KRW
Civil Engineer Construction / Building / Installation 44,161,600 KRW
Civil Technician Construction / Building / Installation 22,918,100 KRW
Concreter Construction / Building / Installation 14,038,300 KRW
Construction and Building Inspector Construction / Building / Installation 19,799,400 KRW
Construction and Maintenance Manager Construction / Building / Installation 34,919,600 KRW
Construction Assistant Construction / Building / Installation 18,239,400 KRW
Construction Coordinator Construction / Building / Installation 26,639,300 KRW
Construction Estimator Construction / Building / Installation 30,119,100 KRW
Construction Field Engineer Construction / Building / Installation 41,280,700 KRW
Construction General Manager Construction / Building / Installation 79,801,600 KRW
Construction Inventory Officer Construction / Building / Installation 15,360,400 KRW
Construction Manager Construction / Building / Installation 79,319,400 KRW
Construction Operations Manager Construction / Building / Installation 76,078,800 KRW
Construction Project Controls Manager Construction / Building / Installation 57,479,000 KRW
Construction Project Coordinator Construction / Building / Installation 49,079,800 KRW
Construction Project Engineer Construction / Building / Installation 44,519,300 KRW
Construction Project Manager Construction / Building / Installation 77,041,100 KRW
Construction Project Manager Construction / Building / Installation 78,838,900 KRW
Construction Project Planner Construction / Building / Installation 44,280,500 KRW
Construction Quality Control Manager Construction / Building / Installation 60,841,800 KRW
Construction Safety Officer Construction / Building / Installation 30,119,100 KRW
Construction Superintendent Construction / Building / Installation 28,801,400 KRW
Construction Supervisor Construction / Building / Installation 42,601,100 KRW
Construction Technical Assistant Construction / Building / Installation 16,320,700 KRW
Construction Technical Officer Construction / Building / Installation 18,598,500 KRW
Construction Technical Writer Construction / Building / Installation 18,840,100 KRW
Construction Technician Construction / Building / Installation 16,079,800 KRW
Crane and Tower Operator Construction / Building / Installation 15,238,200 KRW
Crane Operator Construction / Building / Installation 16,198,300 KRW
Diesel Mechanic Construction / Building / Installation 14,519,400 KRW
Draughtsman Construction / Building / Installation 13,319,300 KRW
Drywall Installer Construction / Building / Installation 17,278,100 KRW
Electrical Draftsman Construction / Building / Installation 15,719,900 KRW
Electrical Engineering Supervisor Construction / Building / Installation 50,398,300 KRW
Electrical Engineering Technician Construction / Building / Installation 18,720,200 KRW
Electrical Supervisor Construction / Building / Installation 33,599,200 KRW
Electrician Construction / Building / Installation 23,759,100 KRW
Elevator Installer and Repairer Construction / Building / Installation 20,400,600 KRW
Engineer Construction / Building / Installation 46,680,900 KRW
Excavator Operator Construction / Building / Installation 15,118,700 KRW
Field Inspector Construction / Building / Installation 28,560,900 KRW
Floor Finisher Construction / Building / Installation 16,561,800 KRW
Floor Manager Construction / Building / Installation 24,841,800 KRW
Foreman Construction / Building / Installation 12,600,600 KRW
Frame and Truss Detailer Construction / Building / Installation 15,001,200 KRW
Furniture Finisher Construction / Building / Installation 14,880,300 KRW
Gas Technician Construction / Building / Installation 14,519,400 KRW
Handyman Construction / Building / Installation 14,280,500 KRW
Health and Safety Coordinator Construction / Building / Installation 19,678,200 KRW
Health and Safety Officer Construction / Building / Installation 21,841,900 KRW
Installation Manager Construction / Building / Installation 52,438,500 KRW
Installer Construction / Building / Installation 14,280,500 KRW
Insulation Installer Construction / Building / Installation 15,838,200 KRW
Labourer Construction / Building / Installation 12,361,500 KRW
Land Surveyor Construction / Building / Installation 20,400,600 KRW
Lift Technician Construction / Building / Installation 14,639,900 KRW
Maintenance Foreman Construction / Building / Installation 14,158,800 KRW
Material Tester Construction / Building / Installation 22,321,900 KRW
Model Maker Construction / Building / Installation 23,040,200 KRW
Order Picker Construction / Building / Installation 13,441,600 KRW
Painter Construction / Building / Installation 15,118,700 KRW
Pipe Layer Construction / Building / Installation 13,079,500 KRW
Pipe Welder Construction / Building / Installation 12,600,600 KRW
Pipefitter Construction / Building / Installation 11,998,600 KRW
Plumber Construction / Building / Installation 16,079,800 KRW
Property Coordinator Construction / Building / Installation 39,358,400 KRW
Purchasing Manager Construction / Building / Installation 54,600,600 KRW
Quantity Estimator Construction / Building / Installation 27,960,400 KRW
Quantity Surveyor Construction / Building / Installation 29,519,900 KRW
Roof Slater and Tiler Construction / Building / Installation 14,158,800 KRW
Sheet Metal Mechanic Construction / Building / Installation 14,400,800 KRW
Sheet Metal Worker Construction / Building / Installation 13,079,500 KRW
Site Clerk Construction / Building / Installation 14,639,900 KRW
Site engineer Construction / Building / Installation 38,281,500 KRW
Site Leader Construction / Building / Installation 70,679,800 KRW
Stock Controller Construction / Building / Installation 23,040,200 KRW
Structural Steel Construction Worker Construction / Building / Installation 16,198,300 KRW
Technical Draughtsman Construction / Building / Installation 17,278,100 KRW
Tender Manager Construction / Building / Installation 66,598,300 KRW
Tendering Manager Construction / Building / Installation 65,041,800 KRW
Tower Crane Operator Construction / Building / Installation 15,118,700 KRW
Wall and Floor Tiler Construction / Building / Installation 14,280,500 KRW
Warehouse Manager Construction / Building / Installation 50,759,100 KRW
Welder Construction / Building / Installation 13,199,100 KRW
Welding Superintendent Construction / Building / Installation 17,640,500 KRW

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in South Korea, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Bucheon 12,239,700 KRW
Busan 14,519,400 KRW
Daegu 14,038,300 KRW
Daejeon 13,798,900 KRW
Goyang 12,721,300 KRW
Gwangju 13,561,900 KRW
Incheon 14,280,500 KRW
Seongnam 12,481,200 KRW
Seoul 14,760,200 KRW
Suweon 13,199,100 KRW
Ulsan 12,958,200 KRW

Link To or Reference This Page

We spend a lot of time collecting, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site to be as useful to you as possible.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference World Salaries as the source. We appreciate your support!

  • "Average Construction Worker Salary in South Korea for 2024". World Salaries. Accessed on March 28, 2024. https://worldsalaries.com/average-construction-worker-salary-in-south-korea/.

  • "Average Construction Worker Salary in South Korea for 2024". World Salaries, https://worldsalaries.com/average-construction-worker-salary-in-south-korea/. Accessed 28 March, 2024

  • Average Construction Worker Salary in South Korea for 2024. World Salaries. Retrieved from https://worldsalaries.com/average-construction-worker-salary-in-south-korea/.