How to Find the Average Salary for Your Role

Using public data to find where you stand

"Is my salary above average or below?" Answering that question well requires a trustworthy source. Government-surveyed, publicly released data is far more accurate than forum posts or tables of unknown origin.

Reliable public sources (Korea)

Wage Information System (wage.go.kr) — run by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Employment Information Service. Provides average and percentile wages by role, level, experience, industry, and company size.
Public Data Portal (data.go.kr) — offers datasets like "wage information by occupation" with upper/median/lower wage figures, free via file or API.
Statistics Korea wage statistics — useful for the big-picture trend in average wages by industry and occupation.

Why "percentile" matters more than "average"

Looking at a single average can be pulled upward by a small number of high earners and end up not matching how things actually feel. That's why it's important to look at the median (50th percentile) alongside percentiles (bottom 25% / top 25%) together.

If "the top-25% wage is $60,000," you can say your salary is "top tier" once it clears that number. Thinking in terms of where you sit within the distribution is more accurate than a single average figure.

Know the data's limitations too

Public data is usually published at the level of occupation category × experience band (e.g. 1–3 years) × percentile. You won't get an ultra-precise number for "developer, exactly 3 years," but in exchange you get the big advantage of a large sample size and a clear source.

This tool uses public-data benchmarks like these to instantly show you what percentile your entered salary falls into for the same role and experience level → Salary Negotiation Calculator. Also read: What percentage should you ask for

※ For general information only. Figures can change depending on the data source and date.