South Korea
Data verified August 2026 · Sources
South Korea's $61,259 PPP-adjusted average wage in 2025 crowns its series, a convergence success story spanning +18.3% over a decade, even as labour-market segmentation persists and consumer prices sit far below the US at 60.1.
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South Korea at a Glance
1Y Change
+0.6%
5Y Change
+3.1%
10Y Change
+18.3%
Historical Peak
$61,259 2025
Change From Peak
At the historical peak
Overall Price Level
60.1
South Korea’s Wage Story
Follow how PPP-adjusted average annual wages have changed in South Korea using constant-price OECD data.
USD PPP, constant prices · missing years shown as gaps, never interpolated
Ten Years Ago
$51,769 (2015)
Historical Peak
$61,259 2025
Latest Wage
$61,259 2025
Data Coverage
Wage history: 1990–2025
Reported observations: 36
Missing wage years: None
Latest price data: 2024 · 8 of 8 categories available
A Convergence Arc at Its Peak
Korea's wage data shows +18.3% growth over ten years, +3.1% across five, and +0.6% in the latest year. At $61,259 in 2025 the figure is the series high, capping a convergence arc that narrowed the gap with higher-wage OECD peers. The 2015 base of $51,769 shows the climb was substantial in absolute terms, not just percentages. Few convergence stories in this dataset reach a record level and hold it two years running.
Segmentation Behind the Headline
Korea's labour market remains highly segmented despite the convergence success, and that segmentation shapes how the +0.6% latest-year change should be read at a peak: a single national average blends regular and non-regular employment, so the headline pace may understate or overstate conditions for large groups of workers. The +18.3% decade figure is the cleaner measure of structural catch-up, and the +3.1% five-year change keeps the direction intact. At a record level, a quieter year is not a reversal; it simply extends the plateau at the top of the climb.
A Deep Price Discount
Korea's overall consumer price level for 2024 comes in at 60.1, trailing the US benchmark of 100 by 39.9 index points. That deep discount is a comparative index position, not a won cost, and it accompanies the convergence-at-peak wage story as separate evidence. Korea's wage record runs from 1990 with 36 observations.
South Korea’s Everyday Price Profile
Compare eight consumer price categories in South Korea with the United States reference value of 100.
Overall
Food
Clothing
Housing
Health
Transport
Recreation
Restaurants & Accommodation
What Stands Out
Highest: Food
Food has the highest relative price level of the 8 reported categories in 2024, at 136 against the United States reference of 100. That is +36.0 index points from the benchmark and 33.0 points ahead of the next category, Clothing at 103.
Lowest: Health
Health is the lowest of the reported categories in 2024 at 37, −63.0 index points against the United States benchmark of 100. The spread between the highest and lowest reported categories is 99.0 index points, which shows how uneven the 2024 price profile is across categories.
Overall vs United States
The overall price level for 2024 is 60.1, below the United States benchmark (−39.9 index points). Looking across the profile, of the 8 reported categories, 2 read above 100 and 6 below it, so the overall figure summarizes a spread of category positions rather than a uniform level.
Compare South Korea
Choose another OECD economy to compare wages, historical changes and all eight consumer price categories.
Frequently Asked Questions About South Korea
What is the average annual wage in South Korea?
South Korea's average wage is $61,259 for 2025. The 2025 reading also marks the series peak.
How has the average wage changed in South Korea?
Over a decade the wage climbed +18.3%, with +3.1% over five years and +0.6% in the latest year. The convergence pace has eased near the peak. Horizons use exact target years only.
What are consumer price levels like in South Korea?
South Korea's overall consumer price index is 60.1 for 2024, below the US at 100. That is a relative index standing, not a dollar amount or inflation rate.
Is South Korea's wage at a record high?
Yes. South Korea's $61,259 wage in 2025 is the series maximum. The +18.3% ten-year change confirms Korea as a major convergence success, though labour-market segmentation persists.