Hays Unveils 2025 Asia Salary Guide - Latest Malaysia Recruitment Trends, Salary Benchmarks and More

Malaysia, 13 Feb 2024 – Hays, the global leader in workforce solutions and specialist recruitment released the 2025 Hays Asia Salary Guide which surveys 8,790 skilled professionals and 3,670 employers from Malaysia, China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. Surveys were conducted across a period of six weeks in late 2024. 

The guide compiles salary overviews based on real data contributed by working professionals and experts across 15 different specialisms including engineering, life sciences and technology. The guide also analyses labour market trends such as staffing levels, job mobility insights and top Employee Value Propositions across Asia. 

 

In Asia: Organisations are powering through adversity 

2024 marked a year of uncertainty, during which organisations had to balance a need to streamline headcounts with ongoing skill shortages brought about by disruptive technology such as AI and automation. As of this survey, confidence levels among working professionals and leaders in Asia remain cautious, with 41 per cent of respondents expressing pessimism over the economic climate for the next two to five years. 

Sentiments around future economic growth were most negative in China (63 per cent) followed by Japan (56 per cent) and Hong Kong (41 per cent). In contrast, Southeast Asia showed higher levels of optimism, led by Malaysia (30 per cent) and followed by Thailand (27 per cent) and Singapore (22 per cent). 

Even so, headcount projections show a modest increase, with 46 per cent of organisations in Asia planning to grow their workforce in 2025, compared to 44 per cent in 2024. This increase was most prevalent in Japan, with 56 per cent of organisations expecting to increase headcount this year – a 10 per cent increase from 2024. 

This comes in response to increasing concern over critical skill gaps within the workforce. 62 per cent of organisations in Asia experienced moderate to extreme skill shortages in 2024. Of these, Japan and Thailand both faced the most trouble with talent deficits (71 per cent). 

“Businesses are signalling a willingness to address these shortages this year; 27 per cent of organisations chose employee recruitment as a HR investment focus in 2025,” said Marc Burrage, Managing Director for Hays Asia. “A further 32 per cent were committed to improving employee retention, underlining a need to reduce lost knowledge, hiring expenses and missed revenue opportunities.” 

 

Working professionals in Malaysia most likely to switch jobs in 2025 

Organisations have cause to be concerned over turnover. While the economic downturn of 2024 saw more working professionals prioritising job security, that sentiment has shifted for 2025. 62 per cent of professionals in Malaysia are looking, or are planning to look for a new job this year, over double the number of professionals who switched jobs in 2024 (24 per cent). 

Professionals in Malaysia displayed among the highest desire to switch careers within Asia, surpassed only by Japan (66 per cent) and followed closely by Thailand (61 per cent). Intentions to change jobs among professionals across Asia average out at 55 per cent, over double last year’s rate (25 per cent). 

When pressed on their reasons to leave, 43 per cent of professionals in Asia highlighted a lack of future opportunities at their current workplace, up from 35 per cent in 2024. These were followed by a lack of job security (22 per cent), low salary (15 per cent), a desire for greater challenges in their roles (15 per cent) and poor work-life balance (15 per cent). 

“Working professionals in Asia are more motivated than ever to find upward mobility in their careers. Leaders need to rethink their approach to leadership pipelines, upskilling programs, and internal mobility, ensuring they offer clear pathways to advancement that today’s workforce demands,” said Marc. 

Meanwhile, their expectations for increments remain conservative. In the next 12 months, the majority of candidates across Asia expect increments of ‘between 2.5 to 5 per cent’ (30 per cent), followed by no change in salary (22 per cent), and finally ‘increase by up to 2.4 per cent’ (17 per cent).  

These align closely to organisational projections, with most hiring managers expecting to give increments ‘between 2.5 and 5 per cent’ (34 per cent), followed by ‘increase by up to 2.4 per cent (23 per cent) and finally no change in salary (23 per cent). 

 

In Malaysia: More work for more pay 

Working professionals in Malaysia were in the top percentile for salary increments in 2024, with 73 per cent having received a raise, just behind Thailand (80 per cent). And while increments are generally followed by increased responsibility, professionals in Malaysia seem to be affected the most. 

According to the survey, 58 per cent of professionals in Malaysia saw their workload or scope of responsibilities increasing as a result of higher remuneration. In comparison, only 53 per cent of professionals in Thailand and Singapore perceived the same increase, while professionals in Japan saw the fewest increases in workload (31 per cent). 

"47 per cent of professionals in Malaysia do not believe their pay is aligned with their responsibilities, the highest in Asia. Organisations may wish to conduct salary reviews, align pay structures with the evolving responsibilities and contributions and ensure these processes are communicated transparently to employees,” said Marc. 

 

A copy of the 2025 Hays Asia Salary Guide is available here.

 

For more information contact:

Sonel Singh, Head of Marketing, Hays Southeast Asia
T: +60 3 7890 6351
E: sonel.singh@hays.com.my

 

About Hays Malaysia 

Agensi Pekerjaan Hays (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd ("Hays Malaysia") is one of the leading specialist recruitment companies in Malaysia in recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people across a wide range of industries and professions. We provide mid to senior level recruitment services across both finance and commerce industries. We have become known as the experts in sourcing regional and global candidates, as well as returning Malaysians.  

Hays has been in Malaysia since 2012 and boasts a track record of success and growth, with two operating offices located in KLCC and Sunway. At Hays in Malaysia, we operate across the private and public sector, dealing in permanent positions, and workforce solutions such as recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) in the following specialisms: Accountancy & Finance, Banking & Financial Services, Construction, Engineering, Human Resources, Insurance, Legal, Life Sciences, Marketing & Digital, Procurement, Supply Chain, Sales and Technology. We continue to strengthen our position in Asia with the world-leading ISO 9001:2015 certification in all our operational markets including Malaysia, China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand.  

About Hays 

Hays plc (the "Group") is the world’s leading specialist in workforce solutions and recruitment, such as RPO and MSP. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK, Germany and Australia and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe, Latin America and Asia. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. As at 31 December 2023, the Group employed over 12,300 staff operating from 249 offices in 33 countries. For the year ended 30 June 2023: 

  • The Group reported net fees of £1,294.6 million and operating profit of £197.0 million; 
  • The Group placed around 76,800 candidates into permanent jobs and around 245,000 people into temporary roles; 
  • 15% of Group net fees were generated in Australia & New Zealand, 30% in Germany, 21% in United Kingdom & Ireland and 34% in Rest of World (RoW); 
  • The temporary placement business represented 57% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 43% of net fees; 
  • Technology is the Group’s largest division, with 26% of net fees, while Accountancy & Finance (15%) and Engineering (10%), are the next largest 
  • Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE, the UK and the USA