In Apr., workers in Seoul and Ulsan had the highest per-capita wages. Workers in these regions earned about 500,000 won more than the national average wage level of 4.21 million won.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor said this on the 30th through the "Results of the April wage and working hours survey by city and province." According to the survey, the aggregates of wages per worker at enterprises with at least one regular worker in Apr. came to a national average of 4.215 million won.

Office workers hurry on their way to work at the Gwanghwamun intersection in Jongno-gu, Seoul. /Courtesy of News1

Seoul's per-capita wage was 4.765 million won, the highest in the country. The Seoul area is concentrated with information technology (IT), finance, and professional scientific and technical services. Ulsan, where large-scale manufacturers such as automobiles, shipbuilding, and chemicals are clustered, followed at 4.75 million won.

Kim Jae-hun, head of the Labor Market Survey Division at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, said, "In the past, many high-wage industries were in manufacturing, but recently, with IT at the center, wage levels in Seoul have been high," and noted, "Ulsan manufacturing is still showing a strong wage uptrend."

By contrast, Jeju, where low-wage service industries such as lodging and food service have a large share, had the lowest wages at 3.279 million won. Year-over-year wage growth was higher in Incheon (5.8%) and South Jeolla (5.7%), while Gwangju Metropolitan City (1.5%) and Jeju (1.6%) were relatively low.

As of 2025, total wages and working hours of regular employees by city and province. /Courtesy of Ministry of Employment and Labor

Real wage aggregates, reflecting consumer prices, also exceeded the national average in Seoul and Ulsan. Real wage growth was higher in Incheon (3.6%) and South Jeolla (3.4%), while Gwangju Metropolitan City (-0.4%) and North Jeolla (0.0%) stagnated or fell.

Average working hours per person were 174.2 hours nationwide. South Chungcheong (178.8 hours) and South Gyeongsang (178.6 hours) had longer working hours. These regions have a large share of manufacturing, which relatively requires longer working hours. Jeju (168.7 hours) and Daejeon (169.3 hours), where the share of services is relatively high, had shorter working hours.

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