Average Real Recurring Wages Reach 6-Year High at NT$44,119 for First Half of Year, Yet Over 70% of Workers Earn Below Average

The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) released the latest wage statistics for the industrial and service sectors today (10th). For the first six months of the year, the average real recurring wage for all employed workers reached NT$44,119, marking a 1.16% year-on-year increase and the highest level for the same period in nearly six years. However, during the same period, 70.03% of all employed workers earned recurring wages below the average of NT$48,981—the highest proportion since records began. DGBAS attributes this 'M-shaped' wage trend primarily to the rapid growth in foreign migrant workers and part-time employees. When focusing solely on full-time, native Taiwanese workers, the share earning below-average wages has declined for two consecutive years.

DGBAS noted that rising nominal wages were driven by increases in the minimum wage and ongoing salary adjustments across various companies. Combined with a relatively moderate 1.69% year-on-year rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) over the first half, real recurring wages reached NT$44,119, up 1.16% annually—the highest for this period in six years. Meanwhile, the average cumulative real total wages rose 1.75% year-on-year, achieving the best performance for this period in nearly nine years.

Despite these positive overall figures, wage inequality and structural disparities remain a major concern. Statistics show that the proportion of workers earning below the average recurring wage of NT$48,981 surged to 70.03% in the first half of the year, a record high. Deputy Director Tan Wen-ling of the DGBAS Census Division explained that this trend is largely due to the rapid increase in foreign industrial workers and part-time employees in recent years. However, among full-time, native Taiwanese workers, the share earning below-average wages has declined for two consecutive years, dropping to 70.30% this year.

Wage levels show significant 'M-shaped' polarization and sectoral disparities when analyzed by personal characteristics and industry. Education level and age remain key determinants of income. Workers with a master’s degree or higher earn a median recurring wage of NT$68,006, while those under 30 earn only NT$32,477.

By industry, financial and insurance services led with an average recurring wage of NT$74,369, followed by publishing, audiovisual, and information and communications at NT$71,033. In contrast, accommodation and food services averaged only NT$34,754, and other service sectors averaged NT$37,379—both significantly below the overall average.