Business · Economy · 4 hrs ago
Salary gap between large and small Korean firms grows with experience
A South Korean salary benchmark found pay gaps widen with experience between employees at large companies and small and medium-sized businesses.
The report compared company data and résumé information from the past three years.
Average salaries were 61 million won at large firms and 36.62 million won at small firms.
For workers with up to one year of experience, the gap was 5.44 million won; for those with at least 10 years, it reached 27.26 million won.
The widening was especially sharp after workers reached seven to nine years of experience, when salaries rose by 46.2% at large firms and 22.6% at small firms.
Experienced workers at small firms averaged less than mid-career workers at large firms: 51.35 million won compared with 53.77 million won.
The findings offer employers a benchmark for setting pay and recruiting, but no policy changes or next steps were stated.
The average salary gap between employees at large and small South Korean firms rose from 5.44 million won for workers with 0–1 years of experience to 27.26 million won for those with 10 or more years.
JobKorea’s 2027 Salary Benchmark Report put average salaries at 61 million won for large firms and 36.62 million won for small firms.
The gap widened at each experience level reported, reaching 11.9 million won for workers with 7–9 years of experience before increasing sharply at 10 or more years.
From 7–9 years to 10 or more years of experience, average salaries rose 46.2% at large firms and 22.6% at small firms.
Among workers with at least 10 years of experience, average pay in AI roles was 81.97 million won, compared with 47.58 million won in design roles.
- Who
- JobKorea reported salary figures for employees at large, mid-sized and small firms.
- What
- The salary gap between large and small firms grew with experience, reaching 27.26 million won for employees with 10 or more years of experience.
- When
- The report was published on November 5, 2026.
- Where
- South Korea; the report examined Korean firms.
- Why
- JobKorea analyzed company data and résumé data from the previous three years. The sources do not state why the salary gap grows.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
JobKorea analyzed company data and résumé data from the period.
JobKorea’s 2027 Salary Benchmark Report was published.
- Salary gap, 0–1 years
- 5.44 million won
- Salary gap, 10 or more years
- 27.26 million won
- Average salary, large firms
- 61 million won
- Average salary, small firms
- 36.62 million won
- Salary growth, large firms moving from 7–9 to 10 or more years
- 46.2%
- Salary growth, small firms moving from 7–9 to 10 or more years
- 22.6%
What people are saying
Companies also need a benchmark to check where their offers stand in the market
Reviewing the role’s responsibilities, experience and compensation across the industry together can make salary design and talent recruitment effective