Malaysia’s salary expected to increase by 5.2% in 2019

Most industries in Malaysia are expected to see a steady growth rate in pay next year, according to Mercer Malaysia.

At 5.2%, the projected overall salary increase is close to this year’s growth rate.

Mercer Malaysia CEO Hash Piperdy said life science and technology industries come up tops in terms of base salary and cash increments for executive roles.

Legal, finance and R&D functions are the most likely to see increases.

According to the survey, Malaysia remains a highly competitive economy with 38% from Generation X and 44% of millennials making up most of the workforce this year.

The survey showed that specialist engineering and sales talent will be in demand owing to the semiconductor and biotechnology sectors’ revival.