Salary Percentile Calculator

We use income percentile data published by the National Tax Service (NTS) of Korea, based on 2025 filings (2024 income year). Data collected: 2026-03-03. Because NTS data is derived from actual income declarations rather than surveys, it provides a more accurate basis for comparing salaried employee compensation.

Your salary is linearly interpolated across 109 percentile bands to determine your ranking among all registered wage earners.

Only registered wage earners (salaried employees) are included. Self-employed, temporary, and non-earning individuals are excluded. The Ministry of Employment and Labor wage survey uses a different population and methodology, so figures may differ. NTS data is more representative for direct salary comparisons.

The salary threshold for the top 10% and top 1% changes each year based on NTS earned income percentile data. It shifts annually with economic growth, minimum wage changes, and labor market conditions, so year-by-year verification is needed. This calculator displays current benchmarks based on the latest NTS published data, and you can check your position at any income level in real time by adjusting the salary slider.

The average is pulled upward by extremely high salaries, which is why it tends to be higher than the median. This is called a right-skewed income distribution, and the gap between average and median grows larger as the share of high earners increases. So being 'above average' does not necessarily mean you are in the upper half of all earners. The median salary is a more intuitive benchmark for what a typical employee earns.

This calculator is based on NTS earned income filer data. Business income earners such as the self-employed and freelancers who do not file under earned income are not included. Corporate CEOs who receive a salary and file it as earned income may be included, while those with only dividend or business income are excluded. The data is therefore well suited for salary comparisons among salaried employees.

The salary percentile distribution shifts each year based on factors such as economic growth, minimum wage adjustments, changes in industry structure, and overall labor market conditions. Nominal wages tend to rise gradually with inflation, so the salary threshold corresponding to any given percentile also changes annually. This calculator is updated with the latest NTS published data to reflect current benchmarks.

This calculator uses all registered wage earners in the NTS database as its population, which includes high-income executives and professionals. While self-employed individuals and corporate owners who file under different tax categories are excluded, the pool still contains a substantial number of high earners, which can make your percentile appear lower than expected. Keep in mind that your personal reference group (same industry, age cohort, etc.) may differ significantly from the overall wage earner population used here.