Top 50 Highest Paying Jobs in South Korea

You may be interested in Korea’s economic situation as your interest in Korea has increased. Many of my foreign friends are interested in how much the typical Korean salary is. Those pals regularly ask me about ‘What is a good salary in South Korea?’, ‘What are the highest paying jobs in Korea?’, ‘What is the best popular job in south Korea?’, and ‘which job is the best in Korea?’ and so on. Today I’m going on to provide you with an answer through the most up-to-date material available.

The Korea Employment Information Service publishes the ‘Korea Job Information Report’ every two years. This report contains the ranking of the average annual salary in Korea. The KEIS‘s aim of the ‘Korea Job Information Report’ is to assist students and adults in choosing and developing their professions by conducting a comprehensive survey of about 570 top-paying jobs in Korea.

We’ll present the top 50 salaries in Korea, according to the Korea Employment Information Service’s ‘Korea Job Information Report’ published most recently in April 2021. We will compare it with the ranking content of the Korea Job Information Report published in April 2019 to help you understand it better. And Korean won and US dollar the exchange rate was calculated and prepared as of May 2022.

Top 10 Ranks, What are the highest paying jobs in South Korea in 2022?

In the most recent report, let’s get an in-depth look at Korea’s top 10 highest salaried jobs.

No.1 Corporate Executive (CEO): $110,000

The highest-paid job in 2021 is a corporate leader (CEO) who will make an average of about 140 million won(110,000 USD) per year. The average annual income increased by 15 million won, moving from 3rd to 1st place in two years.

CEO is a position in which the individual acts as the company’s executive, guiding it to achieve its objectives, managing all financial resources, and reporting directly to owners.

The Korean drama ‘Startup’, which aired on tvN in 2020, is the tale of a young CEO’s love and passion for creating startup enterprises. It is a K-drama content that is good to experience indirectly the joy and effort of a CEO job in Korea.

Real No.1 South Korea Lawmakers: $113,000

Lawmakers who were No.1 in the highest-paid jobs in the 2019 report, did not make it into the top 50 appears. It’s possible that the income information of National Assembly Members in South Korea was intentionally overlooked in the 2021 survey.

According to Worknet, a trusted job information source that has been certified by the Korea Ministry of Employment and Labor, the average yearly pay for a National Assembly member is about 145 million Korean won(113,000 USD). In truth, their remuneration appears to be at the top in South Korea. It’s really a shame that lawmakers’ earnings weren’t included in 2021’s report.

No.2 Psychiatrist: $106,000

The average yearly income of a psychiatrist was 136 million won(106,000 USD), which took second place in South Korea’s high-paying jab rankings. The average yearly earnings for psychiatrists in 2019 were 92.5 million won(72,000 USD), putting them 16th among all professions according to the survey.

According to this report, psychiatrists’ yearly income has increased considerably in the past two years. Because of the rise in people pursuing psychiatry as a result of Covid-19’s after-effects.

No.3 Plastic Surgeon: $102,000

The average annual salary of plastic surgeons, who ranked second in 2019, decreased slightly from about 138 million won to about 131 million won(102,000 USD). In 2021, the profession’s highest-paying jobs dropped one step to third place.

No.4 Surgeon: $97,800

The average annual salary of the surgeon is about 125.6 million won(97,800 USD).

The annual salary of a surgeon in 2019 was 15th, with 925 million won. However, over the previous two years, the yearly pay has risen by 30 million won, a significant increase in the ranking to 4th place.

Tied For No.4 Obstetrician-Gynecologist: $97,800

Obstetricians and gynecologists, with an average annual salary of about 125 million(97,800 USD), are tied for fourth place with surgeons.

Obstetricians and gynecologists, who were the 8th highest paid profession with a yearly income of 100 million won in the previous 2019 survey, increased their salary by roughly 25 million won over two years.

No.6 Urologist: $97,600

A urologist is the sixth most lucrative profession, with an average yearly salary of around 125.3 million won(97,600 USD).

No.7 Ophthalmologist: $97,400

The annual salary of an ophthalmologist in the 7th highest-paying career is about 125 million won (97,400 USD).

No.8 Family Medicine Doctor: $93,800

In the 2019 report, a family medicine specialist with an annual salary of 90 million won was pushed out of the top 10 ranks. Two years later, in 2021, they were ranked eighth with an average yearly compensation of about 120 million won(93,800 USD).

No9. Anesthesia Pathologist: $93,700

Anesthesiologist-pathologist is the occupation with the highest salary rank increase among the top 10 highest-paying professions.

The annual compensation of an anesthesiologist, who earned 77 million won in the 2019 survey, increased by 40 million won over two years in the 2019 survey. The average yearly salary was about 120 million won(93,700 USD) in 2021, placing 9th among Korea’s highest pay rates.

No.10 Aircraft Pilot: $93,500

The average annual salary of an aircraft pilot, ranked 10th, was 120 million won, an increase of about 20 million won from two years ago.

Real No.4 Maritime Pilot: $98,900

The maritime pilot, who earned 120 million Won a year in the 2019 study, wasn’t ranked in the 2021 survey. This appears to be due to an absence of data rather than a drop in pay rates.

The average yearly salary of a maritime pilot is approximately 127 million won(98,900 USD), according to Worknet. Actually, it ranks 4th in terms of earnings after plastic surgeons.

No.11~20 Highest Paying Jobs in Korea

• 11. Otolaryngologist: about $90,300
• 12. Dermatologist: about $89,500
• 13. Radiologist: about $84,300
• 14. Financial manager: about $83,900
• 15. Physician: about $78,300
• 16. Legal manager: about $76,500
• 17. University President or University Dean: about $74,500
• 18. Mayor and opinion poll manager: about $74,400
• 19. Oriental doctor: about $70,900
• 20. Dentist: about $70,600

In this report, the second through ninth places all has to do with jobs related to doctors and hospitals. There are also six medical-related occupations in the eleventh through twentieth places. This indicates that doctors have a good job status and are well-respected in Korea.

The K-drama “Hospital Playlist,” which aired in 2020 on tvN, received excellent reviews for realistically depicting typical day-to-day activities and accidents at hospitals. Two series have been produced thus far. It’s a well-done drama that shows the agony and delight of doctors working in university hospitals in Korea. 

Although dermatologists, who earned 120 million won a year in the 2019 survey and were ranked fourth, were not included in the BEST 10 because their yearly pay dropped by 6 million won to 114 million won in 2021.

In addition, the average yearly salary of university presidents and deans surveyed in the 2021 survey was 95 million won, down from 110 million won in the 2019 survey.

No.21~30 Ranking with the good salary in South Korea

• 21. Appraiser: about $68,800
• 22. Attorney: about $67,900
• 23. Accountant: about $66,100
• 24. Patent Attorney: about $65,800
• 25. Senior administration officials: about $64,900
• 26. Helicopter pilot: about $63,500
• 27. Management consultant: about $63,100
• 28. Pediatrician: about $62,000
• 29. Marketing/advertising/PR manager: about $60,600
• 30. Judge: about $60,500

There are numerous legal and civil service jobs in the 21st to 30th ranks of the highest average annual income in South Korea.

The most successful Korean drama of 2017, “Stranger,” is about a joint police and prosecutor’s effort to expose political and company corruption. It’s Korean television series that portrays the challenges and rewards of politicians, prosecutors, and cops who serve in the judicial system. So far, two seasons have aired.

No.31~40 Ranking with good pay in Korea

• 31. Professional Athletes: about $60,200
• 32. Management support manager: about $58,600
• 33. Middle and high school principals: about $57,900
• 34. General practitioner: about $57,600
• 35. Health and medical managers: about $57,300
• 36. Actuaries: about $56,100
• 37. Insurance Manager: about $56,020
• 38. Research Manager: about $56,000
• 39. Stockbroker: about $55,810
• 40. Foreign exchange dealer: about $55,800

Among these rankings, the 31st professional athlete stands out in particular. There are many jobs related to the financial sector in the 31st to 40th place ranking good salaries in Korea.

The Korean drama ‘Stove League’ is about professional athletes and their work. It is a sports + office drama about the happenings of professional baseball players, club salary negotiations, and trading. This program is fascinating because it depicts the challenges that professional athletes face as well as the realistic aspects of the sports world. If you’re interested in learning more about professional athletes in Korea, this is a wonderful TV series for you to watch.

No.41~50 Ranking of Profitable Occupations in South Korea

• 41. Linguistics Research Institute: about $55,700
• 42. Credit analysts: about $54,930
• 43. Financial Product Development Institute: about $54,900
• 44. Elementary school principals: about $54,850
• 45. Pharmacist: about $54,400
• 46. University professors: about $54,370
• 47. Correctional Officer: about $54,330
• 48. Sports coaches and coaches: about $54,200
• 49. Financial asset manager: about $53,700
• 50. Marketing/Advertising/PR Manager: about $50,200

Education-related jobs are generally ranked between 41st and 50th in 2021 Korea’s highest-paying rankings survey.

The K-drama ‘Black Dog,’ produced by tvN, portrays the ups and downs of a realistic teacher’s life in Korea. A story of what it’s like to be a teacher at a highly competitive Korean schools. This is a Korean drama that may assist you if you want to learn more about school life in Korea and the duties of a teacher.

Popular Jobs in South Korea and Salary

Have you discovered an answer to your curiosity regarding the highest-paid job in Korea? A high average salary and a popular job are not synonymous, but this data could have helped you grasp occupational culture in South Korea.

The highest-paying jobs in South Korea are typically found in the medical and legal professions. However, there are several other lucrative careers to be had in fields such as finance, marketing, and education. While the average salary for these positions may not be as high as those in the medical or legal professions, they still offer good compensation relative to the cost of living in South Korea. If you’re looking for a high-paying job in South Korea, these are some good places to start your search.

After seeing the aforementioned K-drama television series, it’s also advised that you look at the Korean work culture. In Korean drama, the reality is emphasized, as they include not only pleasant aspects of life but also terrible truths. As a result, it is beneficial to glimpse into the harsh labor and reward of South Korea’s job culture in the K-drama listed above.

Thank you for taking the time to read our article on the highest paying jobs in South Korea. We hope you have found it informative and helpful.

Thank you for reading 🙂