184 Million Won in Six Months... Samsung, SK hynix No Longer Top Salary Earners

Average Salary at Major Conglomerates Reaches 54.99 Million Won in the First Half
20 Companies Exceed 100 Million Won; 12 Are Securities Firms

In the first half of this year, the average salary for executives and employees at major South Korean conglomerates (chaebols) approached 55 million won, with the financial and securities industries overtaking IT and semiconductor companies, which were previously known for their high salaries, to dominate the top wage rankings. This is attributed both to financial institutions' bonus-centered compensation systems and recent improvements in their earnings.

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Average Salary at Conglomerates Approaches 55 Million Won

According to CEO Score, a corporate data research institute, an analysis of 345 companies among Korea’s top 500 that can be compared based on the half-year results in 2025 and 2026 showed that the average salary per employee in the first half of this year was 54.99 million won. This marks an increase of 3.63 million won, or 7.1%, compared to 51.36 million won during the same period last year.

By salary bracket, companies with average pay between 40 to 60 million won made up the largest group at 150 (43.5%). Next were 86 companies (24.9%) in the 20 to 40 million won range, 64 companies (18.6%) in the 60 to 80 million won range, and 23 companies (6.7%) in the 80 to 100 million won range. Twenty companies (5.8%) recorded average salaries exceeding 100 million won, while only two companies (0.6%) paid less than 20 million won on average.

By company, Korea Financial Holdings recorded the highest average salary at 184 million won. This is an increase of 22 million won, or 13.6%, from 162 million won in the first half of last year. Following were Meritz Securities at 165.21 million won, Korea Investment & Securities at 162 million won, and Yuanta Securities at 149 million won. SK hynix ranked fifth, paying an average of 144 million won, followed by Dunamu at 139.75 million won, Mirae Asset Securities at 136 million won, Meritz Financial Group at 130 million won, Hana Securities at 124 million won, and NH Investment & Securities at 123 million won.

60% of Companies Paying Over 100 Million Won Are Securities Firms

Among the 20 companies where the average salary exceeded 100 million won in the first half, 12, or 60%, were securities firms. Outside the financial sector, only three non-financial companies appeared on the list: SK hynix, Dunamu, and Doosan.

These high compensation levels at securities firms are understood to be related to their bonus-heavy remuneration structure, a characteristic of the industry. As early-year bonuses are paid out, the average first-half salary tends to be relatively high.

By industry sector, the financial industry’s dominance was also apparent. The average first-half salary per person at financial holding companies was the highest at 113.88 million won, up 5.2% from 108.25 million won in the first half of last year. The securities industry also surpassed the 100 million won mark at 107.1 million won.

Other industries followed: telecom at 69.67 million won, banks at 67 million won, credit and finance companies at 64.06 million won, insurance at 61.94 million won, services at 58.83 million won, shipbuilding, machinery and equipment at 57.51 million won, trading at 55.72 million won, and petrochemicals at 53.83 million won.

On the other hand, E-Land World paid the lowest average salary per employee at 17 million won. CJ Freshway paid 19 million won, Hyundai Green Food 20.32 million won, L&F and Hanwha Hotels & Resorts each paid 23 million won, and Daou Data, Ottogi, Emart, Kolon Global, and Harim each paid 26 million won.

Salary Increases Also Concentrated in Financial Sector

When comparing year-over-year average salary increases per employee, financial companies again occupied the top spots. Yuanta Securities saw the largest increase, up 73 million won from last year. Hana Securities increased by 42 million won, Mirae Asset Securities by 36 million won, Doosan by 34 million won, and Meritz Securities by 33.82 million won.

Conversely, APR had the largest decrease, with average salaries dropping by 32 million won year-on-year. This was found to be due to a base effect, as income from stock options exercised during the last half-year was reflected in 2025. Kyobo Life Insurance saw a decrease of 15 million won, Meritz Financial Group 14 million won, Dunamu 12.94 million won, and CS Wind 11 million won.

Ultimately, this year’s trends in conglomerate compensation show that gaps have grown significantly depending on industry, company performance, and the method of bonus payments. In particular, the financial and securities sectors’ dominance at the top is interpreted as a reflection of the recent improvement in financial industry performance being at least partially passed on to employee pay.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.