Skilled Foreign Workers in South Korea Pass $2,000 Monthly Income Mark as Labour Needs Grow

Higher Earnings Meet an Urgent Need for Workers

More than half of foreign workers holding professional employment visas in South Korea earn more than 3 million won ($2,000) a month, according to the 2025 Survey on the Residence and Employment Status of Migrants released by the Ministry of Statistics and the Ministry of Justice. The share was 50.8 percent, compared with 36.9 percent across all foreign employees.

The survey, which has tracked migrant demographics since 2017, shows how sharply earnings vary within the foreign workforce. Professional workers are more likely to reach the higher income bracket, while most workers on non-professional employment visas earn between 2 million and 3 million won a month.

South Korea is seeking more skilled foreign workers as it confronts the world's lowest fertility rate and a rapidly ageing population. Fewer births mean fewer young people will eventually enter the workforce, while a growing elderly population increases the pressure on the people still working. Recent estimates suggest that, without intervention, the shrinking population of working age could lead to negative economic growth by the 2050s.

The administration has allocated 88.5 trillion won to combat demographic decline. Similar efforts in the past have produced marginal results, making the recruitment of foreign workers a national priority. Between 2025 and 2029, South Korea is projected to lack at least 580,000 science and engineering specialists.

Higher pay is one part of the effort to attract people with those skills. The survey also describes long working hours, financial hardship, uneven housing conditions and obstacles to staying in the country. South Korea's challenge reaches beyond bringing workers through the door: students, professionals and entrepreneurs also need workable routes into employment and longer residence.

Who Earns More Than 3 Million Won?

Professional employment visas cover the E-1 to E-7 categories. They include professors under E-1, foreign language teachers under E-2, researchers under E-3, technology experts under E-4, licensed professionals under E-5, artists and performers under E-6, and workers carrying out specific activities under E-7.

Permanent residents had the largest share earning more than 3 million won a month, at 59.3 percent. Professional workers followed at 50.8 percent, while the figure for overseas Koreans holding F-4 visas was 46.3 percent. The professional worker share was 13.9 percentage points above the 36.9 percent recorded for all foreign employees.

Across the foreign workforce, 50.2 percent earned between 2 million and 3 million won a month. Among workers holding E-9 visas, generally used for non-professional employment in manufacturing, agriculture and fisheries, 68.9 percent were in that income bracket. The corresponding shares were 48.9 percent for workers on marriage migration visas and 42.8 percent for those on working visit visas.

International students were concentrated in a lower earnings bracket: 51.2 percent earned between 1 million and 2 million won a month. Some 22 percent reported financial difficulties during the previous year. Their earnings and financial circumstances matter to the effort to retain graduates, because studying in South Korea and finding a sustainable way to remain there are different stages of the same journey.

A Young Migrant Population Concentrated in Asia

The survey covered 1.69 million migrants aged 15 and older. People in their 20s made up the largest age group, at 30.9 percent, followed by those in their 30s at 27.5 percent. Together, those two groups accounted for 58.4 percent of the migrant population covered by the survey.

Men represented 57.9 percent of migrants and typically entered through employment visas. Women accounted for 42.1 percent and more commonly arrived through marriage migration or study programmes. These different routes help explain why the migrant population includes people with widely varying jobs, incomes and living arrangements.

More than 90 percent of foreign residents came from Asian countries. Ethnic Korean Chinese accounted for 29.9 percent of the total migrant population, while Vietnamese nationals represented 16 percent. Recruitment policy therefore operates within a migration pattern already closely connected to other Asian societies.

South Korea traditionally relied on the Employment Permit System, or EPS, to fill labour shortages in small and medium enterprises. Through agreements between governments involving 17 Asian countries, the system primarily supplied workers for jobs requiring fewer formal skills in manufacturing, construction and agriculture. The projected shortage of science and engineering specialists is pushing recruitment towards highly educated professionals as well.

Long Hours Alongside High Job Satisfaction

Foreign workers most commonly reported working between 40 and 50 hours a week, a range covering standard schedules for full time employment. That group accounted for 58.1 percent of foreign workers. Another 17.8 percent worked between 50 and 60 hours, while 8.7 percent worked 60 hours or more.

The two longer working hours categories together accounted for 26.5 percent of foreign workers. Long hours remained common, particularly in non-professional sectors, even as higher earnings among professional workers drew attention.

Job satisfaction was nevertheless high. Some 68.7 percent of all foreign workers said they were satisfied with their current jobs. Satisfaction reached 77 percent among E-9 workers, compared with 74.7 percent among professional workers. The group with a greater concentration in the 2 million to 3 million won earnings bracket therefore reported slightly higher satisfaction than the professional group.

Only 10.8 percent of foreign workers expressed a desire to change jobs. Low wages and dangerous working conditions were the main reasons given. Pay, working hours and satisfaction describe different parts of employment, and the survey shows that favourable responses about a job can exist alongside demanding schedules.

What Skilled Recruitment Could Add to the Economy

A Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry study estimated that attracting 1 million skilled foreign workers could increase South Korea's gross domestic product by approximately 6 percent, adding at least 145 trillion won ($105 billion) in value. Gross domestic product, or GDP, measures the value of goods and services produced in an economy.

Kim Duk-pa, an economics professor at Korea University, explained in the chamber's report why recruiting specialists could have effects beyond filling vacant positions:

When highly skilled foreign professionals with specialized knowledge and technology come to Korea, it is not just about increasing the population. It also boosts consumer spending and can maximize economic ripple effects by improving labor productivity, strengthening industrial competitiveness and advancing the industrial structure.

Kim's explanation connects recruitment to both spending and production. Foreign professionals buy goods and services while living in South Korea, and their knowledge can help businesses produce more value and develop more advanced activities. The chamber's estimate describes the potential economic benefit of attracting workers on a much larger scale.

New Visas and Support for Entrepreneurs

South Korea introduced the Top-Tier Visa in 2025 to recruit foreign talent in semiconductors, biotechnology, secondary batteries and displays. Robotics and defence were scheduled for future inclusion, although no date was given for their addition. The initiative marks a shift from an immigration policy previously focused mainly on labour requiring fewer formal skills.

The E-7 visa covers skilled professionals with verified expertise across 87 job categories, including information technology, business management and finance. Applications jumped from 2,000 to 35,000 in 2023, reflecting labour shortages across a broad range of industries.

Businesses seeking to employ foreign professionals face requirements involving business licences, registration certificates and proof that hiring foreigners is necessary. Language proficiency standards and minimum income thresholds also create barriers. Small and medium enterprises and startups with limited resources can find those requirements especially difficult to manage.

The government launched the K-Startup Grand Challenge in 2016 to support foreign entrepreneurs through settlement assistance, visa help and support with corporate registration. Authorities plan to introduce a student track next year to encourage entrepreneurship among international students, building on that programme.

The main dates behind the recruitment effort show how the policy has developed:

• 2016: The government launched the K-Startup Grand Challenge for foreign entrepreneurs.
• 2017: The Survey on the Residence and Employment Status of Migrants began tracking migrant demographics.
• 2023: E-7 applications jumped from 2,000 to 35,000.
• 2025: South Korea introduced the Top-Tier Visa, and employment among foreign graduates reached 30 percent for the first time.
• 2025 to 2029: South Korea is projected to lack at least 580,000 science and engineering specialists.
• Next year: Authorities plan to introduce a student track supporting entrepreneurship among international students.

The Cost of Securing Work Abroad

Recruitment expenses can reduce the financial benefit of moving abroad before a worker receives a first pay cheque. International research on recruitment costs found that workers in jobs requiring lower or intermediate skill levels often pay fees equivalent to several months of earnings to obtain overseas employment, despite international conventions requiring employers to bear those costs.

The World Bank and the International Labour Organization have documented cases in which migrant workers paid up to 11 months of earnings in recruitment fees for particular migration routes. Professional visa holders typically face lower recruitment costs as a proportion of their income.

The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals address the issue through Target 10.7, which encourages orderly, safe and responsible migration. The framework measures recruitment costs paid by employees as a proportion of their monthly income in the destination country. Expressing fees this way shows how much work is needed to earn back the cost of getting a job.

Non-professional workers in South Korea face higher recruitment cost indicators relative to their earnings than skilled professionals. For a worker paying several months of income in advance, the monthly salary is only one part of the financial picture. The expense of obtaining the job also affects how much money remains available for everyday needs.

Why Keeping Foreign Graduates Is Difficult

Foreign graduates of Korean universities face a complicated series of visa transitions. The route can move from the D-10 visa for seeking work to the E-7 employment visa and eventually to the F-2-7 visa for longer residence. Each stage brings requirements that can involve income, academic credentials and Korean language proficiency.

Bureaucratic complexity and those eligibility requirements drive many qualified graduates to return home. South Korea has expanded its international student population, but retaining people after graduation requires coordination between education, employment and immigration policy.

Employment among foreign graduates reached 30 percent for the first time in 2025, representing an increase of 11.7 percent. South Korea also achieved its target of hosting 300,000 international students two years ahead of schedule. Fragmentation between higher education and employment systems nevertheless prevents many students from contributing to the workforce over the longer term.

Only 19 percent of international students in South Korea major in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, commonly grouped under the term STEM. The equivalent share in the United States is 55 percent. That comparison matters to South Korea's stated need for science and engineering specialists: the number of students entering the country and the subjects they study both affect the pool of potential recruits.

Workplace Rights and Life Away From Family

The Act on the Employment of Foreign Workers and the Labour Standards Act provide protections for foreign workers, but enforcement remains inconsistent. Workers report lower wages than Korean counterparts, substandard living conditions and delayed or unpaid wages.

Living arrangements also vary sharply by visa status. Only 2 percent of non-professional workers reported living with family members. Most lived in dormitories or shared accommodation with coworkers. Across all migrants, 48.6 percent lived with family.

The gap between 2 percent and 48.6 percent shows how different everyday life can be across migration categories. Non-professional employment is commonly associated with accommodation shared through work, while the wider migrant population includes many people living in family households. Employment protections, reliable pay and adequate accommodation are therefore part of the recruitment and retention challenge alongside visa access.

Housing, Location and Financial Pressure

Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province together housed 57.5 percent of migrants, reflecting the concentration of economic opportunities in the capital region. Among international students, 47.7 percent lived there, compared with 11.3 percent in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province combined. The capital region's student share was more than four times as large.

Detached or multiunit homes housed 58.5 percent of migrants. Apartments accounted for 20 percent, while dormitories housed 13.2 percent. Approximately 14.1 percent of migrants owned homes in South Korea.

Some 12.9 percent of migrants experienced economic hardship during the previous year. Among the difficulties reported, inability to obtain medical treatment because of the cost accounted for 36.2 percent, failure to pay utility bills on time for 29.4 percent, and difficulty covering tuition for 25 percent.

Medical bills, utilities and tuition show where financial pressure reaches beyond wages. South Korea's professional workers are more likely than the wider foreign workforce to earn above 3 million won a month, but students and other migrant groups face different pressures. The country's effort to recruit more talent sits alongside the need to make employment, residence and daily life sustainable for people already there.

The Bottom Line

• Some 50.8 percent of professional visa holders earned more than 3 million won ($2,000) a month, compared with 36.9 percent of all foreign employees.
• South Korea is projected to lack at least 580,000 science and engineering specialists between 2025 and 2029.
• The survey covered 1.69 million migrants aged 15 and older; people in their 20s and 30s accounted for 58.4 percent.
• The longer working hours categories accounted for 26.5 percent of foreign workers, while job satisfaction stood at 68.7 percent.
• The Top-Tier Visa targets specialists in semiconductors, biotechnology, secondary batteries and displays.
• A Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry study estimated that recruiting 1 million skilled foreign workers could add approximately 6 percent to GDP.
• Visa transitions, recruitment costs, workplace conditions and financial hardship complicate efforts to retain workers and graduates.
• Some 57.5 percent of migrants lived in the capital region, while 12.9 percent reported economic hardship during the previous year.