A construction site scene (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 26 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor revealed on Sunday that the highest starting monthly salary among holders of national technical licenses in 2025 was earned by certified concrete engineers, who reported a median entry-level wage of 4.2 million won ($3,100).
The findings, based on a big data analysis jointly conducted by the ministry and the Korea Industrial Human Resources Corporation, assessed salary information drawn from job listings on the government’s employment platform “Work24” and from actual wage records of those who obtained certifications in 2024 and were employed as of July 2025.
According to the data, the average monthly salary offered in job postings varied by certification grade: professional engineers topped the scale at 3.28 million won, followed by engineers and master craftsmen, both averaging just under 2.9 million won.
Skilled technicians and service-related certificates had lower offer levels, averaging 2.61 million won and 2.28 million won, respectively.
By job category, mining and resource-related positions offered the highest average salary at 3.67 million won, trailed by materials (2.96 million won), construction (2.95 million won), and safety management (2.91 million won).
Concrete engineering license holders led the engineering tier with the highest actual median starting wage at 4.2 million won. Among other top-earning certifications: construction safety professional engineers (4.62 million won), gas industrial engineers (3.16 million won), and ironmaking technicians (3.14 million won). In the service sector, second-level secretarial certifications topped the list at 2.33 million won.
Demographically, younger certificate holders (ages 19–34) with metal material engineering and steelmaking skills earned up to 3.4 million won, while middle-aged workers (35–54) with construction safety licenses earned 3.71 million won. Older workers (55 and above) with architectural engineering qualifications saw median entry salaries reaching 3.98 million won.
Out of 740,000 individuals who obtained a national technical certification in 2024, 420,000 acquired it while unemployed. Of those, 173,000 (41.2%) secured jobs within a year. During the same period, over 127,000 job postings on Work24 listed national certification as a preferred or required condition, targeting more than 205,000 positions.
While discrepancies emerged between posted wages and actual starting salaries, the ministry attributed this to individual differences in education, career history, and other qualifications.
“This wage data—derived from over 200,000 job listings and more than 170,000 certified individuals—offers highly valuable insights for job seekers considering national certification as a pathway to quality employment,” said Lim Young-mi, Director General of the Ministry’s Vocational Capability Policy Bureau.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
