Pilots top Taiwan's salary rankings at NT$323,000 per month

Taipei, May 29 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Labor (MOL) released its latest occupational salary survey on Thursday, showing airline pilots earn the highest average monthly income at NT$323,000 (US$9,900).

At the lower end, basic skilled workers earn NT$31,000 per month.

The annual survey reports full-time employment numbers, average monthly salaries as of July 2024 and total annual income for 2023.

After pilots, the top earners are actuaries (NT$212,000), doctors (NT$180,000), professional athletes (NT$143,000) and maritime regulators, including harbor pilots (NT$138,000).

In terms of annual pay, pilots and actuaries continue to lead, while doctors, maritime regulators, telecom engineers, lawyers and athletes all report yearly earnings exceeding NT$1.5 million.

Among managers and supervisors in comparable positions, those in finance and insurance earn the highest average monthly salary at NT$120,000. In contrast, hospitality managers receive the lowest, averaging NT$51,000 per month.

For professionals, healthcare and social work top the salary list at NT$76,000, followed by finance and insurance (NT$73,000), and transportation and storage (NT$68,000).

Education professionals earn the least at NT$39,000, with those employed in hospitality earning NT$45,000.

Wages for basic technical and labor positions typically range from NT$29,000 to NT$40,000. The lowest-paying sectors - education, publishing/media, and information and communications technology - all average NT$29,000.

Workers in hospitality, manufacturing, scientific services and healthcare average NT$31,000 per month.

The ministry noted that salary disparities reflect the unique characteristics of each industry. Some sectors, including hospitality and education, tend to have smaller wage gaps between roles, while transport, ICT/media and healthcare show wider income variation.

The survey covers full-time domestic and foreign employees in Taiwan's industrial and service sectors, excluding those employed in agriculture, government, schools, and religious or professional organizations.