Job seekers view recruitment postings at the 2025 Mid-Sized Enterprise Job Fair held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on April 23. (Yonhap)
As employment anxiety rises, the next wave of graduates is scaling back hopes — and seeking stability over ambition.
SEOUL, April 30 (Korea Bizwire) — New university graduates in South Korea are hoping to earn an average starting salary of 41.4 million won (approximately $28,500) this year, according to a new survey — a marginal increase from the previous year and a sign that expectations may be stabilizing amid a challenging job market.
HR tech firm Incruit released the findings Tuesday based on a survey conducted from April 7 to 23, targeting 691 job seekers scheduled to graduate in August 2025 or those who graduated earlier.
The average expected annual starting salary rose by just 40,000 won from the 2024 figure of 41.36 million won. This increase pales in comparison to the jump of 1.92 million won recorded between 2023 and 2024, suggesting a plateau in wage expectations.
The minimum acceptable salary, or “cutoff” figure for entry-level positions, declined to 36.37 million won — down 630,000 won from the previous year. Incruit attributed the decrease to a cooling labor market, with job seekers adjusting their expectations downward in response to growing employment pressures.
The data also revealed disparities based on gender. Male respondents anticipated an average starting salary of 41.28 million won, while female respondents expected 37.31 million won.
Salary expectations also varied depending on the type of employer. Job seekers targeting large conglomerates hoped to earn 43.58 million won on average, compared to 38.06 million won for mid-sized firms and 30.93 million won for small enterprises.
When asked what factors influenced their desired starting salary, 34.9% of respondents said they based their expectations on the average wage level within their target industry or company size.
A strong majority — 94.8% — said that salary levels directly influenced their decision to apply to a company. The top priorities when choosing an employer were competitive compensation and reward systems (40.1%), opportunities for personal and professional growth (14.5%), and strong employee benefits (8.7%).
As competition stiffens and economic uncertainty lingers, South Korea’s new workforce appears increasingly pragmatic — prioritizing financial security while recalibrating expectations to match market realities.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
