The average daily wage in South Korea’s construction industry will increase by approximately 2% in the first half of 2025. (Image courtesy of Kobiz Media)
SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Korea Bizwire) – The average daily wage in South Korea’s construction industry will increase by approximately 2% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, according to data released by the Korea Construction Association on January 1.
The findings are based on a September 2024 survey of 2,000 construction sites nationwide across five sectors and 132 job categories, including general construction, heritage preservation, and nuclear projects.
The average daily wage for the first half of 2025 stands at 276,011 won, up 1.93% from 270,789 won in the first half of 2024 and 0.63% from 274,286 won in the second half of 2024. General construction jobs, covering 91 trades such as rebar work, welding, concrete, and plumbing, saw a 2.29% increase from the first half of 2024 to 264,277 won.
The highest-paying category, optoelectronics jobs, averaged 430,013 won per day, marking a 2.96% increase year-on-year and a 0.69% rise from the second half of 2024. Heritage preservation jobs, including traditional carpentry and stone carving, rose 0.33% from the second half of 2024 to 322,178 won.
Meanwhile, nuclear construction roles, such as welding and plant installation, saw a slight decline of 2.17% from the latter half of 2024 to 234,847 won, though they were still up 1.95% from the first half of 2024.
The Korea Construction Association conducts wage surveys twice a year, and these results serve as benchmarks for cost calculations in public and municipal construction projects.
For the first half of 2025, five new job categories, including traffic controllers and demolition workers, were added to the survey. Standard working hours remain eight hours per day for most trades, except for divers, whose daily work is capped at six hours.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
