Average Salary in Brunei

Table of Contents

How much money does a Bruneian earn?

In Brunei, the average monthly wage is around 3,220 BND. The minimum wage is 1,500 BND. Bruneians earn around $11,000 per year on average.
The legal maximum for monthly earnings is 20,000 BND. This wage includes bonuses, overtime pay, and commissions.

Brunei’s Salary Distribution

Salary Scale

Brunei salaries vary from 810 BND to 14,400 BND each month. In Brunei, there are a total of five different salary scales. The pay scale also depends on the company that employees work for.

Salary Median

The median monthly wage is 3,220 BND, which implies that half of the population earns less than 3,220 BND and the other half earns more than 3,220 BND.

The median salary was 20% lower than the average wage in Brunei which is 4,423 BND per month. This implies that the salary median is usually higher than most countries in ASEAN

The highest earners are people who obtain jobs at Petroleum Refinery Operator with an average annual income of 66,000 BND or more per year.

Other occupations that pay above average are Registered Nurse (62,340 BND), Financial Planner (55,430 BND), and Head of Department/Programme Leader (53,220 BND).

Percentiles

25% of the population earns less than 1,810 BND, while 75% earn more than 1,810 BND. The median monthly wage in Brunei is 1,810 BND. 25% of the population earns less than 1,810 BND, while 75% earn more than 1,810 BND.

Salary distribution is not even within the country of Brunei. There are several factors that play into this; education levels and occupation choices are two of the most important.

How much does the median pay vary from the average salary in terms of wage?

The median salary is the amount of money that divides a list of numbers in half, and it is where there are as many numbers above the median salary as there are below it.

On the other hand, an average wage describes the amount of money that several workers get paid at one time.

Both are different in wages, that is how much someone gets paid. The average salary varies from the median pay because the amount of money you are paid is different depending on what position you have, even though it may be a regular job.

Comparing Salaries Based on Years of Experience

How does an individual’s pay in Brunei change over time?

Salary figures increase in Brunei depending on the level of experience an individual has. In fact, a survey of salaries in Brunei shows that the more experience a worker gains, the more he or she can expect to earn.

However, even with this increase in salary due to level of experience, the median income for full-time employees is low compared to other countries.

In addition to experience levels, a survey of salaries by sector shows disparities across different industry categories as well.

Salary Comparisons According to Education

How does your degree of education determine your salary?

The answer to this question depends on which sector you are employed in. Jobs that require a degree offer higher pay since there is more risk taken by employers who hire people without degrees.

This can also reflect your knowledge and skills, however, it is important to note that competition among graduates is fierce which may lead to low-paying jobs for those with no work experience or other factors.

Masters Degree holders tend to earn the most out of all educational levels in Brunei aside from Ph.D. holders who have extensive education beyond their graduate-level studies.

Specialized courses such as medicine, law, architecture, etc. generally lead to high earnings.

After earning a bachelor’s degree, an increasingly popular step for students today pursuing advanced degrees is to attend graduate school to gain expertise in a particular field.

For men, the highest-paying jobs are found in the oil and gas industries. They usually have Bachelor’s degrees or higher, in specialized scientific or engineering fields.

Women in Brunei have a much wider range of jobs they can go into, including banking and finance, medicine and health care, education, tourism and hospitality management, manufacturing and service businesses.

Salary Comparisons According to Gender in Brunei

Male workers in Brunei earn on average 6% more than female employees across all industries.

Women in Brunei who work full-time earn about 85 cents for every dollar earned by men, according to 2016 data

The gap between male and female workers’ pay is greatest in the Mining and Quarrying category, where women are paid 22% less than men.

On average, Bruneian women are paid BND 21,638 per month while men are paid BND 25,874 – an 18% difference. Meanwhile, women’s earnings represent roughly 64% of men’s salaries across all industries, compared with 73% a decade ago.

Brunei’s Average Annual Income Increase Percentage

How much are yearly pay increases in Brunei? How often do workers get pay raises?

Employees in Brunei may expect a wage rise of around 5% every 28 months. This is how much the typical worker in Brunei might earn over their entire career.

The average annual income increase percentage for employees working in Brunei was between the years of 2005 and 2015, at approximately 5%

Construction workers often tend to be paid at a higher rate than many other types of employment with the same level of experience or training required.

2022 Annual Increment Rate by Sector in Brunei

Information Technology – 6%
Education – 6%
Healthcare – 2%
Retail – 2%
Business Management – 7%
Construction – 4%
Manufacturing – 2%

Companies in booming sectors tend to give out larger and more frequent increases. There are exceptions, but in general, the status of every corporation is directly tied to the economic situation of the nation or area.

These values are subject to regular changes.

Average Salary Increase Rates by Level of Experience

Income increase in Brunei is affected by the level of experience. The chart below shows how an employee’s experience influences their salary increase rate in Brunei.

Salary Increase by Level of Experience Chart:

Employees with 1-year experience – 5%
Employees with 2-5 years of experience – 6%
Employees with 6-10 years of experience – 8%

Overall, in Brunei, an employee’s level of experience affects their salary increase rate. The average Bruneian experiences a 5% wage increase after one year on the job, while employees with 6-10 years of experience enjoy an 8% salary increase rate.

Brunei Bonus and Reward Packages

How much money is granted as a bonus in Brunei?

The total bonus granted to Brunei employees is 10% of their yearly salaries.

The government provides this bonus during important religious and national celebrations such as Ramadan and National Day.

Employees that meet or exceed their performance targets for a quarter may be eligible to receive half of that bonus, while those who do exceptionally well and go beyond expectations may earn all of it.

Various Kinds of Brunei

Individual Performance-Based Bonuses

This kind of bonus is similar to the group-based bonus in that it is a percentage of an employee’s pay given on top of their regular wage. However, this type of bonus is only paid out when one individual has met certain criteria set by their employer.

The main difference between this and a “team” bonus, which would be based around a group performance rather than just one person’s efficiency, is that there is no requirement for all employees involved to work together to receive the bonus.

If an entire team was responsible for attaining better results, there wouldn’t be any reason why only one member of the team should get rewarded for it.

Company Performance Bonuses

Company-based bonuses are often given to employees as a way of determining company performance. These types of bonuses are usually given at the end of a fiscal year or another specified time period.

Some companies have adopted the practice of taking away company performance bonuses if they suspect that employees have acted in ways that could tarnish their reputation, such as committing fraud.

Such policies are used to help encourage employees not to engage in unethical behaviors.

Goal-Based Bonuses

These are a reward offered by companies or individuals, usually in addition to the base salary, for reaching personal goals. These goals are determined before the work is done and can be adjusted after they are set.

There is usually an option for company-wide bonuses as well.

Goal-Based Bonuses are mostly used in work that requires people who have different skillsets or talents since it will allow them to see their own progress compared with other team members.

It may also work well in situations where there isn’t very much supervision by managers, but this depends on how detailed the goals are laid out.

Holiday / End-of-Year Bonuses

These are given to employees at the end of the work year.

The idea is that because companies are not required to give any bonuses, this makes Bonuses something that may or may not be offered by a company. When they are offered, it often does create an expectation among employees for receiving them.

These bonuses are usually smaller than ones given during the summer months near the 4th of July. They are also planned in advance to ensure that employees can make their holiday purchases and arrangements.

Often these bonus checks will reflect an amount equal to one week’s pay for each year worked there.

Bonus Rates by Career Field

What makes a job deserving of large incentives and a high salary in Brunei?

In Brunei, high salaries and generous incentives are awarded to those who work in the oil and gas industry as well as those working in key government positions.

Incentives for civil servants include two subsidized housing loans as well as a homeownership scheme that provides lots of land along with construction funds for new homes.

Other industries may not be able to offer such benefits, but they make up for it by offering excellent growth opportunities within their organizations.

The tourism industry is a prime example where many employees can expect promotions if they remain employed long-term at their organization.

Additionally, an individual’s job responsibilities may warrant large bonuses or allowances from their employers due to the complexity of that position or value-added to the company.

However, most companies have a range of allowances and bonuses that they can provide to their employees.

Comparison of Bonuses Based on Seniority Level

Senior employees in a company in Brunei are awarded a bonus each year that is dependant on their seniority.

Senior management usually receives the highest bonus as compared to other groups of employees.

Senior employees in Brunei who are part of the management structure such as directors, vice-presidents, and presidents will also receive a larger amount than those under them like managers and supervisors.

Management level bonuses entitle staff to higher basic pay levels, which means higher bonuses.

Salaries in Brunei for Popular Jobs

Bilingual

Teacher – 2,440 BND
Translator – 2,980 BND

Business Planning

Business Analyst – 4,210 BND
Business Development Manager – 5,210 BND

Finance

Accounts – 2,440 BND
Finance Manager – 5,210 BND
Audit Manager – 4,380 BND
Data Entry Operator – 1,530 BND
Accounting Assistant/Accountant – 2,860 BND

Medical Field

Nurse – 3,210 BND
Radiographer/X-Ray Technician – 4,380 BND
Pharmacist – 2,980 BND
Surgical Technologist – 3,680 BND
Lab Tech/Medical Technicians – 2,440 BND

Drivers

Cab Driver – 1,540 BND
Uber Driver – 1,930 BND
Driving Instructor – 2,760 BND

Marketing/Business Development

Sales Supervisor – 4,680 BND
Marketing Specialist – 5,280 BND

Design and Architecture

Architect – 8,830 BND
Graphic Designer – 3,600 BND

Beautician and Hair Dresser

Hair Stylist/Barber – 5,940 BND
Beautician – 4,760 BNDSalesperson
Retail Sales – 2,540 BND
Fashion Retail – 3,600 BND
Makeup Artist – 8,630 BND
Real Estate Sales/Property Agent – 5,190 BND

Sports Instructor

Coach/Physical Trainer – 4,820 BND
Athletic Coach – 6,660 BND

Paralegal and Law

Legal Assistant – 3,210 BND
Lawyer – 9,060 BND

Brunei’s Average Hourly Wage

Brunei’s average hourly salary (pay per hour) is 19 BND. This indicates that the ordinary Bruneian earns about 19 BND for every hour worked. The current minimum wage at 120 BND.

Take note that the hourly wage depends on the amount of work that is being done. Some jobs will require more time, effort, and expertise than others.

For example, a retail outlet worker will usually earn less than the minimum wage because his/her job requires less physical activity compared to say, a construction laborer or cleaner.

However, keep in mind that not everyone earns the same hourly rate as the average reported here. People with exceptional technical skills (such as programmers) may command pay rates that are much higher than this number.

Salary Comparison: Government vs. Private Sector in Brunei

Employees in the public sector in Brunei earn on average 7% more than their private-sector colleagues across all sectors. The public sector of Brunei offers better-paying jobs compared to the private sector.

However, the large expense of living in Brunei might offset what appears to be higher incomes.

The average salary among public-sector workers across all sectors is BND 617 per month (USD 541). The same position in the private sector would pay an average of BND 544 (USD 475) each month.