Average Salary in Cambodia

Table of Contents

How much money does a Cambodian worker earn?

A Cambodian worker gets around 3,310,000 KHR each month. Salary ranges from 838,000 to 14,800,000 KHR.

Most workers are full-time wage employees which amounts to about 96% of them compared to part-time wage employees at 4%.

The median monthly income amount for this group is around 4853 dollars. By adding up all the money that they earn together it amounts to about 610 billion dollars a year.

Salary ranges from 1,850 to 52,300 dollars a year. Every month the average wage of a worker is about 3,310,000 KHR.

By looking at all these statistics you can conclude that a Cambodian worker earns an acceptable salary to live comfortably from it.

Salary Distribution in Cambodia

Salary Scale

Monthly salaries in Cambodia vary from 838,000 KHR to 14,800,000 KHR. Most people are paid 838,000 KHR to 1,500,000 KHR.

Most Cambodians have jobs at hotels or restaurants. A dishwasher in a coffee shop could be paid 300,000 KHR per month while a waiter may make 100,000.

Salary distribution is not equal around the country either. For example, Phnom Penh has the highest salaries and Siem Reap the lowest.

Salary Median

The median monthly wage is 3,580,000 KHR, which implies that half of the population (50 percent) earns less than 3,580,000 KHR and the other half earns more than 3,580,000 KHR.

Percentiles

25% of the population earns less than 1,990,000 KHR, while 75% earn more. A percentile is a measure used in statistics indicating the value below which a given percentage of observations in a group of observations falls.

For example, the 20th percentile is the value (or score) below which 20% of the observations may be found.

The 25th percentile is also known as the lower quartile or Q1, and the 75th percentile is the upper quartile or Q3. The 50th percentile —the median —is sometimes called “the” average.

How much does the median pay vary from the average salary?

In Cambodia, the median salary is KHR 98,734 compared to the average salary of KHR 120,000. The median salary is the amount of money that falls in the dead center of a data set containing numbers.

The variance between the average and median salaries is approximately 20,000 Cambodian Riel (KHR). This means that half of all employees make less than 80,000 KHR while half make more than this amount.

It also means that only one employee makes around 160,000 KHR.

This difference among pay rates exists because some employees are paid very low wages while others are paid very high wages for what they do.

For example, if an organization is hiring ten new employees who have the same skill sets, the new employees would probably all make similar amounts of money.

However, if a more experienced person with a higher salary decides to leave an organization and a less experienced person is hired in their place, then this could skew the average salary downwards.

Comparing Salaries Based on Years of Experience

How does an individual’s income in Cambodia increase over time?

A Cambodian national starts his career at 18 years old with a salary of $2,000 KRH (KHR). At 25 years old this salary has increased to $3,500 KRH. At 40 years old the same person is earning $7,200 KRH.

This means that after 10 years of experience an individual’s salary almost tripled. The most significant changes in hiring practices are seen when people move up from entry-level jobs to mid-level management roles later on in life.

By age 30 you can expect about double your earnings compared to what you were making when you first entered the workforce.

The lowest possible income for someone working in Cambodia receiving a low wage is around 8000 KHR per month which is about 200 USD dollars. In some workforce, it’s even as low as 3000 KHR per month.

The highest possible income for someone working in Cambodia receiving a high wage is around 30000 KHR per month which is about 600 USD dollars. You can make a lot more money depending on your job role and experience.

If you gain a few years of work experience under your belt, you will likely earn a salary close to the mid-point on this range.

This means that after 10 years of experience an individual’s salary almost tripled where they ended up making twice as much as they did when they first started out working at 18 years old which is $3600 KRH (KHR).

Salary Comparisons According to Education

How does your degree of education determine your salary in Cambodia?

In Cambodia, your degree of education is a huge influence on the salary you will get for that degree. Also, it is one of the most important factors in regards to hiring and promotion in an organization.

The reason why education is so important in regards to salary is that it often reflects how much knowledge an individual has acquired over the course of their career.

Generally speaking, higher degrees are associated with higher salaries. This isn’t always the case though.

For example, someone who studied engineering but now works as a human rights lawyer may have the same salary as a lawyer who just graduated from law school.

It also depends on what industry you work in and if your organization values people based on qualifications or output at all. Someone might have a Ph.D. degree in math for example, but they might not be able to use it outside of teaching.

This means that they would likely receive less money than someone with only a high school diploma working in sales for example.

Cambodian workers also need to consider that while individuals who work for international companies may receive higher salaries, the cost of living in Cambodia is lower than in other countries.

Salary Comparison By Gender

Male workers earn 16% more than female employees in Cambodia on average across all industries.

Female workers in Cambodia earn an average of KHR 44,011 per month while men earn an average of KHR53,732 every month. The difference in pay is likely due to the industry and job type.

Female employees are more likely to work in lower-paying industries such as education and healthcare.

In addition, women tend to be paid less than men regardless of their position within an organization – this holds true even for female managers.

Even at top leadership levels, there is a stark difference between what Cambodian men and women earn: Male CEOs earn about 50% more than their female peers.

It’s clear that the wage gap exists both across all occupations as well as within each occupation grade level.

These types of disparities prevent women from improving their living conditions and cause them to depend on others for support well into old age.

The earnings gap also means that women have a less secure future and fewer resources to set aside for the education of their children.

Cambodia’s Average Yearly Salary Increase Percentage

How much do Cambodians get in yearly pay increases? How often do workers get compensation increases?

Employees in Cambodia may expect a wage rise of around 5% every 28 months.

The average Cambodian worker gets a 34% pay rise every two years, which is about five percent higher than the global average of 28%

Some companies give three monthly salary increases (one between January and March; one between June and July; one between September and October) or four annually (two in January; one in July; one in October).

Annual Growth Rates by Industry in

Construction – 8%
Banking – 7%
Healthcare – 6%
Restaurants – 5%
Education – 4%
Hospitality – 3%
Production – 1%

Prospering businesses tend to provide more frequent and larger increases.

There are exceptions, but in general, a company’s status is directly linked to the country’s or region’s economic situation. These values tend to fluctuate.

Average Income Increase Rates by Experience level

Most people in Cambodia tend to move up income levels as they gain experience and time on the job.

It is said that when looking for a job, one should go to companies that pay well, offer benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans, and provide high potential for advancement in order to make more money in the long run.

Workers who receive promotions and salary raises because of their good work ethic and loyalty to their company tend to be happier than those who remain stagnant in low-level positions with no chance of advancing

A worker’s experience level determines his or her average yearly income adjust rate.

In general, experience level seven workers have an increase of 1-3% annually while experience level eight workers have an annual increase of 3-5%. The highest increase, from experience level eight to nine workers, averages 4-6% per year.

Rewards in Cambodia

How frequently and how much are bonuses given?

Cambodian employees are rewarded on the new year and the Khmer New Year, which is their equivalent of Christmas. The amount is given ranges from 1,000 to 100,000 KHR.

Sometimes there are bonuses given for good work or being a hard worker. Bonuses can be given monthly or weekly. They vary from 200 KHR to 1000 KHR per week and they have been increasing over the years.

Sometimes they get a bonus of two months of salary if they have worked many years with a company.

The more experienced workers get the bigger bonus because companies want to keep them and don’t want to let them go when they finish their contracts.

Bonuses Types

Individualized Performance Bonuses

From the company’s perspective, individualized performance bonuses serve two functions: First, they motivate employees to work harder and smarter while motivating poor performers to improve.

Second, they provide a way for employers to pay more than what was contracted without raising an employee’s fixed costs or requiring justification for why the raise was deserved.

However, individualized performance bonuses may create problems in some organizations because other workers could resent an “average” performer receiving bigger raises than themselves.

Also, managers must ensure that their bonus system is not discriminatory by race or gender or it can open an organization to costly lawsuits.

Corporate Performance Bonuses

These are tied to key company goals, normally focusing on profit or its increase.

These goals are set out by the Board of Directors and are dependent on the Company’s overall strategy.

If a company has ambitious sales targets, their bonuses will be reflective of this.

Bonuses incentivize employees to reach them by tying performance payouts to business success. Company management typically decides an employee’s bonus payout at the end of the year based on measurable objectives that have been defined in advance.

Goal-based Rewards

These are rewards that are based on the completion of a particular goal. These types of rewards are used by many different organizations, including schools and sports teams because they can help to increase engagement with specific tasks.

Typically, some type of token is given out as a reward once the goal has been reached. This is often more symbolic than anything else–for example, an athlete might be awarded a towel or water bottle after working hard during practice.

Tokens like this don’t cost much for whatever organization they’re coming from to provide but can still do a lot to motivate people towards achieving their goals.

Holiday/Year-End Bonuses

Allowing for holiday/year-end bonuses can help companies gain and keep skilled workers by rewarding them for performing well and meeting goals.

These are often given out during the December holiday season and the year-end period, but they can also be awarded at other times of the year based on company policy.

Employees who receive a holiday/year-end bonus may feel positively towards their employers because the bonus shows that they are valued for their contributions.

This sense of value can make employees want to continue with their employer, ultimately leading them to stay in their jobs longer than they normally would if such rewards were not given out.

When people enjoy what they do and feel like what they do is important and useful, it increases job satisfaction and motivation levels.

Bonus Rates by Job Title

What qualifies a job for excellent bonuses and a high salary in Cambodia?

One of the most common questions individuals ask themselves is how they can get a job that offers excellent bonuses and a high salary.

While this question may not have a concrete answer, there are certain qualifications for jobs that pay well and offer bonuses in Cambodia.

By studying these qualifications, an individual will be able to find out if their current position qualifies as well as decide what career path they would like next.

From the perspective of an employer, it is important to hire employees who demonstrate certain skills and characteristics so as to receive the best work from them.

Skills such as diligence, punctuality, loyalty and focus all contribute towards employee performance and increase productivity.

Job titles in Cambodia such as doctors and lawyers require more qualifications and schooling than other jobs.

As a result, these positions are paid more to compensate for the increased time needed to complete school, as well as the skills required to do their job.

Some companies in Cambodia have adopted a flat rate bonus system where employees receive bonuses based on their performance or are offered certain stocks depending on how much they contribute overall.

There are also positions that qualify for excellent bonuses due to them being difficult jobs with high-stress levels.

For example, an investment banker who works long hours travels constantly, and has little support from management would be considered perfect for earning higher-than-average bonuses.

Bonuses by Seniority

Many companies give senior employees higher bonuses, often at least double the amount given to new hires. This is done either because of an obligation under their contract or as a thank you for good work.

They usually do not receive anything if they are fired during their first year with the company though, and tend to change afterward depending on different factors.

Some companies do not have this system, but instead, offer more money each year of service or after a certain number of years with them. However, most people tend to get paid more from these kinds of systems than from seniority-based ones.

In Cambodian culture, it is very important for seniors to be rewarded for their seniority due out of respect.

Salary For Popular Jobs in Cambodia

Administration / Reception / Secretarial

Administrative Assistant – 1,780,000 KHR
Office Manager – 2,860,000 KHR

Arts / Design / Entertainment

Art Director – 2,500,000 KHR
Graphic Designer – 1,550,000 KHR
Photographer – 1,790,000 KHR
Web Designer – 1,770,000 KHR

Construction / Building / Installation

Carpenter – 1,790,000 KHR
Electrician – 2,120,000 KHR
General Maintenance Worker – 1,800,000 KHR
Painter – 1,740,000 KHR

Writer / Journalist

Journalist – 2,300,000 KHR

Practical Science / Maths / Engineering / Physics

Environmental Engineer – 3,540,000 KHR
Mechanical Engineer – 3,070,000 KHR
Civil Engineer – 2,630,000 KHR
Chemical Engineer – 3,400,000 KHR

Financial Services / Banking / Insurance / Legal / Real Estate

Accountant (CPA) – 4,060,000 KHR
Lawyer (Barrister) – 4,120,000 KHR
Registered Nurse – 1,860,000 KHR
Pharmacist – 3,180,000 KHR

Marketing / Communication / Advertising / PR

Advertising Manager – 2,420 ,000 KHR
Marketing Manager – 3,060,000 KHR
Public Relations Specialist – 2,180,000 KHR
Sales Executive – 1,900,000 KHR

Retail / Hospitality / Tourism

Sales Assistant – 1,530,000 KHR
Cashier – 1,520,000 KHR
Tour Guide – 2,040,000 KHR
Waiter / Waitress – 750 ,000 KHR

Customer Service / Call Center / Data Entry / Help Desk

Call Center Agent (Inbound) – 1,740 ,000 KHR
Call Center Agent (Outbound) – 1,870 ,000 KHR
Data Analyst – 3,020 ,000 KHR
Help Desk Technician – 2,510 ,000 KHR
Hotel Receptionist / Front of House Staff- 770 ,000 KHR

Cambodian Hourly Wage

Cambodia’s average hourly earnings are 19,100 KHR. This indicates that for every hour worked, the typical Cambodian earns 19,100 KHR.

Salary Comparison: Public vs. Private

On average, public sector workers in Cambodia earn 25% more than their private-sector colleagues across all industries.

Private sectors get a lower salary because there is a high turnover rate of workers whereas the public sector has the more stable employment. This is because of high levels of consumer indebtedness, a lack of benefits, and a poor performance-based culture in private firms.

The salary gap between public and private sector workers increases for posts requiring more specialized skills.