TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Ministry of Labor (MOL) recently unveiled the average starting salary at between NT$24,000 (US$808) and NT$47,000 (US$1,245) for working-age graduates last year, among which the manufacturing sector is the highest paying sector, followed by the finance and insurance sectors.
Around 240,000 working-age graduates are expected to join the labor market this year, according to the ministry's data, and graduates can expect better-than-average salaries if they choose to work in the manufacturing sector, which has documented a need for skilled workers fueled by surging demand from overseas since 2020.
The average starting salary in the manufacturing sector in 2021 was at NT$37,000, beating the long-time champion — finance and insurance — for the first time, which recorded an average starting wage of NT$36,000. The medical and healthcare service sectors averaged NT$36,000, and the publishing, audio and video production, broadcasting, information and communication sectors all averaged NT$35,000.
It was NT$28,000 for the real estate, retailer and wholesaler, and construction engineering sectors; and NT$27,000 for accommodation and food service, and entertainment and recreation service sectors, which were among the lowest.
The MOL also published data on average salaries by education level. It was NT$24,000 for junior high school graduates, NT$25,000 for senior high school graduates, NT$28,000 for college graduates, NT$30,000 for bachelors, and NT$47,000 for masters or higher.
It was also the first time the labor ministry produced a report by implementing big data analysis rather than surveying graduates, so results are believed to be more accurate than data from previous years.