A person working as an Academic Specialist in Korea (South) typically earns around 3,750,000 KRW per month. Salaries range from 1,730,000 KRW (lowest) to 5,970,000 KRW (highest).
This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Academic Specialist salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Academic Specialist salaries in Korea (South) range from 1,730,000 KRW per month (minimum salary) to 5,970,000 KRW per month (maximum salary).
The median salary is 4,050,000 KRW per month, which means that half (50%) of people working as Academic Specialist(s) are earning less than 4,050,000 KRW while the other half are earning more than 4,050,000 KRW. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Academic Specialist(s) are earning less than 2,600,000 KRW while 75% of them are earning more than 2,600,000 KRW. Also from the diagram, 75% of Academic Specialist(s) are earning less than 5,410,000 KRW while 25% are earning more than 5,410,000 KRW.
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Academic Specialist salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
An Academic Specialist with less than two years of experience makes approximately 1,960,000 KRW per month.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 2,620,000 KRW per month, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 3,870,000 KRW per month, 48% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, Academic Specialist(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 4,710,000 KRW per month, 22% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 5,140,000 KRW per month, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 5,560,000 KRW per month, 8% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
0 - 2 Years | 1,960,000 KRW | |
2 - 5 Years | +34% | 2,620,000 KRW |
5 - 10 Years | +48% | 3,870,000 KRW |
10 - 15 Years | +22% | 4,710,000 KRW |
15 - 20 Years | +9% | 5,140,000 KRW |
20+ Years | +8% | 5,560,000 KRW |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down Academic Specialist salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is Bachelor's Degree, the average salary of an Academic Specialist is 2,230,000 KRW per month.
While someone with a Master's Degree gets a salary of 3,510,000 KRW per month, 57% more than someone having a Bachelor's Degree degree.
A PhD gets its holder an average salary of 5,880,000 KRW per month, 68% more than someone with a Master's Degree.
Bachelor's Degree | 2,230,000 KRW | |
Master's Degree | +57% | 3,510,000 KRW |
PhD | +68% | 5,880,000 KRW |
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Korea (South) costs anywhere from 19,400,000 South Korean Won(s) to 58,300,000 South Korean Won(s) and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch into a higher paying job. The numbers seem to support the thoery. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male Academic Specialist employees in Korea (South) earn 8% more than their female counterparts on average.
Male | 3,890,000 KRW | |
Female | -7% | 3,610,000 KRW |
Academic Specialist(s) in Korea (South) are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 11% every 17 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 16 months.
The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency
Banking | 6% | |
Energy | 3% | |
Information Technology | 9% | |
Healthcare | 6% | |
Travel | 3% | |
Construction | 9% | |
Education | 6% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Korea (South) for the year 2022. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.
An Academic Specialist is considered to be a moderate bonus-based job due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.
41% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 59% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 2% to 7% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 59% | |
No Bonus | 41% |
The most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
The main two types of jobs | |
Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fix amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
The average salary for Academic Specialist is 9% less than that of Teaching / Education. Also, Teaching / Education salaries are 6% more than those of All Jobs.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Academic Advisor | 4,350,000 KRW | ![]() |
Academic Coach | 4,080,000 KRW | ![]() |
Academic Manager | 4,900,000 KRW | ![]() |
Academic Specialist | 3,750,000 KRW | ![]() |
Academic Staff | 3,290,000 KRW | ![]() |
Accompanist | 3,450,000 KRW | ![]() |
Achievement Coach | 4,380,000 KRW | ![]() |
Admissions Specialist | 3,790,000 KRW | ![]() |
Agricultural Sciences Teacher | 3,180,000 KRW | ![]() |
Anthropology Teacher | 3,430,000 KRW | ![]() |
Arabic Language Teacher | 3,170,000 KRW | ![]() |
Archeology Teacher | 3,330,000 KRW | ![]() |
Architecture Teacher | 3,680,000 KRW | ![]() |
Archivist | 2,740,000 KRW | ![]() |
Art Teacher | 2,950,000 KRW | ![]() |
Assistant School Principal | 4,260,000 KRW | ![]() |
Assistant Teacher | 2,830,000 KRW | ![]() |
Biochemistry Professor | 6,120,000 KRW | ![]() |
Biology Teacher | 3,380,000 KRW | ![]() |
Bursary Scheme Manager | 4,040,000 KRW | ![]() |
Business Teacher | 3,370,000 KRW | ![]() |
Chemistry Teacher | 3,280,000 KRW | ![]() |
Child Care Coordinator | 3,420,000 KRW | ![]() |
Child Care Worker | 2,800,000 KRW | ![]() |
Clinical School Psychologist | 5,060,000 KRW | ![]() |
College Aide | 4,210,000 KRW | ![]() |
College and Career Readiness Specialist | 4,520,000 KRW | ![]() |
College President | 7,410,000 KRW | ![]() |
Communications Teacher | 3,260,000 KRW | ![]() |
Community Education Officer | 2,830,000 KRW | ![]() |
Computer Science Teacher | 3,150,000 KRW | ![]() |
Computer Teacher | 3,080,000 KRW | ![]() |
Creative Writing Trainer | 4,020,000 KRW | ![]() |
Credit Counselor | 4,180,000 KRW | ![]() |
Cultural Studies Teacher | 3,220,000 KRW | ![]() |
Curriculum Developer | 4,340,000 KRW | ![]() |
Curriculum Specialist | 4,320,000 KRW | ![]() |
Demonstrator | 2,880,000 KRW | ![]() |
Deputy Controller of Examinations | 3,890,000 KRW | ![]() |
Director of Learning Technology | 4,450,000 KRW | ![]() |
Distance Learning Coordinator | 3,790,000 KRW | ![]() |
Economics Lecturer | 5,660,000 KRW | ![]() |
Education Administrator | 3,870,000 KRW | ![]() |
Education Assistant Director | 4,200,000 KRW | ![]() |
Education Assistant Principal | 3,740,000 KRW | ![]() |
Education Assistant Professor | 4,800,000 KRW | ![]() |
Education Consultant | 4,690,000 KRW | ![]() |
Education Coordinator | 3,640,000 KRW | ![]() |
Education Counselor | 4,060,000 KRW | ![]() |
Education Director | 5,630,000 KRW | ![]() |
Education Program Specialist | 4,160,000 KRW | ![]() |
Education Researcher | 4,760,000 KRW | ![]() |
Education Resource Specialist | 3,670,000 KRW | ![]() |
Education Services Facilitator | 3,930,000 KRW | ![]() |
Educational Psychologist | 5,380,000 KRW | ![]() |
EFL Teacher | 3,290,000 KRW | ![]() |
eLearning Trainer | 3,140,000 KRW | ![]() |
Elementary School Teacher | 2,800,000 KRW | ![]() |
Engineering Lecturer | 5,530,000 KRW | ![]() |
Engineering Teacher | 4,700,000 KRW | ![]() |
English Teacher | 3,150,000 KRW | ![]() |
ESL Teacher | 3,360,000 KRW | ![]() |
Faculty Assistant | 4,240,000 KRW | ![]() |
Foreign Language Teacher | 2,980,000 KRW | ![]() |
GED Teacher | 2,870,000 KRW | ![]() |
Geography Teacher | 3,130,000 KRW | ![]() |
Head of Mathematics Department | 4,700,000 KRW | ![]() |
Head of School | 5,460,000 KRW | ![]() |
High School Teacher | 3,710,000 KRW | ![]() |
History Teacher | 3,420,000 KRW | ![]() |
Infant Teacher | 2,470,000 KRW | ![]() |
Instructional Assistant | 3,350,000 KRW | ![]() |
Instructor | 3,880,000 KRW | ![]() |
Kindergarten Teacher | 2,700,000 KRW | ![]() |
Language Instructor For Expatriate | 2,800,000 KRW | ![]() |
Law Teacher | 4,870,000 KRW | ![]() |
Learning Designer | 3,840,000 KRW | ![]() |
Lecturer | 5,560,000 KRW | ![]() |
Librarian | 2,800,000 KRW | ![]() |
Library Assistant | 2,250,000 KRW | ![]() |
Library Director | 3,790,000 KRW | ![]() |
Library Specialist | 2,850,000 KRW | ![]() |
Life Sciences Teacher | 3,370,000 KRW | ![]() |
Math Lecturer | 6,100,000 KRW | ![]() |
Mathematics Teacher | 3,870,000 KRW | ![]() |
Mentor | 3,780,000 KRW | ![]() |
Middle School Teacher | 3,450,000 KRW | ![]() |
Music Teacher | 3,080,000 KRW | ![]() |
Nursery Manager | 5,060,000 KRW | ![]() |
Nursery Worker | 2,120,000 KRW | ![]() |
Paraprofessional | 4,720,000 KRW | ![]() |
Physical Education Specialist | 3,640,000 KRW | ![]() |
Physical Education Teacher | 2,910,000 KRW | ![]() |
Physics Teacher | 3,550,000 KRW | ![]() |
Political Science Teacher | 3,330,000 KRW | ![]() |
Post Doctoral Researcher | 5,160,000 KRW | ![]() |
Preschool Education Administrator | 3,670,000 KRW | ![]() |
Preschool Teacher | 2,660,000 KRW | ![]() |
Primary School Teacher | 2,860,000 KRW | ![]() |
Principal | 4,910,000 KRW | ![]() |
Product Specialist | 3,750,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Accounting | 6,200,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Architecture | 6,390,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Biology | 5,680,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Business Administration | 5,610,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Chemical Engineering | 6,240,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Chemistry | 6,220,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Civil Engineering | 5,850,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Communication | 5,880,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Computer Science | 6,280,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Dentistry | 6,000,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Drama | 5,600,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Economics | 6,130,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Education | 6,110,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Electrical Engineering | 6,450,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - English | 5,920,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Environmental Engineering | 6,420,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Foreign Languages | 5,460,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Geological Sciences | 5,730,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - History | 5,870,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Industrial Engineering | 5,900,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Law | 6,490,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Legal Support | 5,860,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Liberal Arts | 6,200,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Marketing | 6,240,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Mathematics | 6,210,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Mechanical Engineering | 6,160,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Medical Administration | 6,300,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Medicine | 7,190,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Music | 5,570,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Nursing | 5,800,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Pharmaceutical Sciences | 6,190,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Philosophy | 5,720,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Physical Therapy | 6,100,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Physics | 6,380,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Psychology | 5,880,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Rehabilitation | 5,560,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Social Work | 5,530,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Sociology | 6,120,000 KRW | ![]() |
Professor - Special Education | 5,710,000 KRW | ![]() |
Psychology Teacher | 4,780,000 KRW | ![]() |
Public Management Assistant Professor | 5,060,000 KRW | ![]() |
School Counselor | 4,650,000 KRW | ![]() |
Science Educator | 3,320,000 KRW | ![]() |
Science Laboratory Assistant | 2,890,000 KRW | ![]() |
Science Teacher | 3,280,000 KRW | ![]() |
Secondary Mathematics Teacher | 3,520,000 KRW | ![]() |
Secondary School Teacher | 3,090,000 KRW | ![]() |
Special Education Teacher | 3,370,000 KRW | ![]() |
Special Needs Assistant | 2,780,000 KRW | ![]() |
Statistics Lecturer | 5,760,000 KRW | ![]() |
Student Accounts Coordinator | 3,240,000 KRW | ![]() |
Student Development Specialist | 3,780,000 KRW | ![]() |
Student Employment Specialist | 3,630,000 KRW | ![]() |
Student Services | 3,010,000 KRW | ![]() |
Student Support Manager | 4,160,000 KRW | ![]() |
Substitute Teacher | 2,840,000 KRW | ![]() |
Teacher | 3,070,000 KRW | ![]() |
Teacher Aide | 2,640,000 KRW | ![]() |
Teacher Trainer | 3,820,000 KRW | ![]() |
Training and Development Specialist | 4,460,000 KRW | ![]() |
Training Coordinator | 2,860,000 KRW | ![]() |
Tutor | 3,360,000 KRW | ![]() |
University Teacher | 5,860,000 KRW | ![]() |
Vocational Education Teacher | 3,350,000 KRW | ![]() |
City | Average Salary |
Bucheon | 3,220,000 KRW |
Busan | 4,130,000 KRW |
Daegu | 3,790,000 KRW |
Daejeon | 3,820,000 KRW |
Goyang | 3,620,000 KRW |
Gwangju | 3,840,000 KRW |
Incheon | 3,770,000 KRW |
Seongnam | 3,370,000 KRW |
Seoul | 4,100,000 KRW |
Suweon | 3,500,000 KRW |
Ulsan | 3,610,000 KRW |
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in Korea (South) earn 6% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
Private Sector | 3,770,000 KRW | |
Public Sector | +6% | 3,990,000 KRW |