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South Asia

# Graduate jobs and salaries in Maldives

Updated September 26, 2026 Data years: 2019 [How we use data](https://coursetojob.com/methodology/)

Older data (2019) The latest official figure is from 2019. It may not reflect today's labour market.

Quick answer

In Maldives, employees with tertiary education earned a median of MVR 15,000 a month in 2019 (PPP$ 1,481) — +50% compared with all employees. Their unemployment rate was 2.4%, against 2.8% for all adults aged 25 and over (2019).

Sources: ILOSTAT (ILO)

- **+50%** degree premium: tertiary-educated vs all employees (2019)
- **MVR 15,000** median monthly pay with tertiary education (2019)
- **2.4%** unemployment, tertiary-educated adults 25+ (all adults: 2.8%, 2019)

## Do graduates earn more in Maldives?

**Median monthly earnings by education level, Maldives, 2019Employees, median monthly earnings. PPP$ adjusts for price differences between countries.**

| Education level | Local currency a month | PPP$ a month | vs all employees |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Less than basic education | MVR 5,150 | 508 | -49% |
| Basic education | MVR 8,000 | 790 | -20% |
| Intermediate education | MVR 10,144 | 1,002 | +2% |
| Advanced (tertiary) education | MVR 15,000 | 1,481 | +50% |
| Bachelor's or equivalent | MVR 13,235 | 1,307 | +32% |
| Master's or equivalent | MVR 17,000 | 1,679 | +70% |
| All levels | MVR 10,000 | 987 | — |

The degree premium ranks 67 of 128 countries with data. That is below the South Asia median of +61%.

## Which occupations pay the most in Maldives?

Median monthly earnings by occupation group in 2019, from highest to lowest. Examples link to our career profiles.

| Occupation group | Local currency a month | PPP$ a month | vs all employees |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Managers  
[Construction manager](https://coursetojob.com/careers/construction-manager/), [Marketing manager](https://coursetojob.com/careers/marketing-manager/), [Project manager](https://coursetojob.com/careers/project-manager/), [Supply chain manager](https://coursetojob.com/careers/supply-chain-manager/) | MVR 20,000 | 1,975 | +100% |
| Professionals  
[Software developer](https://coursetojob.com/careers/software-developer/), [Web developer](https://coursetojob.com/careers/web-developer/), [Data scientist](https://coursetojob.com/careers/data-scientist/), [Data analyst](https://coursetojob.com/careers/data-analyst/) | MVR 12,416 | 1,226 | +24% |
| Technicians and associate professionals  
[IT support technician](https://coursetojob.com/careers/it-support-technician/), [Paramedic](https://coursetojob.com/careers/paramedic/), [Biomedical scientist](https://coursetojob.com/careers/biomedical-scientist/), [Paralegal](https://coursetojob.com/careers/paralegal/) | MVR 12,000 | 1,185 | +20% |
| Plant and machine operators and assemblers | MVR 9,269 | 915 | -7% |
| Clerical support workers | MVR 8,661 | 855 | -13% |
| Craft and related trades workers | MVR 8,500 | 839 | -15% |
| Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers | MVR 8,000 | 790 | -20% |
| Service and sales workers  
[Police officer](https://coursetojob.com/careers/police-officer/) | MVR 7,000 | 691 | -30% |
| Elementary occupations | MVR 5,650 | 558 | -43% |
| All occupations | MVR 10,000 | 987 | — |

## Are graduates less likely to be unemployed in Maldives?

**Unemployment rate by education level, 2019**

| Education level | Adults 25+ | Young people 15–24 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic education | 3.3% | 15.8% |
| Intermediate education | 1.9% | 12.9% |
| Advanced (tertiary) education | 2.4% | — |
| All levels | 2.8% | 13.9% |

Unemployment among tertiary-educated adults is the 22 lowest of 130 countries with data. The South Asia median is 5.8%.

## Studying and working in Maldives

Rules on student visas, work after graduation and recognition of qualifications change often. Use the official sources below and check the date on any advice you read.

[Guide: how to choose a country to study in](https://coursetojob.com/guides/study-abroad/) · [Guide: getting your degree recognised abroad](https://coursetojob.com/guides/degree-recognition-abroad/)

## Country context

- **Population:** 529.7K (2025)
- **GDP per person (PPP):** $28,555 (2025)
- **Tertiary enrolment (gross):** 48.5% (2022)

## Questions about graduate jobs in Maldives

**Do graduates earn more than non-graduates in Maldives?**

According to the International Labour Organization, employees in Maldives with tertiary education earned a median of MVR 15,000 a month in 2019, compared with MVR 10,000 for all employees — +50%. The degree premium ranks 67 of 128 countries with data.

**What is the unemployment rate for graduates in Maldives?**

In 2019, the unemployment rate for adults aged 25 and over with tertiary education in Maldives was 2.4%, compared with 2.8% for all adults.

**Which jobs pay the most in Maldives?**

The best-paid occupation group in Maldives in 2019 was “Managers”, with median monthly earnings of MVR 20,000 (PPP$ 1,975). Professionals, the group that includes most graduate careers, earned a median of MVR 12,416.

## Compare with other countries in South Asia

[Compare Maldives side by side](https://coursetojob.com/compare/?c=MV,BT,LK)

- **[Bhutan](https://coursetojob.com/countries/bhutan/)** — +64% more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) South Asia
- **[Sri Lanka](https://coursetojob.com/countries/sri-lanka/)** — +58% more for tertiary-educated employees (2024) South Asia
- **[Nepal](https://coursetojob.com/countries/nepal/)** — +55% more for tertiary-educated employees (2017) South Asia
- **[Bangladesh](https://coursetojob.com/countries/bangladesh/)** — +79% more for tertiary-educated employees (2024) South Asia
- **[India](https://coursetojob.com/countries/india/)** — +94% more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) South Asia

## Sources

1. [ILOSTAT — Median monthly earnings of employees by education](https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/) — HIES - Household Income and Expenditure Survey, 2019
2. [ILOSTAT — Median monthly earnings of employees by occupation](https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/) — HIES - Household Income and Expenditure Survey, 2019
3. [ILOSTAT — Unemployment rate by age and education](https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/) — HIES - Household Income and Expenditure Survey, 2019
4. [World Bank — World Development Indicators](https://data.worldbank.org/country/mv) — Population, GDP per person (PPP) and tertiary enrolment

**How to cite this page:** CourseToJob (2026). Maldives: graduate salaries, jobs and unemployment. https://coursetojob.com/countries/maldives/ (accessed September 26, 2026)

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## Key facts

- **Region:** South Asia
- **Currency:** MVR
- **Degree premium:** +50% (2019)
- **Unemployment, tertiary:** 2.4% (2019)
- **Degree premium rank:** 67 of 128

**On this page**

1. Do graduates earn more in Maldives?
2. Which occupations pay the most in Maldives?
3. Are graduates less likely to be unemployed in Maldives?
4. Studying and working in Maldives

Machine-readable: [JSON](https://coursetojob.com/api/v1/countries/mv.json) · [Markdown](https://coursetojob.com/countries/maldives.md)

