> Source: https://coursetojob.com/countries/south-korea/ — updated 2026-09-26 · language: en > Markdown version of this CourseToJob page for AI agents. The HTML page is canonical. Data licence CC BY 4.0: cite the page URL and the original statistical source. East Asia and Pacific # Graduate jobs and salaries in South Korea Updated September 26, 2026 Data years: 2024, 2025 [How we use data](https://coursetojob.com/methodology/) Quick answer In South Korea, adults with tertiary education earn 130 for every 100 earned by adults who finished upper secondary school (OECD, 2024). Their unemployment rate was 2.6%, against 2.7% for all adults aged 25 and over (2025). Sources: ILOSTAT (ILO) · OECD - **2.6%** unemployment, tertiary-educated adults 25+ (all adults: 2.7%, 2025) - **5.6%** unemployment, tertiary-educated 15–24 year olds (2025) - **130** tertiary earnings index, upper secondary = 100 (OECD, 2024) ## Do graduates earn more in South Korea? ### Earnings compared with upper secondary education (OECD) The OECD compares the earnings of adults aged 25–64 with each level of education to those who finished upper secondary school (= 100). Latest year: 2024. | Education level | Index (upper secondary = 100) | | --- | --- | | Short-cycle tertiary | 110 | | Bachelor's or equivalent | 132 | | Master's, doctoral or equivalent | 173 | | All tertiary | 130 | | Below upper secondary | 83 | Source: OECD, Education at a Glance. Full-time, full-year earners. ## Are graduates less likely to be unemployed in South Korea? **Unemployment rate by education level, 2025** | Education level | Adults 25+ | Young people 15–24 | | --- | --- | --- | | Less than basic education | 4.2% | — | | Basic education | 3.4% | — | | Intermediate education | 2.6% | 6.1% | | Advanced (tertiary) education | 2.6% | 5.6% | | All levels | 2.7% | 5.7% | Unemployment among tertiary-educated adults is the 27 lowest of 130 countries with data. The East Asia and Pacific median is 2.3%. ### Unemployment over time, adults 25+ Advanced (tertiary) educationAll levels ## Studying and working in South Korea 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. - [Official study portal](https://www.studyinkorea.go.kr/) [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:** 51.7M (2025) - **GDP per person (PPP):** $63,125 (2025) - **Tertiary enrolment (gross):** 111.9% (2024) ## Questions about graduate jobs in South Korea **What is the unemployment rate for graduates in South Korea?** In 2025, the unemployment rate for adults aged 25 and over with tertiary education in South Korea was 2.6%, compared with 2.7% for all adults. Among young people aged 15–24 with tertiary education it was 5.6%. **Where can I find official information about studying in South Korea?** Start with the official study portal and immigration pages linked on this page. They set out entry requirements, student visas and any rights to work after graduating, which change more often than most guides are updated. ## Compare with other countries in East Asia and Pacific [Compare South Korea side by side](https://coursetojob.com/compare/?c=KR,MM,TH) - **[Myanmar](https://coursetojob.com/countries/myanmar/)** — -16% more for tertiary-educated employees (2020) East Asia and Pacific - **[Thailand](https://coursetojob.com/countries/thailand/)** — +74% more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) East Asia and Pacific - **[Malaysia](https://coursetojob.com/countries/malaysia/)** — 2.2% unemployment, tertiary-educated adults (2022) East Asia and Pacific - **[Australia](https://coursetojob.com/countries/australia/)** — +28% more for tertiary-educated employees (2021) East Asia and Pacific - **[Vietnam](https://coursetojob.com/countries/vietnam/)** — +25% more for tertiary-educated employees (2024) East Asia and Pacific - **[Philippines](https://coursetojob.com/countries/philippines/)** — +54% more for tertiary-educated employees (2024) East Asia and Pacific ## Sources 1. [ILOSTAT — Unemployment rate by age and education](https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/) — LFS - Economically Active Population Survey, 2025 2. [OECD — Education at a Glance, labour-market outcomes](https://data-explorer.oecd.org/) — Relative earnings and employment by field of study 3. [World Bank — World Development Indicators](https://data.worldbank.org/country/kr) — Population, GDP per person (PPP) and tertiary enrolment **How to cite this page:** CourseToJob (2026). South Korea: graduate salaries, jobs and unemployment. https://coursetojob.com/countries/south-korea/ (accessed September 26, 2026) [Report a data or content issue](mailto:hello@elitedigitalagency.io?subject=Data%20issue%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fcoursetojob.com%2Fcountries%2Fsouth-korea%2F) ## Key facts - **Region:** East Asia and Pacific - **Unemployment, tertiary:** 2.6% (2025) **On this page** 1. Do graduates earn more in South Korea? 2. Are graduates less likely to be unemployed in South Korea? 3. Studying and working in South Korea Machine-readable: [JSON](https://coursetojob.com/api/v1/countries/kr.json) · [Markdown](https://coursetojob.com/countries/south-korea.md)