> Source: https://coursetojob.com/countries/timor-leste/ — 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 Timor-Leste Updated September 26, 2026 Data years: 2021, 2022 [How we use data](https://coursetojob.com/methodology/) Older data (2021) The latest official figure is from 2021. It may not reflect today's labour market. Quick answer In Timor-Leste, employees with tertiary education earned a median of $300 a month in 2021 (PPP$ 673) — +50% compared with all employees. Their unemployment rate was 1.7%, against 1.2% for all adults aged 25 and over (2022). Sources: ILOSTAT (ILO) - **+50%** degree premium: tertiary-educated vs all employees (2021) - **$300** median monthly pay with tertiary education (2021) - **1.7%** unemployment, tertiary-educated adults 25+ (all adults: 1.2%, 2022) - **10.8%** unemployment, tertiary-educated 15–24 year olds (2022) ## Do graduates earn more in Timor-Leste? **Median monthly earnings by education level, Timor-Leste, 2021Employees, median monthly earnings. PPP$ adjusts for price differences between countries.** | Education level | Local currency a month | PPP$ a month | vs all employees | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Less than basic education | $115 | 258 | -43% | | Basic education | $140 | 314 | -30% | | Intermediate education | $195 | 438 | -2% | | Advanced (tertiary) education | $300 | 673 | +50% | | Short-cycle tertiary | $350 | 786 | +75% | | Bachelor's or equivalent | $290 | 651 | +45% | | Master's or equivalent | $400 | 898 | +100% | | All levels | $200 | 449 | — | The degree premium ranks 69 of 128 countries with data. That is below the East Asia and Pacific median of +52%. ## Which occupations pay the most in Timor-Leste? Median monthly earnings by occupation group in 2021, from highest to lowest. Examples link to our career profiles. | Occupation group | Local currency a month | PPP$ a month | vs all employees | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 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/) | $270 | 606 | +35% | | 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/) | $250 | 561 | +25% | | Service and sales workers [Police officer](https://coursetojob.com/careers/police-officer/) | $150 | 337 | -25% | | Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers | $150 | 337 | -25% | | Craft and related trades workers | $150 | 337 | -25% | | Plant and machine operators and assemblers | $150 | 337 | -25% | | 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/) | $115 | 258 | -43% | | Elementary occupations | $115 | 258 | -43% | | All occupations | $200 | 449 | — | ## Are graduates less likely to be unemployed in Timor-Leste? **Unemployment rate by education level, 2022** | Education level | Adults 25+ | Young people 15–24 | | --- | --- | --- | | Less than basic education | 0.6% | 1.7% | | Basic education | 1.6% | 3.6% | | Intermediate education | 2.6% | 9.1% | | Advanced (tertiary) education | 1.7% | 10.8% | | All levels | 1.2% | 3.4% | Unemployment among tertiary-educated adults is the 9 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 Timor-Leste 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:** 1.4M (2025) - **GDP per person (PPP):** $4,810 (2025) - **Tertiary enrolment (gross):** 31.0% (2023) ## Questions about graduate jobs in Timor-Leste **Do graduates earn more than non-graduates in Timor-Leste?** According to the International Labour Organization, employees in Timor-Leste with tertiary education earned a median of $300 a month in 2021, compared with $200 for all employees — +50%. The degree premium ranks 69 of 128 countries with data. **What is the unemployment rate for graduates in Timor-Leste?** In 2022, the unemployment rate for adults aged 25 and over with tertiary education in Timor-Leste was 1.7%, compared with 1.2% for all adults. Among young people aged 15–24 with tertiary education it was 10.8%. **Which jobs pay the most in Timor-Leste?** The best-paid occupation group in Timor-Leste in 2021 was “Professionals”, with median monthly earnings of $270 (PPP$ 606). Professionals, the group that includes most graduate careers, earned a median of $270. ## Compare with other countries in East Asia and Pacific [Compare Timor-Leste side by side](https://coursetojob.com/compare/?c=TL,FJ,MN) - **[Fiji](https://coursetojob.com/countries/fiji/)** — +40% more for tertiary-educated employees (2024) East Asia and Pacific - **[Mongolia](https://coursetojob.com/countries/mongolia/)** — +11% more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) East Asia and Pacific - **[New Zealand](https://coursetojob.com/countries/new-zealand/)** — 2.6% unemployment, tertiary-educated adults (2020) East Asia and Pacific - **[Singapore](https://coursetojob.com/countries/singapore/)** — 3.2% unemployment, tertiary-educated adults (2025) East Asia and Pacific - **[Laos](https://coursetojob.com/countries/laos/)** — +1% more for tertiary-educated employees (2022) East Asia and Pacific - **[Samoa](https://coursetojob.com/countries/samoa/)** — +53% more for tertiary-educated employees (2022) East Asia and Pacific ## Sources 1. [ILOSTAT — Median monthly earnings of employees by education](https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/) — LFS - Labour Force Survey, 2021 2. [ILOSTAT — Median monthly earnings of employees by occupation](https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/) — LFS - Labour Force Survey, 2021 3. [ILOSTAT — Unemployment rate by age and education](https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/) — PC - Population Census, 2022 4. [World Bank — World Development Indicators](https://data.worldbank.org/country/tl) — Population, GDP per person (PPP) and tertiary enrolment **How to cite this page:** CourseToJob (2026). Timor-Leste: graduate salaries, jobs and unemployment. https://coursetojob.com/countries/timor-leste/ (accessed September 26, 2026) [Report a data or content issue](mailto:hello@elitedigitalagency.io?subject=Data%20issue%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fcoursetojob.com%2Fcountries%2Ftimor-leste%2F) ## Key facts - **Region:** East Asia and Pacific - **Currency:** USD - **Degree premium:** +50% (2021) - **Unemployment, tertiary:** 1.7% (2022) - **Degree premium rank:** 69 of 128 **On this page** 1. Do graduates earn more in Timor-Leste? 2. Which occupations pay the most in Timor-Leste? 3. Are graduates less likely to be unemployed in Timor-Leste? 4. Studying and working in Timor-Leste Machine-readable: [JSON](https://coursetojob.com/api/v1/countries/tl.json) · [Markdown](https://coursetojob.com/countries/timor-leste.md)