TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (行政院主計總處) revealed on Wednesday (July 10) the average regular earnings of all employees for the first five months of 2024 reached NT$43,156, marking a 0.22% year-on-year increase. This period also saw the first positive growth in three years.
Despite this overall increase, wage disparities persist across industries. In June, the DGBAS reported that 68% of employees in Taiwan earn less than NT$50,000 per month, especially in the leisure and hospitality sectors, where most salaries range between NT$ 30,000 and NT$40,000.
Yu Chih-shan (喻芝珊), a PR manager at a hotel and restaurant group, stated, “Low wages are not a common phenomenon. Many catering and hotel owners are actually willing to give allowances or subsidies to their staff. In fact, (wages) have been rising gradually as well.”
In contrast, high-paying industries include doctors, lawyers, pilots, and actuaries, with monthly salaries exceeding NT$100,000. Telecommunications engineers, finance professionals, electronics engineers, and AI engineers typically earn between NT$50,000 and NT$60,000.
Yang Tsing-pin (楊宗斌), a spokesman for Yes123 Job Bank, noted, "For non-STEM majors, they may only remain in the service industry without catching the AI wave. They probably need to become management trainees or obtain certificates to earn over NT$50,000 per month or try for jobs offering over a million a year."
104 Job Bank reported 9,731 job listings related to AI, with an average demand of 2.5 people per opening, creating over 24,000 AI-related job opportunities. Due to the scarcity of AI talent, many of these positions do not require work experience.
Experts further advise that enhancing soft skills, and staying attuned to new technologies is crucial for maintaining competitiveness in the evolving AI landscape.