Higher Education Salary Report 2026: South Korea
Salary report and benchmark
Higher education salary benchmark for South Korea.
How academic pay works in South Korea
Academic Jobs, the higher education salary benchmark, based on 12 university job posts since January 1, 2026, drawn from millions of historical job posts.
Higher education pay in South Korea depends on the institution, the role, and the contract.
This salary report uses cited scales and surveys, and treats Academic Jobs job posts as a demand benchmark.
The figures are in KRW, checked on 22 October 2026.
Academic Jobs tracks 12 university job posts in South Korea since January 1, 2026.
| Role | Pay now | What this is |
|---|---|---|
| Post-Doc | ₩39,000,000 | 4 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Faculty Researcher | ₩37,000,000 | 2 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Lecturer/Instructor | ₩33,600,000 | 2 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Research | ₩35,000,000 | 2 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Tenure-track | ₩33,600,000 | 2 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Assistant Professor | ₩43,000 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Associate Professor | ₩43,000 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Research Professor | ₩40,000,000 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
What changes pay
Rank
A professor scale sits above a lecturer or assistant professor scale.
Institution
Research universities and teaching-focused colleges do not use the same bands.
Contract
Nine-month, twelve-month, and casual contracts are not the same annual pay.
Location
Capital-city loadings and regional scales change the same title.
Compare a real offer
Use this salary report when you negotiate, or compare professor salaries and university salaries.