Design Engineer Average Salary in Seoul 2026
How much money does a person working as Design Engineer make in Seoul?
LOW
2.1M
KRW AVERAGE
4.1M
KRW HIGH
6.4M
KRW
A person working as Design Engineer in Seoul typically earns around 4.1M KRW. Salaries range from 2.1M KRW (lowest) to 6.4M KRW (highest).
Salary Variance
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Design Engineer salaries in Seoul vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Design Engineer Pay Scale and Salaries in Seoul
Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range
Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary
Salaries for the position Design Engineer in Seoul range from 2.1M KRW (starting salary) to 6.4M KRW (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.
Median Salary
With a median salary of 3.8M KRW, half of the professionals who work as Design Engineer in Seoul earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.
Percentiles and Salary Scale
The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Design Engineer in Seoul earn less than 3.1M KRW, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 4.3M KRW while 25% earn more.
Pay Scale Structure
To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Design Engineer in Seoul compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 2.4M KRW to 3.4M KRW. About 20% of salaries are below the 2.4M KRW mark, while 10% fall within the range of 3.4M KRW to 3.8M KRW. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 3.8M KRW.
/seoul/engineering/design-engineer/median-and-salary-distribution-monthly-seoul-design-engineer.jpg "Median and salary distribution Seoul Design Engineer monthly")
Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Design Engineer / Seoul
How do experience and age affect pay?
| 0 - 2 Years | 2.5M KRW | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +32% | 3.3M KRW |
| 5 - 10 Years | +34% | 4.4M KRW |
| 10 - 15 Years | +19% | 5.2M KRW |
| 15 - 20 Years | +8% | 5.6M KRW |
| 20+ Years | +7% | 6M KRW |
/seoul/engineering/design-engineer/salary-comparison-by-years-of-experience-monthly-seoul-design-engineer.jpg "Salary comparison by years of experience monthly Seoul Design Engineer")
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Design Engineer and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 2.5M KRW.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 3.3M KRW, 32% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 4.4M KRW, 34% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 5.2M KRW, 19% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 5.6M KRW, 8% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 6M KRW, 7% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Salary Comparison By Education / Design Engineer / Seoul
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Design Engineer.
| Bachelor's Degree | 3.5M KRW | |
| Master's Degree | +58% | 5.6M KRW |
/seoul/engineering/design-engineer/salary-comparison-by-education-level-monthly-seoul-design-engineer.jpg "Salary comparison by education level monthly Seoul Design Engineer")
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position Design Engineer in order to make a comparison.
Level 1: Bachelor's Degree
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 3.5M KRW.
Level 2: Master's Degree
At this level, the average salary becomes 5.6M KRW, 58% more than the previous level.
Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Korea (South) costs anywhere from 20M KRW to 59M KRW and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch to a higher-paying job. The numbers seem to support the theory. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers
Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Design Engineer / Seoul
/engineering/design-engineer/salary-comparison-by-gender-monthly-korea-(south)-design-engineer.jpg "Salary comparison by gender Korea (South) Design Engineer monthly")
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Design Engineer in Korea (South), the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 6%.
| Male | 3.9M KRW | |
| Female | -6% | 3.7M KRW |
Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Design Engineer / Seoul
How much are annual salary increments in Seoul for individuals working as Design Engineer? How often do employees get salary raises?
Individuals working as Design Engineer in Korea (South) are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 12% every 17 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 16 months.
/engineering/design-engineer/annual-salary-increment-rate-korea-(south)-design-engineer.jpg "Annual Salary Increment Rate Korea (South) Design Engineer")
Korea (South) / All Professions
The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
How to calculate the salary increment percentage?
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
Salary Packages and Schemes
Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.
Bonus and Incentive Rates / Design Engineer / Korea (South)
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?/engineering/design-engineer/annual-salary-bonus-rate-korea-(south)-design-engineer.jpg "Annual Salary Bonus Rate Korea (South) Design Engineer")
47% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 53% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 5% of their annual salary.
| Received Bonus | 53% | |
| No Bonus | 47% |
Types of Bonuses Considered
Individual Performance-Based BonusesThe most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
Bonuses Are Not Commissions!
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?
The main two types of jobs | |
| Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
Average Hourly Wage / Design Engineer / Seoul
The average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Design Engineer in Seoul is 23,800 KRW.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.
About The Hourly Pay Rate
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?
The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Design Engineer in Seoul is 11,900 KRW. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Salary comparison with similar jobs
| Job Title | Average Salary |
| Engineering | ||
| 3D Printing Engineer | 3.4M KRW |  -100% |
| Acoustics Engineer | 3.7M KRW | -100% |
| Assembly Engineering Technician | 3M KRW | -100% |
| Assistant Chief Engineer | 4.5M KRW | -100% |
| Associate Engineer | 3.6M KRW | -100% |
| AutoCAD Drafter | 2.3M KRW | -100% |
| Autocad Operator | 2.4M KRW | -100% |
| Automation Engineer | 4M KRW |  +100% |
| Avionic System Support Engineer | 3.8M KRW | -100% |
| Biochemical Engineer | 3.5M KRW | -100% |
| BMS Engineer | 3.6M KRW | -100% |
| Bridge and Lock Tender | 2.2M KRW | -100% |
| Broadcast Engineer | 3.6M KRW | -100% |
| CAD Design Engineer | 4M KRW | +100% |
| CAD Designer | 2.5M KRW | -100% |
| CAE Engineer | 4M KRW | +100% |
| Ceramics Engineer | 3.4M KRW | -100% |
| Chemical Engineer | 4M KRW | +100% |
| Civil Drafter | 2.5M KRW | -100% |
| Civil Engineer | 4M KRW | +100% |
| Civil Site Engineer | 3.9M KRW | -100% |
| Civil Technician | 2.4M KRW | -100% |
| Cognitive Engineer | 3.7M KRW | -100% |
| Commissioning Engineer | 3.9M KRW | -100% |
| Communications Engineer | 4.2M KRW | -100% |
| Condition Monitoring Engineer | 3.5M KRW | -100% |
| Contract Associate Engineer | 3.6M KRW | -100% |
| Contract Engineer | 3.7M KRW | -100% |
| Control Systems Engineer | 4M KRW | +100% |
| Controls Engineer | 3.7M KRW | -100% |
| Controls Software Engineer | 3.3M KRW | -100% |
| Corrosion Engineer | 3.6M KRW | -100% |
| Design Engineer | 4.1M KRW | -100% |
| Director of Engineering | 7.9M KRW | +100% |
| Drafter | 2.3M KRW | -100% |
| Drafting Manager | 4.5M KRW | -100% |
| Drilling Engineer | 3.7M KRW | -100% |
| Drilling Foreman | 1.2M KRW | -100% |
| Electrical Draughtsman | 2M KRW | -100% |
| Electrical Engineer | 4.3M KRW | -100% |
| Electrical Engineering Manager | 5.8M KRW | +100% |
| Electromechanical Engineering Technologist | 4.1M KRW | -100% |
| Electromechanical Equipment Assembler | 2.1M KRW | -100% |
| Energy Engineer | 4.2M KRW | -100% |
| Engine Assembler | 1.8M KRW | -100% |
| Engineer | 4M KRW | +100% |
| Engineering Account Manager | 4.5M KRW | -100% |
| Engineering Chief Designer | 4.3M KRW | -100% |
| Engineering Consultant | 5.3M KRW | +100% |
| Engineering Key Account Manager | 5.3M KRW | +100% |
| Engineering Lab Technician | 3.8M KRW | -100% |
| Engineering Manager | 5.3M KRW | +100% |
| Engineering Planning Manager | 5.3M KRW | +100% |
| Engineering Production Manager | 7.2M KRW | +100% |
| Engineering Project Analyst | 4.6M KRW | -100% |
| Engineering Project Coordinator | 4.7M KRW | -100% |
| Engineering Project Director | 8M KRW | +100% |
| Engineering Project Leader | 4.9M KRW | -100% |
| Engineering Project Manager | 5.5M KRW | +100% |
| Engineering Research and Development Manager | 6.5M KRW | +100% |
| Engineering Safety Coordinator | 3.1M KRW | -100% |
| Engineering Sales Manager | 5.5M KRW | +100% |
| Engineering Technician | 3M KRW | -100% |
| Engineering Technologist | 3.2M KRW | -100% |
| Environmental Engineer | 3.8M KRW | -100% |
| Equipment Engineer | 3.7M KRW | -100% |
| Equipment Engineering Manager | 5M KRW | +100% |
| Estimator | 3.3M KRW | -100% |
| Fabrication Specialist | 2.7M KRW | -100% |
| Fabricator | 1.8M KRW | -100% |
| Facade Engineer | 3.7M KRW | -100% |
| Fiber Analyst | 2.2M KRW | -100% |
| Field Engineer | 4M KRW | +100% |
| Field Engineering Manager | 6.8M KRW | +100% |
| Fire Engineer | 3.9M KRW | -100% |
| Fitter and Turner | 1.3M KRW | -100% |
| Forestry Strategic Planner | 4.7M KRW | -100% |
| Generation Engineer | 4M KRW | +100% |
| Genetic Engineer | 4.4M KRW | -100% |
| Geological Engineer | 4M KRW | +100% |
| Geotechnical Engineer | 4M KRW | +100% |
| Heavy Equipment Mechanic | 2M KRW | -100% |
| Highway Engineer | 3.9M KRW | -100% |
| HSE Professional | 3.7M KRW | -100% |
| Human Machine Interface Engineer | 3.4M KRW | -100% |
| HVAC Engineer | 4.3M KRW | -100% |
| HVAC Supervisor | 3.7M KRW | -100% |
| Industrial Engineer | 3.6M KRW | -100% |
| Industrial Engineering Technologist | 3.8M KRW | -100% |
| Instrument Engineer | 3.9M KRW | -100% |
| Instrument Technician | 2.2M KRW | -100% |
| Instrumentation and Control Engineer | 3.8M KRW | -100% |
| Instrumentation Designer | 3.3M KRW | -100% |
| Instrumentation Engineer | 3.7M KRW | -100% |
| Instrumentation Manager | 4M KRW | +100% |
| Irrigation Engineer | 3.8M KRW | -100% |
| Licensed Aircraft Engineer | 4.1M KRW | -100% |
| Locomotive Engineer | 3.7M KRW | -100% |
| Maintenance Engineer | 3.8M KRW | -100% |
| Maintenance Fitter | 1.3M KRW | -100% |
| Maintenance Manager | 4M KRW | +100% |
| Manufacturing Engineer | 3.6M KRW | -100% |
| Marine Engineer | 3.9M KRW | -100% |
| Materials Engineer | 3.9M KRW | -100% |
| Materials Researcher | 3.8M KRW | -100% |
| Materials Technician | 2.8M KRW | -100% |
| Mechanical and Electrical Engineer | 4M KRW | +100% |
| Mechanical Design Engineer | 4.2M KRW | -100% |
| Mechanical Designer | 3.5M KRW | -100% |
| Mechanical Engineer | 4M KRW | +100% |
| Mechanical Engineering Manager | 5.4M KRW | +100% |
| Mechanical Inspector | 3.7M KRW | -100% |
| Mechatronics Engineer | 4.2M KRW | -100% |
| Mining Engineer | 3.8M KRW | -100% |
| Nanotechnology Engineer | 4.1M KRW | -100% |
| Natural Language Processing Engineer | 4.1M KRW | -100% |
| Oil and Petrochemical Engineer | 4.1M KRW | -100% |
| Optical Engineer | 3.8M KRW | -100% |
| Optical Instrument Assembler | 2M KRW | -100% |
| PCB Assembler | 1.4M KRW | -100% |
| Photonics Engineer | 4.4M KRW | -100% |
| Photonics Technician | 3.3M KRW | -100% |
| Pipeline Engineer | 3.7M KRW | -100% |
| Piping Designer | 2.1M KRW | -100% |
| Piping Engineer | 3.6M KRW | -100% |
| Planning Engineer | 4M KRW | +100% |
| Pressure Vessel Inspector | 1.9M KRW | -100% |
| Principal Cost Engineer | 3.8M KRW | -100% |
| Principal Engineer | 4M KRW | +100% |
| Principal Support Engineer | 4.1M KRW | -100% |
| Process Engineer | 3.8M KRW | -100% |
| Process Operator | 2.2M KRW | -100% |
| Product Development Engineer | 4.2M KRW | -100% |
| Product Development Technician | 2.7M KRW | -100% |
| Product Engineer | 3.9M KRW | -100% |
| Product Safety Engineer | 3.7M KRW | -100% |
| Production Engineer | 3.9M KRW | -100% |
| Project Engineer | 4.1M KRW | -100% |
| Proposal Manager | 4.9M KRW | -100% |
| Purchasing Engineer | 3.7M KRW | -100% |
| Quality Assurance Engineer | 4M KRW | +100% |
| Rail Engineer | 3.8M KRW | -100% |
| Regional Field Engineer | 4.2M KRW | -100% |
| Remote Sensing Engineer | 3.9M KRW | -100% |
| Robotics Engineer | 4.6M KRW | -100% |
| Robotics Technician | 3.1M KRW | -100% |
| Safety Engineer | 3.9M KRW | -100% |
| Safety Inspector | 3.1M KRW | -100% |
| Safety Manager | 4.5M KRW | -100% |
| Safety Officer | 2.1M KRW | -100% |
| Sales Engineer | 4.2M KRW | -100% |
| Scheduling Engineer | 3.6M KRW | -100% |
| Security Engineer | 4.3M KRW | -100% |
| Service Engineer | 4.1M KRW | -100% |
| Smart Home Engineer | 4.3M KRW | -100% |
| Solar Engineer | 4.2M KRW | -100% |
| Staff Engineer | 3.8M KRW | -100% |
| Static Equipment Engineer | 3.7M KRW | -100% |
| Stationary Engineer | 3.5M KRW | -100% |
| Stress Engineer | 3.5M KRW | -100% |
| Structural Analysis Engineer | 3.8M KRW | -100% |
| Structural Designer | 3.4M KRW | -100% |
| Structural Engineer | 3.9M KRW | -100% |
| Structural Technician | 2.4M KRW | -100% |
| Subsea Engineer | 4.7M KRW | -100% |
| Supply Chain Specialist | 3.8M KRW | -100% |
| Surveyor | 2.9M KRW | -100% |
| Technical Affairs Officer | 2M KRW | -100% |
| Technical Assistant | 2M KRW | -100% |
| Technical Engineer | 3.3M KRW | -100% |
| Technical Support Engineer | 3.5M KRW | -100% |
| Tender Engineer | 3.5M KRW | -100% |
| Test Development Engineer | 3.9M KRW | -100% |
| Test Engineer | 3.9M KRW | -100% |
| Transportation Engineer | 3.8M KRW | -100% |
| Urban Engineer | 3.8M KRW | -100% |
| Validation Engineer | 3.5M KRW | -100% |
| Verification Engineer | 3.6M KRW | -100% |
| Wastewater Engineer | 3.9M KRW | -100% |
| Wind Energy Engineer | 4.1M KRW | -100% |
| Wind Energy Operations Manager | 5M KRW | +100% |
| Wireless Engineer | 4.4M KRW | -100% |
| Work Planner | 2.6M KRW | -100% |
Salary Comparison By City
| City | Average Salary |
| Seoul | 4.1M KRW |
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in Korea (South) is 6% on average across all career fields.
| Private Sector | 3.8M KRW | |
| Public Sector | +6% | 4M KRW |
Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide
What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title Design Engineer in Seoul?
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 3.8M KRW and 4.3M KRW. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.
Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.
Base / Basic Salary
The base salary for a careers like Design Engineer in Seoul ranges from 2.1M KRW to 3.1M KRW. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios.