Woman working for three years in culinary industry laments lack of jobs offering RM3,000 starting salary

The Sun

04-05-2025

AFTER working for a few years, one would expect to earn a substantial salary, especially considering the state of the economy in recent years.
A woman raised this issue in a Threads post, questioning why she has been unable to secure a job offering a starting salary of RM3,000.
Having worked for three years in the culinary industry since graduating — even holding a managerial position — she still struggles to find a job with the aforementioned basic pay.
She added that she graduated with a first-class degree and had her student loan exempted by the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN).
During her three-year stint and being a top performer in her university, the culinary arts graduate claimed she only managed to earn RM3,000 after including allowances and overtime payments.
'It's just that, even though I graduated three years ago, I'm still wondering if I'll ever land a job with a basic salary of RM3,000,' she said.
The post sparked a wider discussion, with many pointing out that the country's starting salaries have remained stagnant for years, despite economic fluctuations and the increasing cost of living.
'I graduated in 2007 and my first salary was RM2,500. Now, nearly 20 years later, the starting salary remains the same. This is why there's a brain drain in Malaysia,' one user commented.
'RM3,000 is far too low for 2025. I was an average local graduate (CGPA 2.82) back in 2006 and received offers ranging from RM2,500 to RM3,000 per month from multiple companies. Back then, you could still get fried rice for RM3.00 and iced tea for RM0.80,' another user noted.
Meanwhile, another commenter offered a different perspective regarding salaries in the culinary industry. They pointed out that it is common to start from the bottom as a novice chef, even with a degree, as the industry values hands-on experience.