Restaurant Salary Guide 2027: How Much Can You Earn in Malaysia?
Data last checked: 23 October 2026. Latest official wage data covers 2025 and early 2026. No official 2027 restaurant pay figures exist yet.
Restaurant salary in Malaysia in 2027 will depend on your role, employer, location and, from June 2027, on whether the new minimum wage applies to your employer. Entry-level pay starts at the legal floor of RM1,700 a month today, and sampled job ads for crew, service and kitchen roles mostly sit between about RM1,700 and RM2,500. Experienced chefs, supervisors and managers can earn more, though reliable public figures are thin.
This guide separates official statistics from advertised pay, explains the announced RM2,000 minimum wage and its exemption, and shows how to compare offers. It does not promise any job, income or visa.
Restaurant Salaries in Malaysia in 2027: What to Expect
No official source reports pay for restaurant workers alone, so use these as benchmarks, not promises.
| Benchmark | Figure | Year | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal minimum wage | RM1,700 a month (about RM8.72 an hour per the gazetted order) | In force since 2025 | Basic wages, private-sector employees including foreign workers |
| DOSM median, accommodation and food services | RM2,013 | 2025 | Malaysian citizens in full-time paid jobs, whole industry |
| DOSM formal-sector median, food and beverage and accommodation | RM2,164 | March 2026 | Formal employees in the sub-sector |
| DOSM median, service and sales workers (all industries) | RM2,035 | 2025 | Occupation group, not restaurants only |
Sources: DOSM Salaries and Wages Survey 2025; DOSM Employee Wages Statistics; Minimum Wages Order 2024.
Read these carefully. The industry medians cover hotels and other accommodation as well as restaurants, and the 2025 survey counts Malaysian citizens only. A median is the middle value: half of workers earn less. These figures do not tell you what one restaurant will offer.
Average Restaurant Salary in Malaysia by Job Role
There is no official role-by-role restaurant dataset. The table shows examples found in public job-ad data. They are small samples, so treat them as rough signals.
| Role | Examples found (RM a month) | Source type | Evidence strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant crew or service crew | About 1,700 (a salary-tool average); 1,800-2,200 (one chain’s ad); 2,000-2,500 (one employer estimate) | Job-ad tools and company pages | Low |
| Waiter or waitress (server) | About 2,071 average from 9 postings (range 1,000-3,200) | Indeed, one agency | Very low |
| Kitchen helper or kitchen crew | About 1,700 (a salary-tool average); 2,000-3,000 (industry estimate for full-service restaurants) | Job-ad tools | Low |
| Line cook or cook | About 1,816 (one restaurant group); 3,124 (hotel, 2 reports) | Indeed company pages | Very low |
| Chef (general) | About 2,518 average from 19 postings (range 1,200-4,000) | Indeed, one agency | Low |
| Restaurant supervisor | 2,200-2,500 (one chain’s ad) | Job ad | Very low |
| Restaurant manager | About 2,500 (Kedah salary-tool average); about 2,737 for an assistant manager (one chain) | Job-ad tools and company pages | Very low |
| Barista, cashier, chef de partie, head chef | No reliable figure found | n/a | Do not rely on any number |
Sources: Indeed company salary pages; Jobstreet salary insights; AJobThing salary tool. Checked 23 October 2026.
Two cautions. A listing below RM1,700 basic wage should raise questions unless it is part-time and pro-rated. And an average that equals the minimum wage often signals that many crew roles are advertised at or near the floor.
Explore live vacancies on our restaurant jobs and chef jobs pages.
Restaurant Salary by Experience
Official data shows pay rising with skill and age across the whole economy, though not restaurants specifically.
| Level | Evidence | What it means for restaurants |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level, limited experience | DOSM’s formal-sector median for workers under 20 was RM1,700 in September 2025 (DOSM) | Expect the floor or slightly above it |
| Some hospitality experience | Semi-skilled employees averaged RM2,714 in 2025 against RM2,184 for low-skilled (all industries, StashAway summarising DOSM) | Experience and a defined skill (barista, cook) can lift offers |
| Skilled chefs and supervisors | Skilled workers averaged RM5,799 across industries | Restaurant pay is usually well below this average, so do not assume it applies |
| Experienced managers | Managers had a median of RM6,186 across industries | Treat as an upper reference, not a restaurant benchmark |
Employer size, duties and location often matter as much as years served.
Restaurant Salary by Location in Malaysia
No restaurant-specific location data was found. DOSM’s 2025 medians for all industries show how wages differ by state.
| State | Median monthly pay, 2025 (all industries, citizens) |
|---|---|
| W.P. Kuala Lumpur | RM3,938 |
| Selangor | RM3,547 |
| Pulau Pinang | RM3,107 |
| Johor | RM2,688 |
| Malaysia overall | RM2,940 |
| Kelantan (lowest) | RM1,860 |
Source: DOSM Salaries and Wages Survey 2025, as reproduced by StashAway.
Use this with care. Restaurant pay in Kuala Lumpur is not necessarily the state median, and higher pay does not mean higher savings. StashAway’s illustrative estimates put a two-bedroom rental at about RM2,000 in Kuala Lumpur against about RM1,500 in Johor Bahru. Compare take-home pay after rent and transport.
Malaysia Minimum Wage in 2027: What Restaurant Workers Should Know
| Period | What applies | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Today until the change | RM1,700 a month for covered employees; from 1 Aug 2025 for all employers regardless of size | In force (order) |
| 1 January 2027 | No change announced. RM2,000 does not start on this date | n/a |
| From June 2027 | RM2,000 a month, announced in Budget 2027 (reports cite 1 June 2027) | Announced; check for the gazetted order |
| MSME exemption | Micro, small and medium enterprises with annual sales below RM50 million are exempt from the new rate | Announced; eligibility rules still being clarified |
Sources: Bernama, Budget 2027; NST/Bernama on the exemption.
What this could mean for you. Many independent restaurants may fall below the RM50 million sales line and so be exempt, while larger groups may not be. This is an inference, not a ruling: employer groups have asked for clearer criteria on how the threshold is assessed. Ask any employer whether it will pay RM2,000 from June 2027 and put the answer in writing.
Basic wage only. The minimum wage refers to basic wages, excluding incentives, allowances and other payments (see this summary of the Act). So a RM1,500 basic salary with a RM400 allowance totals RM1,900 but still falls below the RM1,700 basic floor. The Federal Court has also held, in a hotel case, that service charge cannot be used to meet minimum wage.
The Budget also announced a planned RM2,500 starting salary for semi-skilled roles and graduates as an early step in wage reform. Details are unclear, and it is not the minimum wage.
Tips, Overtime, Service Charge and Other Benefits
Overtime
The Employment Act sets the following minimums for covered employees (generally those earning up to RM4,000 a month, plus manual workers regardless of pay; verify coverage with the Labour Department).
| Situation | Minimum overtime rate |
|---|---|
| Extra hours on a normal working day | 1.5 times the hourly rate |
| Extra hours on a rest day | 2 times the hourly rate |
| Extra hours on a public holiday | 3 times the hourly rate |
Normal hours are generally 8 a day and 45 a week. Sources: AJobThing guide; RinggitPlus. Check the Act with the Department of Labour Peninsular Malaysia for your state.
Worked example (illustrative). Using the common formula of monthly pay divided by 26 days, then by 8 hours: for a RM2,000 basic wage, the daily rate is about RM76.92 and the hourly rate about RM9.62. One hour of weekday overtime is about RM14.42, so 10 hours add about RM144. Confirm the exact method with your employer.
Tips and service charge
Service charge and tips depend on the employer’s arrangement. Ask whether a service charge is collected, how it is shared (points systems are common), how often it is paid and whether it appears on your payslip. Treat it as variable income, not guaranteed pay.
Other benefits
Meals, uniforms, transport and accommodation are sometimes offered. Confirm each in writing, along with any deductions for them.
Can Foreigners Apply for Restaurant Jobs in Malaysia?
A vacancy does not mean a foreign applicant is eligible to work. Malaysia controls foreign hiring through the employer.
- Employer-led process. Employers apply for foreign workers through government channels. Foreign-worker recruitment is now fully online with no walk-ins, and requirements were not relaxed.
- Quota and priorities. The Prime Minister announced a 15,000-worker quota for the restaurant industry in July 2026, while stressing that foreign hiring must stay regulated (Bernama). The Human Resources Minister has said locals should be first priority.
- Approved source countries only. Only nationals of specified countries may work in permitted sectors (MIDA).
- Enforcement. Immigration has said it will step up checks on restaurants (NST), and employers hiring workers without valid documents face action.
Before paying any recruitment fee or travelling, ask the employer which pass it is applying for, and confirm via the Ministry of Home Affairs or Immigration Department. Do not rely on promises of guaranteed approval. The minimum wage also covers foreign workers on valid passes.
How to Find Better-Paying Restaurant Jobs
- Compare several recent ads for the same role and area; ignore one-off outliers.
- Match your experience to the requirements, and name specific skills (barista, grill, cashiering, food safety).
- Split the pay. Note basic wage, fixed allowances and variable pay (service charge, bonus) separately.
- Ask about hours. Confirm shifts, weekly rest day, overtime method and public-holiday pay.
- Estimate living costs such as rent, transport and meals, then work out what you keep.
- Check the contract and employer before accepting. Read our hospitality CV guide and job scam prevention guide.
Offer check
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is the basic wage at least RM1,700? | Allowances do not count toward the floor |
| Will RM2,000 apply from June 2027? | Exempt MSMEs may not have to |
| How is overtime paid? | Legal minimums are 1.5x, 2x and 3x |
| Is service charge guaranteed or variable? | It affects monthly income |
| Are meals or housing deducted? | Deductions change take-home pay |
| Is everything in writing? | Verbal promises are hard to enforce |
For part-time restaurant jobs, convert pay to an hourly figure and compare it with the RM8.72 hourly equivalent of the current minimum. Browse more on our Malaysia job listings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average restaurant salary in Malaysia in 2027?
No official 2027 figure exists yet. Benchmarks are DOSM’s 2025 median of RM2,013 for accommodation and food services and RM2,164 for the formal sector in March 2026. Advertised crew and service roles mostly sat near RM1,700-2,500 in our samples.
How much does a waiter earn in Malaysia?
The small samples found put servers around RM1,700-2,500 a month, with an average of about RM2,071 from nine Indeed postings. Pay varies with employer, location and service charge, so treat this as a rough guide.
What is the salary of a chef in Malaysia?
Public data is thin. One Indeed sample averaged about RM2,518 across 19 postings, with a wide range of RM1,200-4,000. We found no reliable figures for head chefs or chefs de partie, so check live ads.
How much do kitchen helpers earn?
Examples cluster from the RM1,700 floor up to about RM3,000 for full-service restaurants, though evidence is limited. Confirm basic wage, allowances and overtime in writing before accepting.
Which Malaysian cities offer better restaurant salaries?
No restaurant-specific ranking exists. DOSM’s all-industry medians are highest in Kuala Lumpur (RM3,938) and Selangor (RM3,547), but rent and transport costs are also higher, so compare take-home pay after living costs.
What is Malaysia’s minimum wage in 2027?
It remains RM1,700 until the announced rise to RM2,000 from June 2027. MSMEs with annual sales below RM50 million are slated to be exempt. Check for the final gazetted order and your employer’s eligibility.
Do restaurant workers receive overtime pay?
Covered employees are entitled to at least 1.5 times the hourly rate on normal days, 2 times on rest days and 3 times on public holidays. Coverage depends on pay level and job type, so confirm with the Labour Department.
Can foreigners work in Malaysian restaurants?
Only through an employer-led, quota-controlled process from approved source countries. Applicants cannot simply walk in. Ask which pass the employer is applying for and verify with the Ministry of Home Affairs before paying anyone.
Are meals or accommodation included in restaurant jobs?
Sometimes. They are employer-specific benefits, not legal entitlements in every job. Confirm what is offered, any deductions and the terms in your written contract.
How can I check whether a restaurant job offer is genuine?
Verify the company’s registration and official contact details, get a written contract, and avoid paying fees for jobs. For foreign roles, ask which pass is being applied for and confirm with immigration authorities.
Conclusion: Compare the Whole Package, Not Just the Headline Number
Restaurant salary in Malaysia in 2027 comes down to role, employer, location and the new minimum wage rules. The legal floor is RM1,700 now, RM2,000 is announced from June 2027 for non-exempt employers, and the real picture sits in basic pay, service charge, overtime and written terms.
Ready to compare roles? Explore current restaurant and hospitality vacancies on Jobspointer.com, and verify each employer, pay structure and eligibility yourself.
