Kuala Lumpur salaries sit ~30% below the Malaysia average
Kuala Lumpur, MY lists 75 careers with observed metro percentiles in MYR. Pay index 0.70 (30% below national); COL 100 vs a US baseline of 100.
Radiologist leads this Kuala Lumpur table at RM 530,000 a year, with Surgeon at RM 513,000 and Psychiatrist at RM 469,000. The midpoint of the listed set is Professor at RM 173,000 — a better “typical covered career here” than row #1 alone. Top-of-list mix: 5 healthcare, 3 technology, and 1 legal.
Population in the dataset is about 1,453,975. Larger labour markets usually support wider industry mix; smaller ones can look “high paying” on one clinical or tech title and thin everywhere else. Licensing and immigration rules are independent of this cash sort.
Malaysia shows about 1.4% CPI in 2025. Open a role’s Kuala Lumpur salary page for p10–p90, take-home, and rent models — this hub is the directory. Missing careers may still have a national Malaysia page even when this metro lacks observed percentiles.
Reading pay and COL together in Kuala Lumpur
Use pay index (0.70) for wage level vs Malaysia, and COL (100) for prices. High on both is not the same as high real leftover.
Figures are observed metro medians where listed, in MYR, gross. They are market estimates — not a promise from any one employer.
What tops the Kuala Lumpur cash list
Radiologist: Radiologists interpret medical images to diagnose and guide treatment of disease. Observed median here: RM 530,000. That lead reflects how this metro prices the occupation, not a recommendation to retrain tomorrow.