However, employment growth at major tech giant slows
The average annual compensation of employees at Samsung Electronics went up by nearly 20% in 2025, according to reports, amid a "boom" in artificial intelligence and a slight decline in headcount.
Samsung Electronics posted a KRW155 million average annual salary for employees, up from the KRW130 million recorded in 2024, The Korea Bizwire reported.
The report cited an analysis from the Korea CXO Institute, which looked at company labour costs and national pension enrolment data.
The same analysis revealed that Samsung's total workforce dipped to 124,996 in 2025, down 0.5% from a year ago.
"Last year, some global tech companies reduced employment despite strong earnings amid the AI boom," said the Korea CXO Institute in the analysis, as quoted by Korea JoongAng Daily.
"Major conglomerates, including Samsung Electronics, may see slower employment growth regardless of improvements in their earnings."
Wage premiums for AI talent
The findings reflect the overall impact of AI adoption in workplaces, which is slowing down hiring for some organisations while premiums for AI-skilled staff soar.
Data from the Bank of Korea (BOK) last year revealed that AI professionals in the country earned an average of six per cent more than non-AI workers, The Korea Times reported.
However, this difference remains low when compared to other major economies globally, according to the country's central bank.
A 2024 PwC report found that wage premiums for US job vacancies requiring AI skills reached 25%. In the UK, the average wage premium was 14%, while in Canada it was 11%.
"The low wage premium is due partly to Korea's rigid wage structure and underdeveloped performance-based pay system, and such factors put the country at a disadvantage in the global competition for AI talent," said Oh Sam-il, head of BOK's employment research team, as quoted by The Korea Times.
