Where the money goes
With an annual salary of ₩38,000,000, your gross pay is ₩3,166,666 a month. After the four social insurances and income tax, about ₩2,762,166 reaches your bank account each month — 87.2% of your gross pay.
Social insurance takes ₩307,660 a month and income tax (with the 10% local income tax on top) takes ₩96,840. The largest single deduction is National Pension at ₩150,380. Over a full year that is about ₩3,691,920 in insurance and ₩1,162,080 in tax.
Compared with the minimum wage
For a standard 40-hour week (209 paid hours a month, including weekly holiday pay), ₩3,166,666 a month works out to ₩15,152 an hour — 1.5 times the 2026 minimum wage of ₩10,320.
What a raise is worth
Moving up to ₩3.2M a month adds ₩33,334 to your gross pay but ₩26,284 to your take-home pay each month — you keep about 79% of the raise. At ₩36M a year you would take home ₩135,466 less a month.
Severance at this salary
After working at least one year (15+ hours a week), you are owed severance pay (퇴직금) when you leave: roughly one month of average pay for each year — about ₩3,166,666 per year at this salary, more if you get bonuses. It must be paid within 14 days of your last day and is taxed separately. Work out your exact severance →
For foreign employees
- National Pension exemption. Nationals of some countries do not pay into the National Pension. Without it you would take home ₩2,912,546 a month. Many people who do pay can claim a lump-sum refund when they leave Korea for good, depending on nationality.
- “Severance included” contracts. If your contract says the ₩38,000,000 includes severance (퇴직금 포함), it is split into 13 parts, so your monthly take-home pay is about ₩2,565,286, and the 13th part is paid when you leave.
- Employment Insurance. Required for some visas, optional or not available for others. Not enrolled: ₩2,790,656 a month.
- Flat tax option. Foreign employees can in some cases choose a special flat income tax rate instead of the normal rates. Ask your employer or the National Tax Service (call 126, English available).
Questions
How much tax do I pay on ₩38,000,000 in Korea?
About ₩88,040 income tax plus ₩8,800 local income tax a month — ₩1,162,080 a year — withheld from your pay. Your final tax is settled in the year-end tax settlement (연말정산) each February, which can give you a refund or a small bill.
How much is ₩38,000,000 a month?
₩3,166,666 before deductions and about ₩2,762,166 after.
Is the take-home pay the same every month?
Usually, yes, apart from bonuses and overtime. Insurance premiums are adjusted once a year, and the February year-end tax settlement can change one month’s pay.
Estimate for 2026 using the National Pension, health, long-term care and employment insurance rates as of October 2026 and the National Tax Service simplified withholding table. Single employee, no tax-free allowance, unless stated.