Malaysian Salary Calculator: What's Your Real Take-Home Pay?

Your offer letter shows RM6,000. Your bank account shows RM5,100. Where did the other RM900 go? EPF, SOCSO, EIS, and PCB — Malaysia's four mandatory deductions. This salary calculator breaks down every ringgit so you know exactly what's landing in your account each month.

The four deductions every Malaysian salary gets

EPF (Employees Provident Fund) — the biggest chunk. 11% of your gross monthly salary goes to your retirement fund, and your employer kicks in another 12-13% on top (which you don't see on your payslip but which earns you dividends). Employees aged 60+ contribute 0% by default.

SOCSO — social security. 0.5% of your wages, capped at a RM6,000 wage ceiling. Your employer pays 1.75%. This covers workplace accidents and invalidity.

EIS (Employment Insurance System) — unemployment insurance. 0.2% from you, 0.2% from your employer, also capped at RM6,000.

PCB (Potongan Cukai Bulanan) — your monthly income tax instalment. This is the one that varies most based on your salary and personal reliefs.

Malaysian income tax brackets 2024/2025

Malaysia uses progressive tax rates from 0% to 30%. The first RM5,000 of chargeable income is tax-free, then rates rise: 1% on the next RM15,000, 3% on the next RM15,000, 8% on the next RM15,000, and so on up to 30% for incomes above RM2 million. Only residents (182+ days in Malaysia) qualify for these rates — non-residents pay a flat 30%.

Personal reliefs: reduce your taxable income

Every Malaysian resident gets RM9,000 in automatic personal relief. On top of that, common reliefs include EPF + life insurance (up to RM4,000), education (up to RM7,000), parents' medical (up to RM8,000), books and lifestyle (RM2,500), and children (RM2,000 per child under 18). Higher reliefs = lower taxable income = lower PCB. This calculator uses standard relief — adjust if you have more reliefs to claim.

The difference between gross and net salary

Gross: what's on your offer letter. Net: what hits your bank. For a RM6,000 gross salary with no dependants, expect roughly RM5,050-5,150 net after all four deductions. For RM10,000 gross, expect around RM8,300 net. Use this calculator to see your own numbers, then plan your budget from the net figure — not the gross.

Bonus months feel smaller than you'd expect

When you receive a bonus, PCB is calculated as if your entire year's income spiked — so the PCB on bonus month can be huge. Don't panic; if you've been over-deducted, you'll get it back when you file your annual tax return by 30 April the following year.

Is your salary enough for a home loan?

Most Malaysian banks use a Debt Service Ratio (DSR) of 60-70% of net income as the maximum for loan approval. If your take-home is RM5,000, total monthly loan commitments (home + car + personal + credit card) shouldn't exceed RM3,000-3,500. Check your home loan and car loan numbers against this ceiling.

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See the big picture: EPF retirement projection, financial health score, credit card payoff, and fixed deposit for what to do with your savings.