Taiwan approves salary hikes for civil servants, military, teachers from next year

Taiwan's government has approved a significant salary increase for civil servants, military personnel, and teachers, set to take effect next year. The "Military, Public, and Education Staff Salary Improvement Plan" aims to enhance the government's ability to attract talent by making public sector salaries more competitive.

Starting salaries for entry-level positions will see substantial hikes. Those entering with the lowest-level civil service exam (chu-kao) will earn NT$38,360, while those passing the general civil service exam (pu-kao) will start at NT$47,700. The highest entry-level salary will be for those passing the higher civil service exam (kao-kao), who will earn NT$59,460, nearing NT$60,000.

This adjustment means that the starting salary for the lowest civil service exam passers will exceed the average starting salary for university graduates, which was reported by the Ministry of Labor to be NT$36,000 this year. The government emphasized that the core spirit of the raise is to "strengthen care for grassroots personnel," "encourage taking on leadership roles," and "enhance the salary competitiveness of the public sector."

Officials also addressed concerns about potential inflation, with Executive Yuan spokesperson Lee Hui-chih stating that historical salary adjustments for military, public, and education staff have not led to inflation. Zhang Qiu-yuan, deputy minister of the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration, added that inflation is complex and past adjustments, primarily based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), have aimed to maintain purchasing power without significant inflationary impact.