If somebody told you you’re making way too much money, you’d probably feel offended. We all have pride in our work, and would love to be making as much as we can, right?

But wouldn’t you also be curious to know if the pay you’re getting is on the higher end of the bell curve compared to the rest of your industry peers? Or maybe there’s a particular position you’re qualified for out there that pays way more than you’re currently getting?

We’d love to know these lucky people too. To that end, we’ve scoured through the net to look for specific jobs in Malaysia that earn way more money that you expect them to, and try to find out why that is and how to get those jobs. Here we go.

Note: Estimated salaries obtained from PayScale by industry.

1. Corporate Lawyers (RM93,000)

It’s not that lawyers don’t deserve high-salaries, the thing is – corporate lawyers are the ones making big bucks and not those in family law, public defence, appeals or estate planning which actually helps regular people in legal binds. But these numbers do make sense. Corporations have relatively more to spend, after all.

If you’re a corporate lawyer who isn’t earning that much (since the average salary is more like RM40,000 a year), you should know that this largely depends on what corporation is paying your salary. The bigger and more involved a corporate lawyer’s job is, the more they get paid. Go figure!

2. Senior Copywriter at Advertising Agencies (RM106,000)

How many copywriters do you know make this much? Not many, we bet. The job of a copywriter entails writing copy, or written material for whichever company they work for. Advertising agencies need good copywriters particularly since the advertising copy can make or break an ad campaign.

In the instance of some high-ranking Malaysian advertising agencies, it looks like you can make quite a handsome salary if your words are equally good-looking. And if you work for the right agency of course. If you’re earning around RM50,000 to RM60,000 as a senior copywriter though then you’re getting right about average.

3. IT Managers, Banking (RM132,000)

Managing the tech for any company is an important undertaking. How well the infrastructure runs can be the difference between a business turning great profit with smoothly working equipment to an office space full of dead monitors and sighing coworkers.

How much more crucial is it for a banking company to manage their IT well? Enough for them to pay 6 figures a year compared to the average 5 figures for IT managers in other industries. Looks like if you’re an IT manager, the big bucks are in banking.

4. Operations Manager, Tobacco Manufacturing (RM106,213)

Much like the other jobs that seem to get paid more than other, with this one it’s not so much the position but the industry itself. A majority of employees in the tobacco industry are better compensated than similar ones in healthcare or education for example.

So far it looks like if you need to earn more than your contemporary peers, it’s more about where you work, and not necessarily what you do.

5. Concept Artist, Entertainment or Video Game Software Development (RM253,200)

Although, coming up with a winning concept for video games is a mighty cool job and these artists should be compensated handsomely, RM0.25 million does seem excessive yet again.

Once more, looking at the data shows us that the actual average salary for related positions are about RM50k. This points to either a niche demand for a specific set of skills or a particular firm that really wants that position filled.

Are you tired of earning less than you should? Then don’t take it sitting down, check out our piece on how you can earn more: 6 Genius Ways You Can Double Your Salary. You don’t need a lavish lifestyle to enjoy the good things in life. Just check out our most popular premier credit card right here and live the high life without having to switch to a higher paying job!

 

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