Adecco Thailand Salary Guide 2026 is now released!

Against this backdrop, Adecco Thailand has released the Adecco Thailand Salary Guide 2026, an annual report presenting comprehensive salary benchmarks across key job functions and industries. The report also features labor market insights and findings from a nationwide Career & Work Trend 2025 survey, conducted among more than 1,500 Thai professionals, covering job mobility plans, compensation expectations, and emerging work trends. This year’s edition places particular emphasis on multi-generational collaboration and non-permanent work models, both of which are gaining prominence in today’s workforce.

Labor Market Outlook 2025–2026: Selective Hiring with a Focus on Value-Creating Roles

With Thailand’s economic growth projected at 2.2% in 2025 and slowing to 1.6% in 2026, many organizations are adopting a more measured approach to workforce planning. Hiring momentum remains strongest in IT, technology, and digital transformation-related sectors, driven by the adoption of AI, cloud computing, and data analytics. Recruitment continues but is increasingly concentrated on roles that deliver tangible business impact—particularly technology specialists, digital talent, niche experts, and leadership positions responsible for strategic decision-making and organizational transformation.

At the same time, flexible employment models such as contract staffing, project-based roles, and outsourcing are playing a larger role as buffers against business volatility, especially in IT, engineering, and digital functions. Nevertheless, permanent employment remains the backbone of Thailand’s labor market, with both employers and professionals continuing to prioritize full-time roles.

Hiring and Salary Trends: A Polarized Labor Market

According to the Thailand Salary Guide 2026, overall salary growth remains gradual. Around 82% of survey respondents received salary increases of 2–5% over the past year, while only 15% expect increases of more than 10% in the next 12 months. However, job movers—particularly those with in-demand skills—continue to command higher salary premiums, depending on market demand and individual capabilities.

At entry level, with up to three years of experience, average salaries range between THB 20,000 and THB 38,000 per month, representing a decline of approximately 5–10% year-on-year, except for IT roles. Data Scientists and Data Engineers continue to earn up to THB 80,000, followed by ERP Consultants and Software Developers at up to THB 70,000.

In contrast, salaries for mid-level professionals (five years of experience and above) through to senior executives have increased by approximately 10–20%. Senior leadership compensation remains strong, with Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO) andGeneral Manager in a multinational company earning up to THB 800,000 per month, while other C-suite roles typically earn between THB 500,000 to THB 700,000.

This pattern reflects an increasingly “polarized” labor market, where wage growth is uneven and the gap between general roles and in-demand talent continues to widen. In such a highly competitive environment, professionals seeking higher compensation must demonstrate not only strong role-specific expertise, but also a broader set of complementary skills. In particular, AI and digital capabilities are no longer about basic awareness, but practical application. Proficiency in English and a third language, along with strong communication, problem-solving, collaboration, and analytical thinking skills, has become critical for candidates aiming to command premium salaries.

“Today’s labor market is not about increasing headcount, but about precision in hiring,” said Marie Antonette Anciro, Country Director of Adecco Thailand. “Organizations are prioritizing roles that deliver clear outcomes, drive real efficiency, enable digital transformation, and support long-term sustainability. While overall salary growth remains limited, scarce and business-critical skills continue to carry a premium that organizations are willing to pay,” she added.

Stability Improves, but Workforce Pressures Persist

Findings from the Thailand Career & Work Trend 2025–2026 Survey reveal that 72% of professionals have no plans to change jobs within the next 12 months, while only 23% are actively seeking new opportunities—down significantly from 40% in 2024. This shift reflects greater caution and a stronger desire for job security.

However, the drivers of attrition remain clear. Limited career progression (47%), misaligned compensation (34%), and poor work-life balance (34%) continue to push employees to consider leaving. These pressures are particularly pronounced among middle and senior management, who face increasing workloads and expectations amid economic uncertainty and heightened competition.

Full-time employment remains the preferred choice for 69% of respondents, reflecting a continued demand for income stability and comprehensive benefits. At the same time, openness to non-permanent work remains high, with 90% willing to consider freelance, contract, or short-term project work if compensation is attractive. This trend is especially evident among Gen Z professionals seeking diverse experiences and Baby Boomers looking for flexible, short-term opportunities later in their careers.

Managing a Multi-Generational Workforce and Flexible Work Models

The survey also highlights that 72% of respondents see both advantages and challenges in multi-generational workplaces. The greatest strength lies in diverse perspectives and improved problem-solving (71%), while the biggest challenge remains differences in communication styles (70%), followed by differing values and work expectations.

Despite widespread recognition of the value of age diversity, only 39% of respondents say their organizations have structured ongoing initiatives—such as mentoring or knowledge transfer programs—to support effective multi-generational collaboration. Most organizations still rely on informal cultural practices rather than formal frameworks.

Workforce Strategy as a Competitive Advantage

“Thailand’s labor market is undergoing a structural transition rather than a short-term fluctuation”, Marie added. “For employers, the real challenge lies not only in managing labor costs, but in designing workforce strategies that balance stability with flexibility, while systematically managing multi-generational teams through leaders who understand people differences and adaptable work models.”

“In addition, organizations should invest in upskilling their workforce in ways that create long-term business value. In a world where job roles are evolving faster than traditional career paths, we believe that skills are becoming the new currency of the future. Adopting a skills-based organization approach enables companies to better identify and deploy talent in line with business needs. At the same time, developing skills portability helps employees avoid being confined to a single role or industry, allowing them to grow, adapt, and respond confidently to changes in the labor market. Over the long term, this mindset enhances organizational agility while strengthening career resilience for workers—forming a critical foundation for a robust and sustainable labor market.”

“At the same time, jobseekers need to shift their perspective from focusing solely on compensation to pursuing sustainable career planning,” Marie added. “This means developing market-relevant skills and building their own skills portability, enabling them to apply their capabilities across commercial roles, technology functions, or emerging positions in the future. Openness to diverse work models is also essential, as it helps professionals gain new experiences, expand their options, adapt more quickly, and achieve long-term career resilience”, Marie concluded. 

The Adecco Thailand Salary Guide 2026 is available both as a downloadable report and via the online platform at https://www.adecco.com/en-th/salary-guide, which has been enhanced with new features allowing users to compare salaries across roles, benchmark their own compensation, view median pay for in-demand positions, and share salary insights conveniently and efficiently.