Local workers projected to see 2.5% raise in 2026

Employees in Macau can expect an average salary increase of 2.5% in 2026, according to the latest pay trend survey by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management (HKIHRM) and CIIC Management Consulting Co., Ltd.

The survey, titled 2025 Pay Trends and 2026 Outlook for Hong Kong & Greater Bay Area (GBA), also projects average increases of 3.5% in Hong Kong and 4.0% across the GBA.

In 2025, Macau saw an average salary growth of 2.3%, slightly below Hong Kong’s 2.7% and the GBA’s 4.1%.

The survey collected data from 34 companies in Macau across four industries, along with 167 companies in Hong Kong and 427 across nine GBA cities.

The report notes that while 23.5% of companies in Macau plan to implement salary increases in 2026, 70.6% have yet to decide, and 5.9% anticipate salary freezes.

By comparison, 30% of companies in Hong Kong planned raises, while 68% were undecided.

Bonus trends in Macau indicate that 47.1% of companies offered guaranteed bonuses in 2025, averaging 1.26 months of base salary, while 73.5% provided non-guaranteed bonuses, averaging 1.16 months.

This contrasts with Hong Kong, where guaranteed bonuses were lower at 36.5% of companies, but non-guaranteed bonuses averaged 1.38 months.

In the broader GBA, 82% of companies issued year-end bonuses averaging 1.7 months of base pay.

The survey also examined factors influencing pay adjustments.

Regional considerations such as company performance, economic conditions, and individual performance were major determinants.

In Hong Kong, 76% of companies cited company performance as a key factor, with economic conditions (44%) and individual performance (40%) also affecting adjustments.

Across the GBA, the survey revealed that 31.2% of companies reported a reduction in pay adjustment budgets, up from 19.3% last year.