PSA: Agricultural sector records lowest monthly wage in 2024

The agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries received the lowest monthly wage among all industries in the country in 2024, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed on November 25.

Workers in these sectors earned an average of ₱14,615, based on the agency’s computation, which includes basic pay and regular cash allowances across sectors.

They also ranked at the bottom in terms of basic pay with P14,191. 

Of all industries presented, information and communications technology (ICT) led the highest monthly wage, earning P43,676 average. 

ICT also topped all industries in its basic pay with P40,931. 

According to Leonardo Lanzona Jr., economics professor at Ateneo de Manila University, skills served as the basis of the wage, depending on the population of the workers and production. 

“Because of the required specialized skills in ICT  (information and communications technology), fewer workers are found in the sector, and lower outputs are produced, both of which raise wages and prices of its products,” he stated. 

On the other hand, the agriculture sector found more workers and outputs being produced. 

“This then leads to lower wages and output prices compared to ICT”, he added. 

Other industries included in the list were those in professional, scientific, and technical activities with P36,096 monthly wage, and in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply industries with P35,188 monthly wage. 

These data were from the Occupational Wages Survey of PSA, surveying at least 10 workers across formal establishments.