What are the highest paying jobs in the Philippines?
Aircraft pilots earn the most, with an average monthly wage of ₱137,999 in the Philippine Statistics Authority's 2024 Occupational Wages Survey. Engineers, actuaries and software programmers fill most of the rest of the top 10. All ten pay at least three times the national average of ₱21,544 a month.
These figures come from PSA as reported in the press, because the PSA site blocked our requests. PhilSTAR Life printed the full top 10 (PhilSTAR Life, 1 December 2025) and BusinessMirror quoted the pilot figure and the national average (BusinessMirror, 26 November 2025). The survey covered time-rated, full-time workers in formal establishments with at least 10 employees.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Aircraft pilots | ₱137,999 |
| Air traffic safety electronics technicians | ₱131,536 |
| Chemical engineers | ₱101,996 |
| Mathematicians and financial professionals (insurance and pensions) | ₱99,154 |
| Applications programmers (insurance and pensions) | ₱96,360 |
| Web and multimedia developers (entertainment) | ₱79,064 |
| Applications programmers (telecommunications) | ₱73,804 |
| Mathematicians and financial professionals (telecommunications) | ₱71,237 |
| Software developers (publishing) | ₱66,180 |
| Industrial and production engineers (electricity and gas supply) | ₱65,806 |
| National average, all time-rated full-time workers | ₱21,544 |
Base: Time-rated, full-time workers in formal establishments with 10 or more employees, 2024. Source: PSA 2024 Occupational Wages Survey, as reported by PhilSTAR Life (1 Dec 2025) and BusinessMirror (26 Nov 2025)
Read the list for what it is. Each figure is one occupation inside one industry, so "applications programmers in insurance" is a narrow group. Almost every job on it needs a college degree, and several need a license or years of training. The next sections sort jobs by what it takes to get there.
Which industries and regions pay the most?
Information and communications pays the most of any industry, at an average of ₱43,676 a month in the PSA 2024 survey. Agriculture, forestry and fishing pays the least at ₱14,615. By region, NCR leads at ₱29,310 (BusinessMirror, 26 November 2025).
| Group | Average monthly wage, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Information and communications (highest industry) | ₱43,676 |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | ₱36,096 |
| Electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply | ₱35,188 |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing (lowest industry) | ₱14,615 |
| National Capital Region (highest region) | ₱29,310 |
| Region IV-A (CALABARZON) | ₱19,711 |
| Region III (Central Luzon) | ₱19,084 |
| BARMM (lowest region) | ₱11,495 |
The regional gap is wide: the NCR average is about 2.5 times the BARMM average. These are averages across all jobs in each group, so they mix managers with entry staff. Use them to compare places and sectors, and use the job-level ranges in the next section to compare jobs.
How much do jobs pay by the schooling they ask for?
On DOLE's own list of in-demand jobs, the typical degree job tops out at more than twice the pay of a job open to high school graduates. We read all 84 job pamphlets on DOLE's CareerInfo PH in-demand list on 25 September 2026 and sorted each by the lowest schooling its Qualifications section accepts. The typical posted range runs from ₱13,000 to ₱16,000 a month for high school jobs and ₱24,000 to ₱41,000 for degree jobs.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High school (10 jobs) | ₱13,000 to ₱16,000 |
| Vocational or TESDA course (9 jobs) | ₱15,000 to ₱20,000 |
| Degree plus license (21 jobs) | ₱20,000 to ₱40,000 |
| College degree (44 jobs) | ₱24,000 to ₱41,000 |
Base: n = 84 DOLE-BLE CareerInfo PH pamphlets. Median of the posted minimums to median of the posted maximums. Bar length shows the maximum. Pamphlets are undated. Source: TrabahoFit coding of the 84 DOLE-BLE CareerInfo PH in-demand job pamphlets, read 25 September 2026
The table shows the three best-paid jobs in each group, ranked by the top of their posted range. Every range is monthly and printed as it appears on the pamphlet. The pamphlets carry no publication date, so treat them as a guide to how jobs compare with each other rather than as today's offer.
| Lowest schooling accepted | Jobs on the list | Median posted range | Best paid (posted range) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree plus license (PRC board exam) | 21 | ₱20,000 to ₱40,000 | Medical doctor (₱64,000 to ₱123,000), medical officer (₱59,000 to ₱75,000), pharmacist (₱36,000 to ₱68,000) |
| College degree | 44 | ₱24,000 to ₱41,000 | HR manager (₱40,000 to ₱80,000), manager (₱44,000 to ₱79,000), accountant (₱25,000 to ₱70,000) |
| Vocational or TESDA course | 9 | ₱15,000 to ₱20,000 | Medical transcriptionist (₱14,000 to ₱33,000), customer service associate (₱18,000 to ₱27,000), welder (₱16,000 to ₱27,000) |
| High school | 10 | ₱13,000 to ₱16,000 | TNVS driver (₱40,000 to ₱75,000), call center agent (₱25,000 to ₱29,000), air-conditioning technician (₱18,000 to ₱23,000) |
One surprise: the degree plus license group has a lower median starting figure (₱20,000) than the plain degree group (₱24,000). It includes jobs such as librarian (₱10,000 to ₱21,000) and pharmacy aide (₱11,000 to ₱16,000) next to the doctors. A license opens a door, but the job behind it decides the pay.
Which high paying jobs can you get without a degree?
Very few. Of the 19 jobs on DOLE's in-demand list that accept high school or a vocational course, only 2 start above ₱20,000 a month: TNVS driver and call center agent. Among degree jobs, 38 of 65 (58%) start at ₱20,000 or more.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Medical transcriptionist (vocational, NC II) | ₱14,000 to ₱33,000 |
| Call center agent (high school) | ₱25,000 to ₱29,000 |
| Customer service associate (vocational) | ₱18,000 to ₱27,000 |
| Welder (vocational, SMAW NC II) | ₱16,000 to ₱27,000 |
| Air-conditioning technician (high school) | ₱18,000 to ₱23,000 |
| Mechanic (vocational) | ₱12,000 to ₱23,000 |
| Customer service representative (vocational) | ₱18,000 to ₱20,000 |
| Email and chat support agent (vocational) | ₱18,000 to ₱20,000 |
| Massage therapist (high school) | ₱8,000 to ₱19,000 |
Base: The 9 best paid of 19 high school and vocational jobs on the list, TNVS driver left out (see below). Pamphlets are undated. Source: TrabahoFit coding of the 84 DOLE-BLE CareerInfo PH in-demand job pamphlets, read 25 September 2026
TNVS driver tops the no-degree group on paper at ₱40,000 to ₱75,000 (DOLE pamphlet). The pamphlet asks only for high school and a valid driver's license. It does not say whether that is take-home pay or gross earnings before fuel and platform fees, so we left it out of the chart.
That leaves call center agent as the best starting pay on the list that needs neither a degree nor a car. The pamphlet accepts "at least a High School Diploma" and posts ₱25,000 to ₱29,000 (DOLE pamphlet). Live job posts agree on the entry bar. Of 50 live call center job posts we read on JobStreet on 25 September 2026, 29 (58%) accepted high school or senior high graduates with no other condition. Our guide to becoming a call center agent covers what the job involves. If talking on the phone all day worries you, look at jobs where you type instead of talk.
Which jobs pay well after a TESDA course?
On DOLE's list, the best-paid vocational jobs are medical transcriptionist, customer service associate and welder, each topping out at ₱27,000 to ₱33,000 a month. The typical vocational range is ₱15,000 to ₱20,000, which sits below the ₱25,000 to ₱29,000 the call center agent pamphlet posts.
What the pamphlets ask for, in their own words:
- Welder: "graduates of Vocational Course in Welding and posses a Certificate in Shielded Metal Arc Welding (NC II)", ₱16,000 to ₱27,000 (DOLE pamphlet).
- Electrician: "at least a TESDA National Certification (NC) II or a graduate of any vocational course on electrical installation, repair, and maintenance", ₱15,000 to ₱16,000 (DOLE pamphlet).
- Medical transcriptionist: a health sciences degree or a medical transcription certificate (NC II), ₱14,000 to ₱33,000 (DOLE pamphlet).
- Mechanic: a vocational course in automotive or mechatronic servicing, ₱12,000 to ₱23,000 (DOLE pamphlet).
Three of the nine vocational jobs are customer service roles: customer service associate, customer service representative, and email and chat support agent. A short course can help there, though the call center agent pamphlet itself accepts high school. Our guide to free TESDA online courses explains what the free courses give you and how to get an NC II after one.
Which degree jobs pay the most?
In medicine, management and tech. On DOLE's list, medical doctor posts ₱64,000 to ₱123,000, and HR manager, manager, data scientist and bioinformatics specialist all reach ₱65,000 or more. Salaries reported to Indeed put software engineers at an average of ₱42,508 a month.
The top of those ranges usually comes with experience. The accountant pamphlet says an entry-level job "requires at least one (1) year work experience" in finance, and the software developer pamphlet prefers three years of programming. For averages across all experience levels, Indeed's salary pages give:
| Job | Average monthly salary | Base and date |
|---|---|---|
| Software engineer | ₱42,508 | 1.1k salaries reported, updated 19 Sep 2026 |
| Data analyst | ₱33,056 | 1.1k salaries reported, updated 20 Sep 2026 |
| Registered nurse | ₱32,791 | 3.4k salaries reported, updated 19 Sep 2026 |
A degree takes four years or more, and a licensed job adds a board exam on top. If you are choosing a course now, compare those years against what the job pays in the table above.
What jobs are in demand in the Philippines right now?
DOLE's Bureau of Local Employment keeps an in-demand list of 84 jobs on CareerInfo PH, from accountant to welder. For Labor Day 2026, DOLE said the top vacancies were in retail, manufacturing, construction, BPO and food service.
DOLE Assistant Secretary Lennard Serrano named the top vacancies as "stock clerks and sales associates; production operators and workers; carpenters, foremen, and steelmen; customer service representatives; and service crew, line cooks, and baristas" (PNA, 30 April 2026).
The two lists measure different things. The CareerInfo list leans toward skilled work: 65 of its 84 jobs (77%) need a college degree. The Labor Day vacancies are mostly jobs you can start after high school, and customer service representative appears on both.
How does call center pay compare with other jobs?
Posted call center pay sits a little above the national average wage and well above most no-degree jobs. The median posted range in our JobStreet sample was ₱20,000 to ₱25,000 a month, against a national average of ₱21,544 for all full-time workers in the PSA survey.
| Figure | Monthly pay | Base and source |
|---|---|---|
| Call center agent, live posts | ₱20,000 to ₱25,000 (median posted range) | 36 of 50 JobStreet posts that stated pay, read 25 Sep 2026 (TrabahoFit) |
| Call center agent, DOLE pamphlet | ₱25,000 to ₱29,000 | DOLE-BLE CareerInfo PH, undated |
| National average wage | ₱21,544 | Time-rated, full-time workers, PSA 2024 survey (via BusinessMirror) |
| High school jobs on DOLE's list | ₱13,000 to ₱16,000 (median range) | 10 pamphlets, undated (TrabahoFit coding) |
Several posts we read said their figure is the full package with allowances and incentives, so basic pay can be lower. Our call center salary guide breaks down basic pay, packages and the night differential the law requires.
Can you earn more working from home or freelancing?
Sometimes. Salaries reported to Indeed put virtual assistants at an average of ₱27,448 a month (1.2k salaries, updated 18 September 2026), above the ₱20,000 to ₱25,000 median posted range for office call center jobs in our sample.
An average hides a wide spread, and freelance clients pay for proof that you can do the work. Our guide to freelancing in the Philippines walks through picking a service, getting paid by foreign clients and registering with the BIR. If you want a salaried job from home instead, see work from home call center jobs and what those employers ask for.
Scam check
How do you choose which job to train for?
Pick a job you can reach with the time and money you have, then check it against live posts and against yourself. The highest pay on a list means little if the path takes years you cannot fund or the daily work does not suit you.
Pick a target job
Start from the table above: choose one or two jobs whose pay would change your situation.
Check the entry pathYears and cost
High school, a TESDA course, a degree, or a degree plus a board exam. Count the years and the cost before you commit.
Read 10 live posts
Search the job on JobStreet or PhilJobNet. Note the schooling, experience and pay the posts ask for today.
Check your fitQuiz: call center route
Ask whether you would do this work every day. If you want a call center or virtual assistant job, the free 15-question quiz gives you a training plan for it.
Train or apply
If the job needs a course, start it. If it hires from high school, prepare your resume and interview now.
A decision checklist. Pay data for step 1 comes from the DOLE-BLE pamphlets and the PSA 2024 survey cited above.
If the call center route passes these checks, the next steps are practical: a one-page call center resume and practice with common call center interview questions.
Which career guide should you read next?
We cover one role in depth today and add more as they are ready.
- Call center agent: what the job is, what 50 live posts ask for, and how hiring works.
- TESDA online courses: free courses, the certificate you get, and how to reach an NC II.
- Freelancing: where to find clients, how to get paid and the BIR rules.