A report released on Thursday revealed that, driven by the artificial intelligence boom, the average annual salary for employees of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. rose by nearly 20% in 2025, while the total number of employees saw a slight decline.

According to the report from the Korea CXO Institute, the average annual salary for Samsung Electronics employees, excluding top executives, was approximately 15.5 million won (around $106,000), marking a 19.2% increase from 13 million won in 2024.

The CXO Institute stated that the findings were based on an analysis of the company's employee expenditure and the number of staff enrolled in the national pension scheme.

Concurrently, Samsung Electronics appeared to scale back new hiring in 2025. By the end of the year, the total number of employees enrolled in the national pension program was 124,996, a 0.5% decrease compared to the previous year.

The institute noted in its report, "Last year, fueled by the AI boom, several global tech firms reduced their workforce despite strong profitability. Even as their earnings improve, large conglomerates, including Samsung Electronics, may see slower growth in employee numbers."