9cv9 Research | Kingdom of Cambodia
Labour Market Intelligence 2026
Labour Market Intelligence 2026
Cambodia's Hiring Boom: 10.2 Million Workers, One Big Skills Gap
Inside the 2026 recruitment market: garment factories that employ 900,000+, a tech sector short of 600,000 professionals, and wages climbing toward a post-2029 reckoning.
10.2MProjected labour force in 2026, growing 2.5% a year
65%+Of the population is under 35 years old
4.3%World Bank 2026 GDP growth forecast
$5.2BFDI in 2025, over 70% from China
01
Manufacturing: The Employment Engine
Garment, footwear and travel goods (GFT) anchors formal jobs
900K+
Workers across 1,500+ factories, nearly 80% of them women
$15.5B
GFT exports in 2025, up 15.7% year on year
~10%
Of Cambodia's GDP comes from the GFT sector
2025 export value by segment (US$ billions)
$61GFT minimum wage, 2012
+244%Growth over 14 years
$210Minimum wage, Jan 2026
$208Probationary minimum, 2026
02
Pay Ladder: Who Earns What
Monthly salary in US$; bar length = top of reported range
Senior vs entry developer
$500Entry level per month
$3-4KSenior per month, an 8x gap
Gender wage gap
73%Women's pay vs men's, a decade before 2019
82%Women's pay vs men's by 2019
03
Tech Talent: The Shortage Frontier
Digital demand is outrunning what schools can supply
$3.61B
ICT market by 2031, up from $2.51B in 2026 (7.55% CAGR)
600K
Projected shortage of IT professionals
20-30%
Salary premium for tech roles over national averages
Annual salary ranges, tech roles (US$ thousands; bar = top of range)
Cybersecurity sector growing 22% annually. Digital Cambodia targets 100,000 digital jobs and 1,000 tech startups.
04
Geography & Tourism
Phnom Penh leads; Siem Reap depends on visitors
Phnom Penh premium
40%Of skilled professionals live in the capital
$800-1,200Average monthly salary there
Finance pay: $1,200 in Phnom Penh vs $900 in Siem Reap (33% gap).
Tourism recovery
630KDirect tourism jobs in 2019, 60% women
-21.7%Tourism employment drop in 2020
Arrivals reached 82.5% of 2019 levels by 2023. Sala Bai training lifted graduate employment from 80% unemployment to 97% employed.
05
Compliance & Cost to Hire
What employers must budget for in 2026
~5.4%
Total employer payroll tax obligations
10%
Foreign worker cap per enterprise, subject to exemptions
110-115%
Total employment cost as a share of base salary
45 days
To register with NSSF (8+ employees)
1-3 days
Onboarding via Employer of Record, vs 8-12 weeks for a local entity
$250-500
Fine per worker for minimum wage violations
What It Means for Employers
- Benchmark pay by role and city, not by national averages.
- Budget for premiums of 20-30% to win and keep tech talent.
- Invest in training: English, Chinese and digital skills are in demand.
- Prepare for 2029 LDC graduation with a higher-skilled workforce.