As Malaysia moves towards becoming an aging nation, accessibility to healthcare services will become more important than ever. With more than 100,000 nurses in the country, the nursing profession is one of the largest in the healthcare sector, and a driver of the nation’s medical care services.
Nurses juggle multiple tasks of checking and recording a patient’s condition, answering patients’ questions, caring for them and working closely with doctors to implement exams or treatments. In fact, when it comes to inpatient treatments, nurses are often more involved in hands-on work and communication with patients, providing assurance and comfort – making them the unsung heroes of the health industry.
For those who are considering a career in nursing, here is a salary guide of how much you can earn as a nurse in Malaysia.
Salaries Of Nurses In Malaysia
According to Glassdoor’s data, salaries of nurses in Malaysia range from RM2,000 to RM8,000 per month. The salaries are inclusive of nurses’ earnings in both the public and private sector.
Out of all nurses in the country, more than 65% of them work at public healthcare institutions, based on research by the Ministry of Health in 2018. Specifically, nurses working at public hospitals earn a starting salary of RM1,974 and RM2,580 depending on grade levels. Aside from salaries, nurses working in the public sector may also receive several allowances such as fixed allowance, housing allowance and critical service allowance for their service.
| Grade | Starting Salary |
| U5 | RM1,974 |
| U9 | RM2,580 |
Source: Ministry of Health Malaysia
Requirements To Be A Nurse
To be a nurse, you will need to complete an accredited nursing degree or diploma programme, which typically takes four or three years respectively. You can check the accreditation status of a nursing institution on the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA)’s website.
The requirements to enrol in a nursing course vary depending on the type of programme and university. For a basic degree course, you will generally need to fulfil the following requirements:
- Pass your STPM or Malaysian Higher School Certificate, with a minimum CGPA of 2.5
- Obtain credits for Mathematics and Science for your SPM or Malaysian Certificate of Education exam
- Pass the Malaysian University English Test (MUET)
To enrol in a diploma course, you will typically need to obtain credits for at least five subjects including Mathematics and Science at your SPM exam and pass your language subjects ie. English and Malay. After completing your course, you will have to sit for and pass the final exams.
Becoming A Registered Nurse In Malaysia
In Malaysia, the nursing profession is regulated by the Nursing Board Malaysia. Upon completion of your course and passing your final exams, you will need to take another exam conducted by the Nursing Board Malaysia to be registered as a nurse in the country.
The exam is held four times a year and students will need to complete their application two months in advance.
Applicants can retake their exams for three times in the event that they fail on the first attempt. You can apply to retake the exam through your university or college.
You will also need to obtain the Annual Nurse Practice Certificate, which is compulsory for any nurse to carry out nursing practice in Malaysia. You can download the application form for the certificate on the Ministry of Health (MOH)’s website. Applications should be submitted 30 days after reporting for a work position.
Shortage Of Nurses
There is a shortage of nurses around the world including in Malaysia, with inadequacy levels expected to reach 57.9% by 2030. According to a news report, as many as 2,400 nurses having left the country to work abroad in 2023 in pursuit of better salaries and work conditions.
Nurses who work in public hospitals may experience tougher job conditions due to overcrowding and high demand for subsidised healthcare.
The government has increased the minimum wage for workers including civil servants in Malaysia to RM1,700, effective from 1 February 2025. Some of the initiatives taken by the government include expanding the nursing workforce in the country with the opening of new nursing institutions and increasing its annual intake for nursing diploma programmes from 1,000 to 2,000 in 2023, as reported by a news outlet. Healthcare organisations have suggested that institutions should implement work-life balance and offer attractive compensation to retain nurses.
The government and healthcare sector need to work together to overcome the shortage issue, ensuring quality healthcare services in the country.
Read Also: Salary Guide To How Much You Can Earn As A Lawyer In Malaysia
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