Seoul City to Raise Social Welfare Facility Workers' Wages by 3.5%

Fixed Meal Allowance Increased by 10,000 Won

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will improve the treatment of social welfare facility workers by raising their wages and allowances by an average of 3.5% compared to the previous year.

On January 21, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced the "2026 Plan for Improving the Treatment of Social Welfare Facility Workers," stating that it will enhance the treatment of workers to improve the quality of welfare services.

First, the wages for social welfare facility workers in the city will be increased by an average of 3.5% compared to last year, which is the same rate as the pay raise for public officials. For workers in grades 4 and 5, and those in management and technical positions with less than eight years of service, the base salary will remain at the "highest level nationwide" this year as well. The compliance rate with the base salary is 103.3% compared to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's base salary recommendation for this year, about 3 percentage points higher than the national average.

The fixed meal allowance, which has been gradually increased over three years since 2024, will be raised by 10,000 won to 140,000 won. The facility manager's management allowance will be increased by 20,000 won to 220,000 won, the first such increase in over a decade.

In addition, due to the enforcement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act, the responsibility and professional expertise required for facility management work have significantly increased. However, promotion opportunities for facility safety managers have been limited. The city plans to address this by integrating facility safety managers into the same Grade 5 general position system as social workers, thereby enabling promotion opportunities.

The city's efforts to improve treatment have received positive feedback from social welfare facility workers. According to last year's "Survey on the Actual Conditions of Social Welfare Facility Workers," 64.3% of respondents said that the treatment improvement policies had a "positive impact on their actual treatment." Satisfaction with welfare programs and working conditions was also high, at 81.7%.

Yoon Jongjang, Director of Welfare Policy at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated, "Social welfare facility workers are the ones who protect citizens' lives at the closest proximity. When workers find their work rewarding and can work more stably, the quality of welfare services provided to citizens will also improve. We will continue our efforts to create an environment where workers are respected."