Gaming employees in Macau were able to pull ahead of inflation last year, according to a survey conducted by the city’s Statistics and Census Service (SCS). The average earnings for full-time gaming employees, excluding bonuses, through the end of December were 3.5% higher year-on-year. This was greater than the rate of inflation, giving those employees a little extra take-home pay.

The SCS showed that the average monthly wage for a Macau resident working in the gaming sector was around $2,936. For a non-resident, it was slightly lower at about $2,437.

Based on the composite price index provided by the SCS this past January, the inflation rate for last year was 3.01%, giving the gaming employees a cushion of around 0.4%. The rate of inflation for 2018 had increased by 1.78% over the 1.23% seen just a year earlier.

The survey also showed an increase in gaming employment in 2018. The aggregate number of casino dealers rose 1.1% from its 2017 level, reaching 24,719 by the end of the year. The average monthly salary for a casino dealer in Macau came in at approximately $2,529 last December, an increase of 3% over the same period a year earlier.