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Is it easy to get employment in Singapore?
Current rules: checked 7 September 2026
This article was originally published on 2022-01-17. The update below supersedes the original pass requirements and salary figures.
Employment Pass
Current EP salaries start at S$5,600 monthly, or S$6,200 in financial services, and increase with age. COMPASS requires 40 points unless exempted. New applications from 1 January 2027 use S$6,000 or S$6,600, with the new scale applying to renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028. EPs have no foreign worker quota or levy. Read the current guide.
S Pass
Current S Pass salaries start at S$3,300 monthly, or S$3,800 in financial services, and increase with age. This scale applies to renewals of passes expiring from 1 September 2026. New applications from 1 January 2027 start at S$3,600 or S$4,000; the new scale applies to renewals expiring from 1 January 2028. The S Pass quota is 10% in services and 15% in construction, manufacturing, marine shipyard and process. The monthly S Pass levy is S$650. Read the current guide.
Work Permit
Work Permit eligibility depends on the sector, source country, occupation and quota. Applicants must be at least 18 and below 62; existing holders can work up to age 64, subject to the rules. There is no single general Work Permit minimum salary. Specific schemes have their own salary conditions. NTS Occupation List jobs require at least S$2,000 fixed monthly salary and an 8% sub-quota. Eight additional NTS occupations took effect on 1 September 2026, subject to sector licensing requirements. Mandatory annual medical insurance cover is at least S$60,000. Read the current guide.
Sources: the linked current guides cite the relevant Ministry of Manpower eligibility and application pages.
Original article, retained for historical reference
Historical content: The original text below is not current application guidance. Use the dated update above.
Singapore has a very tight labour market when it comes to certain sectors. The Singapore government plays a significant role in determining the types of industries that will drive the Singapore economy and this, in turn, creates jobs in these growing industries. A few of the notable growth sectors are finance, healthcare and technology.
The reason for the high salaries that workers in these industries receive is due to the fact that there is a large number of companies vying for a limited number of skilled workers. It is important, especially if you are a foreigner, to obtain a decent salary in Singapore as Singapore has one of the highest costs of living in the world. A high salary will help mitigate this high cost and allow you to live a good lifestyle in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world.
However, just because the jobs market is tight, does not mean that Singapore’s labour market will accept any type of worker. The key to obtaining a well-paying job is to have the relevant specialised skills that are needed. For example, if you graduated from a very well known university with a degree in computer programming, your skills would be very well sought after and you should be able to secure a more than decent paying position in the relevant field. The reason for this is that individuals with such skills obtained from well-known universities are rare. This is in contrast to an individual who is applying for an administrative position. The administrative position, while still important to the company, can be filled by a large number of candidates from various fields of study. Therefore, the tight labour market applies to certain segments and certain types of jobs. If you are trained from a reputable university and have experience in those fields where demand is strong, then you should be able to secure employment in Singapore. Do take note that the minimum monthly salary to obtain an employment pass (EP) in Singapore is SGD$4,500. Moreover, the position should be open to Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents before the position can be given to a foreigner. Therefore, the company would need to show that the position could not be filled by Singaporeans and Singapore PRs before giving the position to a foreigner.
Singapore’s labour market is always tight as the country is constantly close to full employment. However, the country is looking for highly skilled foreigners when employing from outside the country.
If you have any company-related queries, you may email us at [email protected]. When in doubt, seek legal advice or consult an experienced licensed Employment Agency with the Ministry of Manpower.
Yours Sincerely,
The editorial team at Singapore Employment Agency
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Little Big Employment Agency Pte Ltd is a licensed Employment Agency with the Ministry of Manpower with license number 19C9790.
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