Singapore’s 2026 salary benchmarks for the COMPASS Employment Pass framework have reset — and for employers managing EP renewals from 1 July 2026, the change is consequential. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) publishes updated COMPASS C1 salary benchmark tables by sector annually. The 2026 tables, effective from 1 January 2026 for new EP applications and from 1 July 2026 for EP renewals, show average increases of approximately 5% at the 65th percentile and 4% at the 90th percentile across sectors. This means EP holders who were comfortably above the COMPASS scoring threshold when their pass was issued may now find their salary has slipped below the 65th percentile — scoring zero on C1 rather than ten. Singapore salary benchmarks 2026 carry direct consequences for whether your EP renewal clears COMPASS.
Alongside the COMPASS recalibration, the S Pass qualifying salary rose to SGD 3,600 per month from 1 July 2026 (most sectors) and SGD 3,800 for Financial Services. Employers who have not reviewed their S Pass holders’ salaries against the new sector benchmarks risk avoidable renewal rejections.
How the Singapore Salary Benchmarks 2026 Affect COMPASS Scoring
COMPASS requires EP applicants to score at least 40 points across up to six criteria. The C1 (salary) criterion is the one most directly affected by the 2026 benchmark reset. Scoring under C1 works as follows: 20 points if the candidate’s fixed monthly salary is at or above the 90th percentile for their sector; 10 points between the 65th and 90th percentiles; and 0 points below the 65th percentile.
A candidate who was earning at the 68th percentile when their EP was issued in 2024 may now sit below the 65th percentile under the 2026 benchmarks — losing 10 points and potentially falling below the 40-point pass mark, depending on their scores on other COMPASS criteria. Per MOM’s COMPASS C1 salary benchmark tables, the benchmarks are set by sector and reflect the national salary increment trend for 2025 — estimated by MOM at 2–5% across the private sector, with above-average movement in technology, financial services, and healthcare.
Our detailed guide on the EP COMPASS renewal audit for July 2026 covers how to run the benchmark check by sector and identify EP holders at risk before their renewal window opens. The guide includes the updated benchmark changes and which sectors saw the largest movements.
What 2026 Recruitment Salary Data Tells Employers About COMPASS Risk
Annual salary guides from major recruitment firms — Robert Half, Hays Asia, Michael Page, and Morgan McKinley — provide market-level data that helps employers contextualise their COMPASS benchmark positioning. Three findings from the 2026 guides are particularly relevant.
43% of Singapore Professionals Secured Salary Increases Over 10% by Switching Employers
The 2026 Hays Asia Salary Guide reports that 43% of Singapore professionals who changed employers secured salary increases exceeding 10%. This is significantly higher than the typical increment for those who remained with existing employers (estimated at 3–5% for most sectors). The implication for COMPASS is that EP holders who have remained with the same employer on the same salary for two or three years are more likely to have drifted below the 65th percentile than the economy-wide movement suggests — because their peers who changed jobs are now earning materially more.
33% of Singapore Professionals Are Dissatisfied with Current Salaries
One-third of Singapore professionals reporting salary dissatisfaction signals that market salary expectations have moved ahead of what many employers are currently paying. Employers who have relied on incremental annual adjustments without benchmarking against market data may find their EP holders’ salaries falling below what the broader market pays for comparable roles — which is precisely what the COMPASS 65th percentile benchmark measures. COMPASS-compliant salaries also serve a practical retention purpose: underpaying relative to market increases the risk of losing EP holders to employers prepared to pay more.
Technology, Finance and Healthcare See the Highest Salary Movement
These three sectors — prominently represented in Singapore’s EP workforce — saw above-average salary movement in 2025–2026. The 65th percentile benchmark for Information and Communications and Financial Services has likely moved more than the economy-wide average of 5%. Employers in these sectors should treat the 2026 benchmark reset as a higher-risk event for their existing EP holders.
The S Pass Salary Floor from 1 July 2026: What Employers Must Act On
From 1 July 2026, the minimum qualifying salary for S Pass applicants and renewals is SGD 3,600 per month for most sectors and SGD 3,800 for Financial Services, per MOM. This is an increase from the previous floors of SGD 3,300 (general) and SGD 3,500 (Financial Services). S Pass holders whose passes expire from 1 July 2026 must meet the new floor at renewal. Submitting a renewal at the old salary level will result in rejection.
Note that the S Pass salary floor is a hard minimum, not a percentile benchmark. There is no COMPASS framework for S Pass. However, age-progressive salary norms apply: MOM expects that older S Pass candidates earn materially more than the base floor. An S Pass applicant aged 40 in most sectors needs to earn significantly above SGD 3,600 to demonstrate that the salary is commensurate with their experience. Our Singapore S Pass guide covering July 2026 salary updates covers the age-progressive salary norms in full.
COMPASS Retention Strategy: When Salary Alone Is Not the Answer
For employers who cannot immediately adjust salaries to fully satisfy the recalibrated 2026 benchmarks, it is worth noting that COMPASS is a multi-criteria framework. A candidate who scores 0 on C1 (below the 65th percentile) can still pass COMPASS by scoring highly on other criteria — provided the total reaches 40 points. The COMPASS framework guide explaining how to earn your 40 points covers all six criteria and how bonus criteria (C5 Shortage Occupation List and C6 Strategic Economic Priorities) can compensate for a lower C1 score in some cases.
That said, the safest approach remains ensuring salary keeps pace with the benchmark. Employers should use the COMPASS C1 benchmark tables as a floor, not a ceiling — particularly in sectors where the Hays and Robert Half data shows strong salary inflation. An EP holder earning at exactly the 65th percentile today is one annual benchmark reset away from scoring zero on C1.
Practical Employer Checklist: The July 2026 COMPASS Renewal Audit
Step 1: Identify EP Holders with Renewals Due from July 2026
Pull a list of all employees on EP whose passes expire between July and December 2026. These are the passes subject to the 2026 benchmark tables. Applications must be submitted at least two months before expiry — so EP holders expiring in September need renewal submissions by July.
Step 2: Locate Your Sector’s Updated Benchmark Table
Use MOM’s published benchmark tables to find the 65th and 90th percentile salary figures for your company’s SSIC sector. Each EP holder may sit in a different sector bucket depending on your company’s registered SSIC code. The benchmark is determined by the employer’s sector, not the employee’s occupation.
Step 3: Map Current Salaries Against the 2026 Benchmarks
For each EP holder with a renewal due, compare their current fixed monthly salary against the updated 65th and 90th percentile figures. Flag anyone whose salary is: (a) below the 65th percentile (0 points — high renewal risk); (b) between the 65th and 90th percentile but close to the 65th threshold (10 points — monitor closely); or (c) at or above the 90th percentile (20 points — COMPASS-safe on C1).
Step 4: Review the Full COMPASS Score for At-Risk EP Holders
For any EP holder at risk on C1, run a full COMPASS assessment across all criteria to determine whether the total still reaches 40. If the total would fall below 40 even with maximum scores on other criteria, a salary adjustment is necessary before renewal.
For guidance on the full cost of employing a foreign professional in Singapore — including how EP salary levels interact with levy obligations, housing allowances, and total compensation costs — our guide on the total cost model for hiring foreign professionals provides a step-by-step walkthrough. And for a structured approach to all MOM pass compliance deadlines across the calendar year, the Singapore HR MOM compliance calendar for 2026 maps out all key renewal, levy, and IRAS filing dates.
Conclusion
The 2026 COMPASS salary benchmark reset and the S Pass salary floor increase from 1 July 2026 are two compliance events that require active employer management — not passive monitoring. The combination of above-market salary inflation in key sectors and the annual benchmark recalibration creates a predictable gap between where EP holders’ salaries sit and where COMPASS requires them to be. The employers who avoid renewal rejections are those who run the audit now, not after the rejection letter arrives.
If your organisation needs assistance assessing your COMPASS compliance position or managing EP and S Pass renewals, Singapore Employment Agency — the licensed employment agency arm of Little Big Employment Agency Pte Ltd (MOM Licence No. 19C9790) — is available to assist. For broader HR strategy, corporate services, and foreign talent cost modelling, Raffles Corporate Services supports Singapore businesses across the full employment and compliance lifecycle.
— The Editorial Team, Little Big Employment Agency