Singapore’s 2026 recruitment salary data tells a story with direct consequences for every employer hiring or renewing foreign professionals. The 2026 Hays Asia Salary Guide, released on 18 March 2026, found that 43% of Singapore professionals who switched employers secured salary increases exceeding 10%. Separately, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) reset its COMPASS salary benchmarks in January 2026, raising the 65th-percentile threshold across most sectors by an average of 5.11%. Together, these two data sets mean that EP salary packages calibrated against 2023 or 2024 benchmarks may now fall short — both of COMPASS requirements for renewal and of candidates’ market expectations.
This article synthesises the 2026 Singapore salary benchmark landscape and explains what it means practically for Employment Pass renewal decisions, S Pass salary compliance from July 2026, and employer retention strategy.
For the definitive breakdown of how COMPASS scoring works and what each criterion requires, see LBEA’s guide to the COMPASS framework: earning your 40 points for a Singapore EP.
What the 2026 Recruitment Survey Data Shows for Singapore
Three major recruitment firms — Hays, Robert Half and Michael Page — released Singapore-focused salary guides for 2026. Their findings converge on several themes with direct implications for COMPASS compliance and pass planning:
The Mover’s Premium Is Real and Growing
43% of Singapore professionals who changed employers in 2026 secured salary increases exceeding 10%, compared with an average increment of 3–5% for those who stayed. This “mover’s premium” creates a structural challenge for employers: the salary that successfully renewed an EP holder’s pass in 2023 or 2024 may now be below the market 65th percentile — the COMPASS benchmark threshold that determines whether the employer earns 20 points, 10 points or 0 points on the salary criterion.
Technology, Finance and Healthcare Lead Salary Movement
Salary growth in Singapore in 2026 is concentrated in three sectors: technology (software engineering, data science, cybersecurity), financial services (risk, compliance, quantitative analytics), and healthcare (clinical specialists, medical technology). These are also the sectors with the most active foreign professional hiring — and the sectors where MOM’s COMPASS salary benchmarks have risen most sharply. The Fund Management sector saw the highest 65th-percentile benchmark increase of any sector in the January 2026 reset: 9.91%.
Salary Dissatisfaction Is a Flight Risk
The Hays data found that 33% of Singapore professionals are dissatisfied with their current salary, with limited career growth cited by 43% of movers as a primary motivation. For employers who have not kept EP holder salaries current with the market, a pass renewal coming up after 1 July 2026 is an opportune moment to review compensation — both to satisfy COMPASS and to reduce attrition risk.
Singapore Salary Benchmarks 2026: The COMPASS Reset and What Changed
Per MOM’s COMPASS C1 Salary Benchmarks page, the January 2026 update revised the 65th and 90th percentile salary benchmarks across all sectors. The key numbers every EP employer must know:
- Average increase across all sectors (65th percentile): 5.11%
- Highest sector increase (Fund Management, 65th percentile): 9.91%
- Only sector with a decrease (Media, 65th percentile): –0.47%
- Applicable to: All new EP applications from 1 January 2026; all EP renewals for passes expiring from 1 July 2026
Under COMPASS, the C1 salary criterion awards points based on where the applicant’s fixed monthly salary falls relative to the sector benchmark:
- 20 points: Salary at or above the 90th percentile of the sector benchmark
- 10 points: Salary at or above the 65th percentile but below the 90th percentile
- 0 points: Salary below the 65th percentile
An EP holder whose salary was benchmarked at the 65th percentile in 2024 — earning exactly 10 points on the salary criterion — may now fall below the updated 65th percentile if no salary increase was given in the intervening period. This tips their COMPASS score from 10 to 0 on the salary criterion, a swing of 10 points that could place the renewal at risk if other criteria are borderline.
For a complete walkthrough of all five COMPASS criteria and how points interact, see the EP COMPASS Renewal Audit July 2026 guide, which covers the updated benchmarks applicable from 1 July 2026.
COMPASS July 2026 EP Renewal Audit: Who Is at Risk
From 1 July 2026, all Employment Pass renewals are assessed against the January 2026 COMPASS benchmarks. Employers should conduct a proactive audit of every EP renewal due in the next 12 months, identifying holders whose salaries may now fall below the updated 65th-percentile threshold for their sector. The holders most at risk are those who:
- Have received no salary increase since their last EP application or renewal;
- Work in sectors with the highest benchmark increases (Fund Management, Technology, Financial Services);
- Are in their mid-career stage, where age-progressive salary floors may already apply;
- Currently sit close to the 65th percentile — a 5% benchmark increase could tip them into the 0-point band.
The practical recommendation: for any EP renewal falling due in 2026, calculate the current salary against the January 2026 65th-percentile benchmark for the relevant sector. If the salary is within 10% of the benchmark, a pre-renewal salary review is warranted.
S Pass Salary Increases: What Employers Must Know for July 2026 and Beyond
S Pass salary requirements have been on an upward trajectory since 2023 and continue to rise. As at 2 July 2026, per MOM’s S Pass eligibility page:
- General sectors: Minimum fixed monthly salary of SGD 3,300 for new S Pass applications
- Financial services sector: Minimum fixed monthly salary of SGD 3,800 for new S Pass applications
- Age-progressive floors: Candidates aged 40 and above require higher minimum salaries — a 40-year-old in the general sector must earn approximately SGD 4,200 per month
Key alert for July 2026 and H2 planning: From 1 January 2027, the S Pass minimums will rise again — to SGD 3,600 (general sectors) and SGD 4,000 (financial services). Employers whose S Pass holders are currently earning at or near the current floor should review compensation now to avoid disrupted renewals in early 2027.
The 2026 Hays and Michael Page salary data also shows that mid-level professionals in Singapore’s services sector expect annual increments of 5–8% through job offers. For employers retaining S Pass holders, salary packages that fall below market expectations will increasingly compete with the mover’s premium available elsewhere.
For a full breakdown of S Pass quota mathematics, levy rates and the impact of sector-specific salary floors, see the Complete Singapore S Pass Guide 2026.
Using COMPASS Diversity and Skills Bonuses to Manage Salary Pressure
Not every COMPASS point needs to come from salary. Employers whose foreign professionals earn below the 90th-percentile threshold — or who have seen their salary criterion points reduce after the January 2026 reset — can compensate by maximising points on other COMPASS criteria:
C2: Diversity Bonus (20 points)
If the applicant’s nationality represents less than 25% of the employer’s workforce in the same SSOC occupation group (or if the employer’s workforce is not dominated by any single nationality), 20 bonus points are available. Given Singapore’s international talent base, many employers qualify — but the supporting data must be actively managed and documented.
C3: Skills Bonus — Shortage Occupation List (20 points)
Applicants in an occupation on MOM’s Shortage Occupation List (SOL) automatically receive 20 points on the skills criterion. The SOL was updated alongside the January 2026 benchmark reset. Employers in technology, healthcare and certain engineering roles should check whether their foreign hire’s occupation is now on the updated SOL — which would add 20 points regardless of salary.
C4: Firm-Level Diversity
Employers with a lower share of locals relative to COMPASS’s local/foreign ratio benchmark receive points under this criterion. For employers under quota pressure, ensuring they meet local hiring targets under the Fair Consideration Framework not only protects their quota headroom but may improve COMPASS scores.
For a complete guide to COMPASS scoring across all five criteria and how to position a renewal for the strongest possible outcome, see the Singapore Employment Pass Guide 2026.
Practical Employer Action Plan: Salary Benchmarks and Pass Compliance in 2026
Based on the 2026 Hays, Robert Half and MOM salary benchmark data, here is the action plan for Singapore employers:
- Audit all EP renewals due in 2026–2027 against the January 2026 COMPASS salary benchmarks for each holder’s sector. Identify anyone who now falls below the 65th percentile.
- Conduct a salary review before renewal lodgement for any holder whose salary is within 10% of the 65th-percentile benchmark. A pre-renewal increment that lifts the salary above the threshold secures the 10 COMPASS salary points and reduces renewal risk.
- Check the updated Shortage Occupation List for roles that may have been added in January 2026. Where a role qualifies for SOL bonus points, this may compensate for a salary criterion shortfall.
- Plan S Pass salary budgets for 2027 now. The January 2027 S Pass salary floor increases to SGD 3,600 (general) and SGD 4,000 (financial services). Employers with large S Pass headcounts should budget for this increase in their 2027 workforce planning.
- Benchmark against market data, not just MOM floors. The Hays mover’s premium data confirms that salary packages significantly below market lead to attrition. For EP holders in technology, finance and healthcare, a salary anchored at the COMPASS minimum may be below market by 15–25%, increasing retention risk.
Conclusion
The January 2026 COMPASS benchmark reset and the 2026 recruitment salary survey data are converging signals: Singapore salary expectations and MOM thresholds are moving upward together, and employers who do not keep pace face both COMPASS renewal risk and attrition. A proactive salary review — conducted before renewal lodgement and informed by the updated sector benchmarks — is the most effective tool available to employers managing their foreign professional headcount in 2026.
For expert support with Employment Pass applications, COMPASS scoring strategy, S Pass quota management and MOM compliance, contact Singapore Employment Agency, a MOM-licensed agency (Licence No. 19C9790). For corporate incorporation, business setup and secretarial services in Singapore, see Raffles Corporate Services.
— The Editorial Team, Little Big Employment Agency