The 2026 Hays Asia Salary Guide, published on 18 March 2026, found that 43% of professionals in Singapore secured a salary increase of more than 10% by switching employers in 2025. A further 33% reported dissatisfaction with their current salaries, and 43% said they were planning to change jobs in 2026. These figures have a direct and immediate consequence for Singapore employers beyond talent retention: the January 2026 reset of the COMPASS salary benchmark tables means that compensation packages that cleared the Employment Pass COMPASS framework in 2023 or 2024 may no longer score the same points when passes come up for renewal. Understanding what the 2026 Singapore salary benchmarks mean for EP COMPASS and S Pass compliance is now a Q3 priority for every HR manager with foreign talent on their books.
The January 2026 COMPASS Salary Benchmark Reset
The Ministry of Manpower updates the salary benchmark tables used in the COMPASS framework annually, typically in January. The January 2026 reset introduced revised sector-specific, age-progressive tables based on updated local PMET (Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians) salary data. The key headline numbers from the 2026 reset:
- The 65th percentile benchmarks increased by an average of approximately 5.1% across all sectors
- The Fund Management sector saw the largest increase (approximately 9.9%), reflecting continued salary growth in Singapore’s asset management industry
- The Media sector saw a slight decrease (approximately –0.5%)
- The minimum qualifying salary for new EP applications remains SGD 5,600 per month for most sectors and SGD 6,200 per month for Financial Services, both as at 2026 per MOM
The critical operational point is the timing: the January 2026 tables apply to new EP applications from 1 January 2026 and to EP renewals for passes expiring from 1 July 2026 onwards. If your EP holders’ passes expire in the second half of 2026, they will be assessed against the new, higher benchmarks — not the benchmarks that applied when the pass was originally issued.
Singapore Salary Benchmarks 2026: How COMPASS Scoring Works in Practice
Under the COMPASS framework, the Salary Criterion (C1) awards points based on where the candidate’s salary sits relative to local PMET salaries in the same sector and age group:
- 20 points — salary at or above the 90th percentile benchmark for the sector and age group
- 10 points — salary between the 65th and 90th percentile
- 0 points — salary below the 65th percentile
An EP applicant or renewal needs to accumulate at least 40 points across all COMPASS criteria to pass. The C1 criterion alone is worth up to 20 of those 40 points — making it the single most influential component. A salary that previously scored 10 points (at the 65th percentile) may now fall below the updated 65th percentile threshold after the January 2026 reset, resulting in 0 points for C1 — a change that can make the difference between approval and rejection.
The 5.1% average benchmark increase is not uniform. Employers should verify the specific benchmark tables for each EP holder’s sector and age group via the MOM EP eligibility checker — or request a COMPASS score simulation through MOM’s SAT (Self-Assessment Tool) — before renewal applications are filed.
What the Hays Salary Data Tells Us About COMPASS Risk
The 2026 Hays Asia Salary Guide findings are relevant beyond talent strategy. The data reveals that local PMET salaries in Singapore are rising — and they are rising fastest in the sectors where Singapore employers rely most heavily on foreign talent.
When local PMET salaries increase, the MOM benchmark tables that define the 65th and 90th percentile thresholds increase with them. Employers who benchmarked their EP holders’ salaries against the 2024 or 2025 tables without adjusting may be sitting on renewal applications that will score lower on C1 than the original pass did — potentially enough to push a borderline renewal below the 40-point threshold.
The three sectors where the salary movement risk is highest, based on the Hays guide findings and the COMPASS sector adjustments, are technology, financial services, and professional services. In technology, competition for talent has kept local salaries rising at well above CPI. In financial services, the EP minimum qualifying salary is already SGD 6,200 per month — one of the highest thresholds across all sectors — and the COMPASS benchmark tables reflect continued salary growth at the upper end of the distribution.
How to De-Risk Your EP Renewals Before July 2026 and Beyond
For HR managers with EP renewals falling due from 1 July 2026, the audit should have begun by now. For those with renewals in Q4 2026 and into 2027, the following process applies:
Step 1: Pull the List of Upcoming EP Renewals
Identify every EP holder whose pass expires in the next 12 months. MOM requires EP renewal applications to be filed at least one month before expiry, and best practice is three months in advance to allow time to respond to requests for additional information.
Step 2: Run a COMPASS Score Simulation for Each Holder
Using the January 2026 benchmark tables and the MOM SAT, simulate the COMPASS score for each upcoming renewal at the employee’s current salary. Pay particular attention to the C1 (Salary) criterion. Where a holder currently scores 0 or 10 points on C1, determine what salary would be needed to score 10 or 20 points respectively.
Step 3: Assess Salary Adjustment Feasibility
Where a salary increase is needed to maintain or improve the COMPASS score, assess whether the adjustment is commercially supportable and in line with the employee’s performance and market positioning. Salary increases solely for COMPASS compliance — without corresponding market or performance justification — may raise questions in renewal applications that include a salary change.
Step 4: Consider COMPASS Bonus Criteria
If salary adjustment is not immediately feasible, examine whether the employee qualifies for bonus points on the other COMPASS criteria — particularly the Diversity Bonus (C3), Skills Bonus (C4), or Support for Local Employment (C5). Additional points on other criteria can offset a marginal C1 score, though only up to a limit per criterion. Review the EP COMPASS renewal audit guide for July 2026 for a full breakdown of the bonus criteria and their point values.
S Pass Salary Compliance: What Employers Must Do Before January 2027
S Pass holders face a separate but equally important salary milestone. From 1 January 2027, the minimum qualifying salary for new S Pass applications will increase to SGD 3,600 per month for most sectors and SGD 4,000 per month for Financial Services — up from the current 2026 minimums. This is a significant jump that requires advance payroll planning.
For employers with S Pass holders whose contracts run through into 2027, the implications are:
- Any S Pass renewal filed on or after 1 January 2027 must meet the new minimum thresholds
- Employees currently earning between the 2026 and 2027 minimums will need salary increases before their pass is renewed
- HR managers should identify all S Pass holders with passes expiring in the first half of 2027 and begin the payroll review process now
The full salary and quota implications are covered in the complete Singapore S Pass guide for 2026. The S Pass also carries levy obligations that change with the employee’s tier — salary increases near the threshold boundaries may affect both pass eligibility and levy costs simultaneously.
Using the Hays, Robert Half, and Michael Page Data Defensibly
Salary benchmark reports from Hays, Robert Half, and Michael Page are often cited in EP renewal applications as evidence that a candidate’s compensation is market-competitive. This is a legitimate use of the data, but it requires care:
Cite the specific guide and year. “The 2026 Hays Asia Salary Guide” is a citable source; “various salary surveys” is not. MOM caseworkers expect verifiable references.
Match the data to the role and sector. Citing a technology sector salary benchmark for a finance role creates an inconsistency. Use the benchmark tables for the correct sector and seniority band.
Use it as supporting evidence, not the primary criterion. MOM’s COMPASS framework uses its own benchmark tables, not the recruitment-firm surveys. Third-party salary data supports the narrative that the salary is commercially reasonable — it does not substitute for the COMPASS salary criterion analysis.
The employment contract and HR compliance landscape in Singapore is evolving rapidly in 2026, with salary thresholds, COMPASS benchmarks, and S Pass minimums all moving simultaneously. Employers who review their foreign talent salary positioning once per year — rather than once at hiring — are better positioned to avoid renewal surprises.
Conclusion
The 2026 Singapore salary benchmarks — driven by a 5.1% average rise in COMPASS salary tables and confirmed by the Hays guide’s data on market salary movement — present a material compliance risk for EP renewals from 1 July 2026 onwards. Employers who proactively audit their EP holders’ current salaries against the updated benchmarks, and who begin S Pass salary planning ahead of the January 2027 threshold increases, will manage their foreign talent programmes more cost-effectively than those who react to renewal complications after they arise.
Singapore Employment Agency (Little Big Employment Agency Pte Ltd, EA Licence 19C9790) provides Employment Pass and S Pass application and renewal services, COMPASS score assessments, and MOM compliance advisory for Singapore employers. For incorporation, corporate secretarial services, and end-to-end Singapore business setup, Raffles Corporate Services supports businesses at every stage of their Singapore journey.
— The Editorial Team, Little Big Employment Agency