Key figures · takes effect 1 January 2027
| EP minimum, new applications from 1 Jan 2027 | S$6,000 to S$11,500 a month, by age | MOM, Employment Pass eligibility |
| EP minimum from 1 Jan 2027, financial services | S$6,600 to S$12,700 a month | MOM, Employment Pass eligibility |
| EP minimum now | S$5,600 to S$10,700 (financial services S$6,200 to S$11,800) | MOM, Employment Pass eligibility |
| S Pass minimum, new applications from 1 Jan 2027 | S$3,600 to S$5,100 a month, by age | MOM, S Pass eligibility |
| S Pass minimum from 1 Jan 2027, financial services | S$4,000 to S$5,650 a month | MOM, S Pass eligibility |
| S Pass minimum now | S$3,300 to S$4,800 (financial services S$3,800 to S$5,650) | MOM, S Pass eligibility |
| Renewals | Passes expiring from 1 Jan 2028 | MOM, EP and S Pass eligibility |
| S Pass minimum expected by around 2030 | Around S$4,000 to S$4,500 | MOM press release, 3 Mar 2026 |
| Our 22 Singapore jobs with a resident median above S$6,000 | 10 of 22 | Paygrade calculation from MOM Occupational Wage Survey 2025 |
From 1 January 2027, the minimum salary for a new Singapore Employment Pass rises from S$5,600 to S$6,000 a month at age 23 or below, climbing with age to S$11,500 at 45 and above (S$6,600 to S$12,700 in financial services), according to the Ministry of Manpower. The S Pass minimum rises from S$3,300 to S$3,600, and on MOM’s own wage data, the typical full-time resident clears the new S$6,000 EP minimum in only 10 of the 22 jobs we track.
Who it affects, and when
The new minimums apply to EP and S Pass applications submitted from 1 January 2027. Existing pass holders meet them at renewal, for passes expiring from 1 January 2028. MOM says the change is “to keep pace with local wage benchmarks” (press release, 3 March 2026).
The figure that counts is the fixed monthly salary: basic salary plus fixed monthly allowances. Overtime, bonuses, commissions, the annual wage supplement and variable allowances don’t count (MOM FAQ). The higher financial services rates depend on the employer, not the job: they apply to firms such as banks, insurers, fund managers and brokers (MOM FAQ).
The new minimums by age
| Age | EP now | EP from 2027 | EP, financial services, from 2027 | S Pass from 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 or below | S$5,600 | S$6,000 | S$6,600 | S$3,600 |
| 25 | S$6,064 | S$6,500 | S$7,155 | S$3,736 |
| 30 | S$7,223 | S$7,750 | S$8,541 | S$4,077 |
| 35 | S$8,382 | S$9,000 | S$9,927 | S$4,418 |
| 40 | S$9,541 | S$10,250 | S$11,314 | S$4,759 |
| 45 or above | S$10,700 | S$11,500 | S$12,700 | S$5,100 |
Every age in between is on MOM’s eligibility pages. Two patterns: the 2027 EP table adds S$250 for each year of age, so older candidates face the bigger rise (S$400 at 23, S$800 at 45 and above). The S Pass minimum outside financial services rises by exactly S$300 at every age.
How the minimums compare with what 22 jobs pay
MOM’s Occupational Wage Survey gives the median monthly wage of full-time residents (citizens and permanent residents) in each occupation, in June 2025. Basic wage leaves out all allowances; gross wage adds overtime, commissions and allowances. For any one worker, the EP’s fixed monthly salary falls between the two, so we show both:
| Job (MOM occupation) | Median gross | Median basic | Above S$6,000? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial airline pilot | S$17,054 | S$17,054 | Yes |
| UX designer (interaction designer) | S$10,477 | S$9,804 | Yes |
| Data scientist | S$10,111 | S$9,522 | Yes |
| Compliance officer/risk analyst (financial) | S$9,500 | S$8,996 | Yes |
| Financial analyst | S$8,366 | S$8,150 | Yes |
| Actuary | S$7,953 | S$7,814 | Yes |
| Software engineer (software developer) | S$7,808 | S$7,605 | Yes |
| Project manager (business/financial) | S$7,670 | S$7,350 | Yes |
| DevOps engineer | S$6,561 | S$6,450 | Yes |
| Aerospace engineer (aeronautical engineer) | S$6,329 | S$6,311 | Yes |
| Accountant | S$5,968 | S$5,834 | No |
| Data analyst (statistical officer/data analyst) | S$5,869 | S$5,694 | No |
| Paralegal (legal associate professional) | S$5,725 | S$5,590 | No |
| Pharmacist (patient care) | S$5,612 | S$5,578 | No |
| Aircraft mechanic (aeronautical engineering technician) | S$5,400 | S$4,959 | No |
| Registered nurse | S$5,210 | S$4,943 | No |
| Flight attendant (cabin attendant/steward) | S$4,290 | S$4,287 | No |
| Elevator technician (lift technician) | S$4,264 | S$3,678 | No |
| Welder | S$3,000 | S$2,778 | No |
| HVAC technician (air-conditioning/refrigeration mechanic) | S$2,771 | S$2,738 | No |
| Plumber | S$2,500 | S$2,500 | No |
| Electrician | S$2,400 | S$2,335 | No |
The 10 jobs above S$6,000 are the same on either measure. Accountants miss by S$32 on gross pay, and a quarter of resident software developers earn under S$5,994 gross. Only airline pilots clear the S$11,500 minimum for candidates aged 45 and above. The last four trades sit below even the S$3,600 S Pass minimum.
A worked example: one job, two employers
A 30-year-old software developer at a tech company needs at least S$7,750 a month from 2027. The typical resident developer earns S$7,808 gross and S$7,605 basic, so the bar sits right at local median pay. At 35 the minimum is S$9,000, above that median.
A 30-year-old financial analyst at a bank faces the financial services minimum of S$8,541, above the resident median of S$8,366 gross. The same analyst at an employer outside financial services needs S$7,750, below it. See the full ranges on our software engineer and financial analyst Singapore pages.
What the comparison does and doesn’t show
It shows where typical local pay sits against each bar. That many medians fall short is by design: MOM benchmarks the EP minimum to “the top 1/3 of local PMET salaries by age” and the S Pass to the top third of local associate professionals and technicians.
It doesn’t show whether a given candidate qualifies:
- Age: the minimums rise with age; MOM’s medians cover all ages.
- Pay definition: neither basic nor gross wage is exactly the fixed monthly salary MOM checks.
- Coverage: the survey covers full-time residents at private sector establishments with at least 25 employees, not foreign staff, the public sector or small firms (MOM methodology).
- Timing: these are June 2025 wages set against 2027 minimums.
- Stage 2: the salary is only stage 1. Unless exempt, EP candidates also need 40 points under COMPASS.
Our salary data and how we use it are explained on the methodology page.
What happens next
The new minimums apply to EP and S Pass applications submitted from 1 January 2027 and to renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028. MOM says the S Pass minimum is expected to be around S$4,000 to S$4,500 by around 2030. This change was announced at the Committee of Supply debate on 3 March 2026, so we'll check MOM's announcements at next year's debate and update this page, and redo the job comparison when MOM publishes its next Occupational Wage tables (the 2025 tables came out on 30 June 2026).
On Paygrade
- Pay in Singapore: our country guide
- Software engineer salary in Singapore
- Data scientist salary in Singapore
- Financial analyst salary in Singapore
- Accountant salary in Singapore
- Registered nurse salary in Singapore
Sources
- Ministry of Manpower, Eligibility for Employment Pass (EP qualifying salary tables by age and sector) (page last updated 28 April 2026)
- Ministry of Manpower, Eligibility for S Pass (S Pass qualifying salary tables by age and sector) (page last updated 1 September 2026)
- Ministry of Manpower, press release: Partnering Businesses and Workers to Thrive in a Changed World (3 March 2026)
- Ministry of Manpower, FAQ: What is a fixed monthly salary? (last updated 14 March 2024)
- Ministry of Manpower, FAQ: How do I know if my company is considered part of the Financial Services sector? (last updated 14 March 2024)
- Ministry of Manpower, Occupational Wage Survey 2025, Table 4 (all industries): median, 25th and 75th percentile monthly basic and gross wages of full-time resident employees, June 2025 (released 30 June 2026)
- Ministry of Manpower, Survey Coverage and Methodology, Occupational Wage Survey 2025 (released 30 June 2026)
Pay Watch pieces are checked against the official sources above on the day they're published and updated when the source changes. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.