Singapore · Salaries
Typical salaries by role in Singapore — pay ranges, taxes, and cost-of-living context.
AI-drafted, editorially reviewed. Confirm specifics with the official authority.
Singapore has no universal statutory minimum wage. Instead there are three distinct pay floors serving different purposes: the Progressive Wage Model mandates minimum pay for specified sectors and job roles; the Local Qualifying Salary sets a floor used for local-worker quota counts; and work passes such as the Employment Pass and S Pass carry their own minimum qualifying salaries. Knowing which of the three applies to your situation is the whole task, and the Ministry of Manpower administers all of them.
Singapore does not have a universal statutory minimum wage. Instead it uses the Progressive Wage Model (PWM), which sets mandatory minimum pay for specified sectors (e.g. cleaning, security, retail, food services), plus a Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) used for work-pass quotas (the full-time LQS rises to S$1,800/month from July 2026). The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) administers these.
- There is no universal minimum wage; the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) mandates minimum pay for specified sectors and job roles.
- The Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) sets a pay floor used for local-worker quota counts (full-time S$1,800/month from July 2026).
- Work passes (Employment Pass, S Pass) have their own minimum qualifying salaries.
- Pay is quoted gross; check MOM for sector PWM schedules; CPF contributions apply to citizens/PRs.
- 1
Drop the idea of one minimum wage
There is no universal minimum wage here. Asking what Singapore's minimum wage is produces no single answer, so the question has to be reframed around which floor applies to you.
- 2
Check whether PWM covers your sector
The Progressive Wage Model mandates minimum pay for specified sectors and job roles. If yours is covered, the PWM schedule is your binding floor, so look it up on MOM.
- 3
Know what the LQS is actually for
The Local Qualifying Salary sets a pay floor used for local-worker quota counts. It is a quota mechanism rather than a personal entitlement, which is the distinction most often missed.
- 4
Check your pass's qualifying salary
Work passes such as the Employment Pass and S Pass have their own minimum qualifying salaries. For a foreign hire this is usually the number that actually governs the offer.
- 5
Confirm the current schedules with MOM
MOM administers all three floors and publishes the sector PWM schedules. Since the three move independently, check the current position for whichever applies rather than assuming they track together.
- Understood there is no universal minimum wage
- PWM coverage checked for your sector and role
- PWM schedule located on MOM if applicable
- LQS understood as a quota mechanism, not an entitlement
- Pass type identified (Employment Pass, S Pass or other)
- Pass qualifying salary checked against the offer
- Current MOM position confirmed for the applicable floor
- Ministry of Manpower — Progressive Wage Model
Official sector minimum-pay framework.
- MOM — Local Qualifying Salary
Official Local Qualifying Salary information.
Frequently asked questions
What is Singapore's minimum wage?
There is no universal statutory minimum wage, so the question has no single answer. Instead three distinct floors serve different purposes — the Progressive Wage Model for specified sectors, the Local Qualifying Salary for quota counts, and work-pass qualifying salaries — so the useful question is which one applies to you.
Is the Local Qualifying Salary my minimum pay?
Not as a personal entitlement. The LQS sets a pay floor used for local-worker quota counts, so it is a quota mechanism rather than a wage you can claim. That distinction is the one most often missed about it.
Which Singapore floor matters for a foreign hire?
Usually the work pass. Passes such as the Employment Pass and S Pass carry their own minimum qualifying salaries, and for a foreign hire that is typically the number governing the offer — though check PWM too if the sector is a specified one.
Government portals
- Singapore Government — Singapore's integrated government services portal — unified Singpass identity login
- Immigration & Checkpoints Authority — Employment Pass, S Pass, Work Permit, PR and citizenship applications in Singapore
- Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore — Personal and corporate income tax, GST filing, and tax incentive lookup