Worried your salary not ‘chio’ enough, Singaporeans? Seeing everyone else ‘kena’ promoted while you’re stuck? Let’s talk real talk about salary progression in Singapore, based on what everyone’s saying on Reddit. Is that infographic you saw legit or just ‘wayang’?
Current SG Salary Landscape
- Starting salaries for fresh grads, especially in STEM fields, are reportedly around $4,000. But older grads may have started much lower.
“4k starting is common in STEM related fields (engineering, finance, non-life sciences etc), it’s very rare to hear a fresh grad in my STEM circle actually drawing below 4k in the past years (not counting unemployment)”
- Salary increases tend to be higher in the first 5-10 years of your career, then taper off.
“Evident that salary increases the most when you work for 5 to 10 years. And thereafter the increment tapers off.”
- Many Singaporeans feel the infographic’s numbers are unrealistic, especially considering the standard 3% annual increment.
“from imagination, sg market increment norm is 3% per year”
- Job hopping and promotions are key to achieving significant salary jumps, especially early in your career.
“The table indicates 2-5 years making 32% more than <2 years which is pretty realistic if you don't look at it as a 32% jump from year 1.5 to year 2. Increasing 32% in 3-4 years is on the high side but very reasonable if you consider annual increments + promotions/job changes."
Key Salary Progression Challenges
- Industry matters! Some sectors (like logistics) offer better opportunities than others (sports & fitness).
“You also have to be in the right industry. Try showing this to those working in logistics or hospitality. Lmao”
- Seniority doesn’t guarantee higher pay anymore. Older employees are often at risk of retrenchment if they’re not seen as productive enough.
“This is the reason why usually after 15 years of work, if you are not damn productive, you will get retrench once you cost $10k”
- Many Singaporeans feel left behind if they started with lower salaries, making it difficult to catch up to the infographic’s projections.
“Yes for those who started with way lower salaries it seems quite reasonable. I put in 3k starting and after 10-15 years it’s only 6k+, which is way below the 9k indicative number with the higher 4k+ starting pay.”
- Recruiters may exploit job market uncertainties to lowball fresh grads.
“People keep hearing of these job market doom stories and recruiters are definitely taking advantage of it to blindside fresh grads”
Smart Ways to Boost Your Salary
- Don’t be afraid to job hop! Switching companies can lead to significantly higher pay increases than staying put.
“The table indicates 2-5 years making 32% more than <2 years which is pretty realistic if you don't look at it as a 32% jump from year 1.5 to year 2. Increasing 32% in 3-4 years is on the high side but very reasonable if you consider annual increments + promotions/job changes."
- Upskill and stay relevant. Invest in courses and certifications to increase your value in the job market.
- Target companies and roles in high-growth industries like e-commerce and tech.
“Yes- the large shipping and logistic companies are more likely to have specialist roles like product development, regiinal/global roles with above average pay. Players like Lazada, Shopee (a big part of e-commerce is logistics)”
- Negotiate your salary during job offers. Research industry benchmarks and know your worth.
- Network actively. Building connections can open doors to better opportunities and higher-paying roles.
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