Median monthly income by occupation in Singapore: Here is what people in these roles are earning, Money News

PUBLISHED ONMarch 11, 2022 8:48 AMByXue Miao

Wondering how your monthly salary compares against that of your peers? Me too.

Previously, we dived into the median salary in Singapore (news flash: It’s $4,680 as of 2021) as well as the median household income.

Being a Singaporean with a neverending kiasu (read: Fear of losing) attitude, I was intrigued to uncover the median monthly income of different occupations according to age and gender.

If you’re as curious as me, here’s all you need to know!

Disclaimer: This article contains the latest June 2021 statistics published by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore on Jan 28, 2022.

TL;DR: Here’s how much employees are earning in Singapore according to occupation, by age and gender for 2022

The median gross income across all age groups and occupations is $4,000 (excluding employer CPF)
The median gross income is the highest across all occupations at age 40 to 49, with managers and administrators the highest at $10,000 for ages between 45 to 49
Male employees earn significantly more than female employees across all occupations except clerical support workers, with the biggest salary difference of 28.4 per cent between the genders for craftsmen and related trades workers
Male employees earn 12.1 per cent more than female employees on average

Source: Comprehensive Labour Force Survey, Manpower Research & Statistics Department, MOM

Occupations in Singapore: Which group do I belong to?

Before we proceed, let’s address the elephant in the room:

Which occupation category am I under?

According to the Singapore Standard Occupational Classification (SSOC), occupations can be generally categorised into 10 main groups.

1) Legislators, senior officials and managers

2) Professionals

3) Associate professionals and technicians

4) Clerical support workers

5) Service and sales workers

6) Agricultural and fishery workers

7) Craftsmen and related trades workers

8) Plant and machine operators and assemblers

9) Cleaners, labourers and related workers

10) Workers not elsewhere classified

Here’s a quick breakdown of the subgroups and area of work of these categories:

Occupational group	Sub-major groups	Examples of occupations	Area of work
Legislators, senior officials and managers	Legislators, senior officials and chief executives Administrative and commercial managers Production and specialised services managers Hospitality, retail and related services managers	Cabinet ministers, full-time MPs Senior government officials (PS, DS) Senior statutory board officials (CE, Dy CE) Company managing director Department and specialised manager School principal Working proprietor	Plan, direct, coordinate and evaluate overall activities of enterprises, government agencies etc. Formulate and review policies and laws Oversee implementation of policies and/or running the affairs of the organisation
Professionals	Science & engineering professionals Health professionals Teaching professionals Business and admin professionals ICT professionals Legal, social and cultural professionals Other professionals not elsewhere classified	Chemist Statistician Civil engineer Cardiologist Dentist Registered nurse University lecturer Primary school teacher Auditor Lawyer Journalist	Required to apply scientific and artistic concepts and theories to the solution of problems at work Requires high level of specialised knowledge & ability in fields of physical & life science, or social sciences & humanities Also include teaching at primary level and higher
Associate professionals and technicians	Physical & engineering science associate professionals Health Associate professionals Business and admin associate professionals Legal, social, cultural and related associate professionals Information and communications technicians Teaching associate professionals Other associate professionals not elsewhere classified	Chemistry Technician Mechanical Draughtsman Air traffic controller Landscape operations officer Fire and safety inspector Paramedic Broadcasting operations technician	Carrying out technical work connected with the application of concepts and operational methods Requires technical knowledge & ability in fields of physical & life science, or social sciences & humanities Also includes teaching at extra-curriculum and below primary level
Clerical support workers	Clerical supervisors General and keyboard clerks Customer services officers and clerks Numerical and material recording clerks Other clerical support workers	Office clerk Secretary Bank teller Receptionist Telephone operator Bookkeeper Production planning clerk Legal clerk	Entering data into computers, carrying out secretarial duties, recording and computing numerical data Keeping records, filing documents Supplying information requested by clients and making appointments
Service and sales workers	Personal service workers Sales workers Personal care workers Protective service workers Service workers not elsewhere classified	Cabin attendant Tour guide Waiter Postman Beautician Shop sales assistant Babysitter Lifeguards Police Officer	Demonstrate and sell good in wholesale or retail shops and similar establishments Provision of personal and protective services related to: Travel, housekeeping, catering and personal care
Agricultural and fishery workers	Agricultural workers Fishery workers	Hydroponic farm worker Nursery worker Livestock worker Aquarium fish farm worker Crocodile farm worker	Grow and harvest field or tree and shrub crops Breed or tend animals Produce a variety of animal husbandry products Cultivate, conserve and exploit forests Breed or catch fish Cultivate or gather other forms of aquatic life
Craftsmen and related trades workers	Building and related trade workers Metal, machinery and related trades workers Precision, handicraft, printing & related trades workers Electrical and electronic trades worker Food processing, woodworking, garment, leather, and other craft and related trades workers	Carpenter Building painter Goldsmith Pottery worker Electrician Baker Tailor Shoemaker	Apply specific knowledge and skills in the fields to: Construct and maintain buildings Erect metal structures Set, maintain or repair machinery Carrying out printing work Process foodstuffs, textiles, or wooden, metal and other articles, including handicraft goods
Plant and machine operators and assemblers	Stationary plant & machine operators Assemblers & quality checkers Drivers and mobile machinery operators	Concrete pump operator Metal rolling mill worker Printing machine operator Electronic component assembler MRT train operator Taxi driver Crane operator Packing/bottling/labelling machine operator	Operate and monitor industrial and agricultural machinery and equipment on the spot by remote control Drive and operate trains, motor vehicles and mobile machinery and equipment Assemble products from component parts according to strict specifications and procedures
Cleaners, labourers and related workers	Cleaners and related workers Agricultural, fishery and related labourers Labourers and related workers Food preparation and kitchen assistants Waste and recyclables collection workers and other	Office cleaner Mover Dishwasher Bellboy Building construction labourer	Perform different types of manual and routine tasks, e.g. cleaning, washing, food preparation, delivering goods, carrying luggage

Now that we have a clearer idea of which category we’re in, let’s take a closer look at the statistics.

Median gross income from work by occupation and age (excluding employer CPF)

Wondering where you stand amongst peers of your age group when it comes to your occupation?

Here’s a quick breakdown.

Age (Years)	Median monthly income*	Managers & administrators (including working proprietors)	Professionals	Associate professionals & technicians	Clerical support workers	Service & sales workers	Craftsmen & related trades workers	Plant & machine operators & assemblers	Cleaners, labourers & related workers
15 - 19	$1,000	-	-	-	$800	-	-	-	-
20 - 24	$2,329	-	$3,033	$2,500	$1,750	$2,000	-	$2,000	$1,700
25 - 29	$3,500	$4,900	$4,483	$3,227	$2,500	$2,500	$2,396	$2,000	$2,000
30 - 34	$4,500	$6,778	$5,600	$3,646	$2,600	$3,000	$2,708	$2,058	$1,700
35 - 39	$5,308	$8,750	$6,504	$4,000	$2,708	$2,900	$2,751	$2,400	$1,950
40 - 44	$5,958	$9,513	$7,538	$4,083	$2,947	$2,500	$3,142	$2,383	$1,842
45 - 49	$5,200	$10,000	$7,367	$4,120	$3,000	$2,404	$2,817	$2,151	$1,700
50 - 54	$4,500	$9,937	$7,000	$4,000	$3,033	$2,291	$2,500	$2,000	$1,528
55 - 59	$3,277	$9,858	$7,083	$3,800	$2,958	$2,100	$2,708	$2,000	$1,500
60 & Over	$2,400	$6,500	$6,413	$3,495	$2,500	$1,820	$2,212	$1,800	$1,400
Median Monthly Income*	$4,000	$8,667	$6,000	$3,600	$2,600	$2,300	$2,500	$2,000	$1,500

*Calculations for median monthly income include agricultural & fishery workers and workers not elsewhere classified, which are not reflected in the data above

The median gross monthly income peaks at age 40 to 44, at $5,958.
Managers and administrators have the highest salary at $9,513, and cleaners and labourers have the lowest pay at $1,842.
A typical university graduate in the associate professional & technician field earns about $3,227 excluding employer CPF contributions.
Managers & administrators between ages 45 to 49 hold the highest median income at $10,000, and cleaners & labourers age 60 and above hold the lowest median income at $1,400.

Median gross income from work by occupation and gender (excluding employer CPF)

MOM also offers insight into the median monthly income across occupations between different genders.

Occupation	Total	Males	Females	Per cent difference
Managers & administrators (including working proprietors)	$8,667	$8,992	$8,167	10.10 per cent
Professionals	$6,000	$6,392	$5,617	13.80 per cent
Associate professionals & technicians	$3,600	$3,700	$3,500	5.71 per cent
Clerical support workers	$2,600	$2,495	$2,700	8.22 per cent
Service & sales workers	$2,300	$2,503	$2,034	23.06 per cent
Craftsmen & related trades workers	$2,500	$2,568	$2,000	28.4 per cent
Plant & machine operators & assemblers	$2,000	$2,000	$1,896	5.49 per cent
Cleaners, labourers & related workers	$1,500	$1,500	$1,450	3.45 per cent
Total	$4,000	$4,300	$3,836	12.1 per cent

*Calculations for median monthly income include agricultural & fishery workers and workers not elsewhere classified, which are not reflected in the data above

There’s an average pay gap of 12.1 per cent between the two genders across all occupations.
The income of male employees is significantly higher than female employees across all occupations except clerical support workers.
The pay difference is the highest for craftsmen and related trades workers at 28.4 per cent, which includes jobs like carpenter, electrician and baker.
The pay difference is the smallest for cleaners, labourers & related workers at 3.45 per cent, with a median income of $1,500 for males and $1,450 for females.

While the gender pay gap situation is slowly improving, it is evident that it still exists today.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) cited a few possible reasons for this gap, with one being women’s propensity to play the role of the primary caregiver at home.

This means a higher probability of taking time off from work to tend to familial needs.

What does this mean for you?

These numbers serve as a general guide to the median monthly income across different occupation groups.

Don’t be disheartened if your salary falls below these numbers, as the range within each group can vary widely based on the profession as well.

What’s most important is that you continue to work on yourself to improve your employability.

Here are a few things you can do:

Leverage on free course credits to upgrade yourself in terms of knowledge and skills
Consider a mid-career switch to command a higher salary in another field
Stretch your money by investing
Get proper insurance coverage so that you'll have a financial safety net to safeguard your savings
Set your own financial goals and know what you need to get there

This article was first published in Seedly.

Income inequality Median income Personal finance Statistics Singapore Employers/Employees