Based on figures in the latest Iras 2007/2008 annual report, I have updated the popular Salary.sg income comparison tool (see previous version).
Simply enter your annual salary for YA2008 and see how you rank against all resident taxpayers in Singapore:
The following is the graph for both YA2008 data (red) and YA2007 data (blue). It is evident that salaries have gone up. For example, the person at the 80th percentile earned a higher ~$96k for YA2008 compared with ~$92k for YA2007.
200 Comments
pinabonds, either you are a scholar or you are a super high flier in your stat board.
I was from a stat board, also joined right after university but I don’t remember being paid that highly.
Hi low morale, I’m aware that my pay is ‘comfortable’ based on the IRAS rankings, though not as much as my peers in law and banking. It’s worth noting that salaries at different stat boards can vary widely. Anyway, as repeated several times by different pple on this blog, pay is just one yardstick for a job – quality of life is no less important.
singapore gov pays very well if you are clever or an elite, and I have nothing against that. Like what MM Lee says, if we do not pay well, these clever ppl will work for big banks like Lehmen Brothers and Merrill Lynch.
pinabonds, are you with the Administrative Service mentioned in the following article?
http://www.salary.sg/2007/high-earners-in-civil-service/
hi lemabonds, no, im not with the AS. my salary is quite far below the payscale for AOs. My age-group would be around the time an AO first gets inducted into the service (after 3+ yrs as a management associate), and their pay would prob be much closer to S$200k per annum. Eventually, they’ll reach the now famous SR9 payscale of S$340k pa by age 33.
hi pinabonds, final question: are you with MAS? 🙂
Nope, but i wish i was. i hear they pay more!
well, count your blessings. at your age, you’re definitely making a lot more than all my stat board frens. i guess many grads will gravitate toward govt agencies after reading about your high pay!
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one
MAS dun pay that high.
From a larger perspective, the more interesting observation is the curvature – The steeper the slope, the larger our income inequality.
Think I’m underpaid again.
I’m only making $59k/annum (incl. 13mth) and have almost 5 years working experience.
How to get out of this crappy situation? Join banks, oil companies? Too late to become AO in the civil service and surname not ‘Lee’.
How much is enough?
try a stint abroad. I had a Korean friend who took up a 2 year contract job in Doha as a Web Lead for the Doha Asian Games. His pay jumped twofold, and was there eversince, even after he returned to Korea.
to Jia Lat: Switching companies may also not always be a solution. I was not earning much more than you after working for 5 years, but I stayed on, worked hard, improved myself and got promoted. 4 years on, and my income is now $150K per year (fixed portion, excluding bonuses). Hope this will be an encouragement to you.
Hi broadmind, I’m in the same situation as jia lat. Thanks for your advice, but I don’t see staying and persevering as a solution because even the division managers here, who are 3 levels above me, do not make as much as you! 🙂
important to realise your self worth.
persevere and you shall be rewarded.
For me switching companies was the key – recommended time to jump is around 2 years, and some of the increments are rather substantial. Been in my industry for less than 4 years but my base is 200K – i think you need to widen your scope and leverage on your network rather than stay put (unless it’s a really good company that fulfils plenty of your needs and leaving just for financial gains does not complete the equation)
good luck
what is the minimum wage for an employee (electrical and instrumentation technician) working in an oil and gas industry?
i’m a filipino and i’ll be working there as a E&I Technician early 2009 (i’m just waiting for my e-pass approval) just curios if how much is the salary their..
start businesses…I have 3 and make shitloads of $$ now.
Oh, my god. You guys really earned a lot.
My 2008 income is 59K. 32 yrs old. Female.
Not sure about 2009…
feel blue….
well, i’m a fresh grad from a local uni and i’m getting 2.5k/mth. and contrary to popular belief, not everyone is earning scads of moolah.
feeling incredibly bleak… haha, not sure my industry will ever see me making some of the money you guys are getting….
yann : take heart, I started at 2.3k ++ almost 9 years ago. Also from a local Uni.
yann, you’re just starting, you still have many years to increase your salary tremendously, don’t feel so bleak… and perhaps take a look at other industries as well if you’re sure that your industry is not paying well.
Yann,
Money is not everything. I believe your scope of work is more important. Does it allow you to learn and develop useful skills?
I started on $2K a month, fresh from uni 7 yrs ago. No bonus. I’m now 29 and am getting $10K excluding bonus. In between my 7 years, I took a sabbatical and travelled for a year.
But honestly, I do not understand the Singaporean pre-occupation with money and salaries. I think it’s ok for the short term if one has certain financial goals to achieve but in the long term I would rather do what I like rather than just stick it out for the money.
To people who don’t think money is everything, money won’t be everything. To people who think money is everything, money will be everything.
I say just do whatever makes you happy.
Goodie,
Agreed. Everybody is different. To each his / her own. It’s important to do whatever makes you happy. In my case, I will be leaving Singapore to live elsewhere.
Somehow i found Singaporean really have good salary. Only a small portion will have less than 3k i guess.
guys i seriously need help, i’m currently in computer sci,the prospect of IT is it really that bad? i’m not greedy, can earn 5k around 32 i ok with it liao.
Computer science is not that bad. Your target of 5k should be attainable, but just be aware of the keen competition from India, China and even the Philippines. These foreign talent ask for peanuts (comparatively) when looking to work and live in Singapore.
I suggest you quickly move up the value chain and work in areas which are harder for FT to infiltrate, such as in sales (targeting local companies and SMEs) where local knowledge and local accent puts you at an advantage, or in project management leading a team of FT.
That said, I have the view that most bosses think that IT can be easily outsourced – “programmers and IT support staff are a dime a dozen elsewhere”.
i feel like i’m wasting my young and money to pursuit a IT degree… i’m a poly grad, actually can go out and work now… need some advise from working adults,as i just finish my first sem in ntu….. feel like going out to work now.
It’s quite hard to find a job these days. You can certainly try, but I would advise you to complete your studies first. By the time you graduate, the economy should be recovering.
Btw, since you are in IT, why not try freelancing on a part time basis?
thks for the replies, actually i’m trying to get out of IT field…. i’m not very sure about the sector, but alot of ppl were saying IT is low pay and long working hours……
Yes, what you heard is true. That’s why you need to move up the value chain in your IT career quickly. Life nearer the top is definitely more comfortable, though people at the top wouldn’t readily admit so.
wait till u go engineering… u see even lower pay
wa, really anot… engineer like earn alot leh
Hi guys, can I know what is the starting salary for a fresh grad in stat board? I just grad from this tourism and marketing degree course, currently working in stat board thinking of internal conversion of scheme but I heard the pay may not increase and have to wait for half yr at least. means i will still be drawing a dip salary after that? is that true?
IT Undergra, it really depends on what aspects of IT you are working in. Some IT jobs can be very well paid while some are really lowly paid.
IT Professional,
Can give some advise on how to advance in the IT career?
I am doing programming.
i’m quit worried about getting pay like 3 k plus for the rest of my life after i graduate…. cos after paying 20k plus four year cannot work, to get a degree that only can earn me 3 k plus a month is not very worth it…. can any working adult advise on this?
ya and one more thing, is there a big different if i graduate with a Honours degree or a pass? will it affect alot if i’m working in the private sector?
IT undergra, you mean programming in school? What you do in school will not necessarily define what you do in the future. Infact, alot of people work in areas that are totally not related to their course of studies. Its your own choice, you can always choose to look for other kind of IT jobs or even out of IT. Anyway, it really depends on your own expectations. If you are only aiming for 5k in 5-10 yrs time, doing programming is definitely possible. But if you are aiming for 10-15k in 5-10 yrs time, you will have to work towards some other areas like IT project management, IT consulting etc. I am not saying that programming will never get you 10k/mth but it is definitely alot harder to achieve if compared to some other areas in IT. Alot depends on the company as well. For eg. with the same no. of yrs of exp, a programmer in an investment bank should get 4-6k easily but a programmer in a manufacturing MNC may only get 2-4k.
IT undergra, getting a honours degree or with merit will definitely give you an advantage over others when applying for your first job. However, that is not the only consideration. After your first job, other factors like your experience, luck, opportunitiy, network, people-skill etc play a much more important role in securing a good job.
thks for your advise IT Professional, i got one more question, what is the working hour like? is it alot of over time, and staying b after office hour to finish the job?
Sounds like you’re a choosy fellow. This attitude won’t get u far in any career. Haven’t u had your internships yet?
no that i’m choosy, the problem is wat i want in my life… i like to spend time with my family and be able to provide them with certain level of comfort…… so if this career does not suit my life goal, why need to force myself to work in that career…. and i’m taking loan for myself, hence, i’m asking so many question. i just completed my first sem.
IT undergra, the working hours really depend on different factors like the company culture, your workload and even your own work efficiency etc. So far i am lucky that i do not have to work beyond my normal working hours most of the time.
In any profession, there’re people who work long hours, unless u’re those hourly rated types like factory operator and McDonald’s cook. Study hard and don’t think much now. But it sure sounds like a civil service career may suit u well.
ya, planning to go into civil side most probably……. i’m not those ppl who can work day and night… life is so short, i rather spend it with my love ones,so i dun need to get those sky high pay….. IT professional, may i ask wat job are you doing now? software eng, database or network?
Dear IT undergra, you are the first undergrad I see who opt of easy life, thinking more about lives than toiling for work even before it starts! Kudos. Society needs more people like to you to do good to the socio-economic balancing.