I have two lists this year – one for the top jobs across all industries and a separate one specifically for the financial services industry, just to show how skewed the numbers are.
This is the 2009 edition of my annual list(s) of the best 100 jobs in terms of pay (see last year’s edition).
The lists are compiled based on data from the MOM Report on Wages in Singapore 2008.
As with previous years, the numbers reported in the MOM survey excludes performance bonuses, profit sharing and stock options. Even though it’s called a “survey”, actual CPF data is used.
To generate the first list, I look at the third-quartile monthly gross wages of the selected jobs in all industries. Explanation: if you’re at the third-quartile, or 75th-percentile, your pay is higher than 75% of the people.
Here’s the top 100 best-paying jobs across all industries (see also second list below, which is specific to the finance industry):
- Specialised surgeon – $27,977
- Managing director – $26,444
- Personal banker – $20,238
- Commodities futures broker – $19,098
- General manager – $18,068
- Foreign exchange dealer and broker – $17,383
- Company director – $16,025
- Finance sales associate professional – $15,833
- Fund manager – $12,634
- Risk management manager – $12,200
- Treasury manager – $12,000
- Financial futures dealer and broker – $11,667
- Legal service manager – $11,531
- Advocate and solicitor – $11,147
- Business management consultant – $11,000
- Operations manager (Finance) – $10,471
- Legal officer – $10,417
- Computer operations and network manager – $10,238
- Training manager – $10,100
- Corporate planning manager – $9,850
- Computer and information systems manager – $9,800
- Business development manager – $9,770
- Research and development manager – $9,627
- Engineering manager – $9,268
- Sea traffic controller – $9,088
- Marketing manager – $8,917
- Lawyer (except advocate and solicitor) – $8,800
- Budgeting and financial accounting manager – $8,727
- Customer service manager – $8,635
- Personnel / Human resource manager – $8,500
- Technical manager – $8,500
- Quality assurance manager – $8,480
- Procurement manager – $8,400
- Naval architect – $8,300
- University lecturer – $8,282
- Creative director (Advertising) – $8,050
- Sales manager – $8,050
- Chemical engineer (Petroleum) – $7,991
- Chemical engineer (Petrochemicals) – $7,939
- Manufacturing plant and production manager – $7,934
- Instrumentation engineer – $7,831
- Logistics manager – $7,745
- Structural engineer – $7,295
- Network systems and data communication analyst – $7,293
- Advertising and public relations manager – $7,282
- Premises maintenance manager – $7,260
- Information technology security specialist – $7,110
- Chinese physician – $7,043
- Aeronautical engineer – $7,022
- Shipping manager – $7,000
- Business analyst – $6,997
- Medical scientist – $6,875
- Librarian – $6,842
- Property / Estate manager – $6,780
- Financial analyst – $6,667
- Operations manager (Commerce) – $6,660
- Editor (Radio, television and video) – $6,515
- Credit analyst – $6,475
- Database administrator – $6,417
- Computer engineer – $6,407
- Marine superintendent engineer – $6,387
- Transport operations manager – $6,377
- Administration manager – $6,350
- Building and construction project manager – $6,200
- Flight operations officer – $6,157
- Sales representative (Technical) – $6,100
- General physician – $6,085
- Information technology auditor – $6,048
- Securities dealer and broker – $6,000
- Market research analyst – $5,834
- Clearing and forwarding agent – $5,800
- Power generation and distribution engineer – $5,790
- Chemical engineer – $5,708
- Industrial health, safety and environment engineer – $5,700
- Automotive engineer – $5,670
- Chemical engineering technician (Petroleum) – $5,647
- Operations research analyst – $5,611
- Chemical engineering technician (Petrochemicals) – $5,609
- Chief / executive cook – $5,600
- Warehousing manager – $5,550
- Building architect – $5,500
- Systems designer and analyst – $5,500
- Application programmer – $5,495
- Pharmacologist – $5,475
- Speech therapist – $5,407
- Semi-conductor engineer – $5,360
- Stationary plant supervisor and general foreman – $5,353
- Treasury officer – $5,350
- Ship-master – $5,301
- Software engineer – $5,281
- Industrial machinery and tools engineer – $5,250
- Sales representative – $5,237
- Hotel service manager – $5,170
- Production engineer – $5,165
- Network and computer systems administrator – $5,159
- Telecommunications engineer – $5,100
- Advertising copywriter – $5,000
- Civil engineer – $5,000
- Environment health inspector – $5,000
- Soil mechanic and piling engineer – $4,980
This second list contains the best-paying jobs in the financial industry. Compare the top numbers here with those above:
- Managing director – $48,000
- Company director – $23,500
- Legal officer – $23,033
- Personal banker – $20,238
- General manager – $19,700
- Foreign exchange dealer and broker – $17,595
- Lawyer (except advocate and solicitor) – $17,500
- Finance sales associate professional – $15,833
- Fund manager – $13,107
- Risk management manager – $13,000
- Computer operations and network manager – $12,762
- Engineering manager – $12,718
- Treasury manager – $12,000
- Financial futures dealer and broker – $11,667
- Quality assurance manager – $11,500
- Sales manager – $11,367
- Corporate planning manager – $10,969
- Training manager – $10,834
- Legal service manager – $10,797
- Operations manager (Finance) – $10,486
- Personnel / Human resource manager – $9,940
- Business development manager – $9,918
- Auditor (Accounting) – $9,750
- Market research analyst – $9,750
- Computer and information systems manager – $9,392
- Budgeting and financial accounting manager – $9,300
- Business management consultant – $9,167
- Marketing manager – $9,000
- Customer service manager – $8,342
- Software engineer – $8,309
- Database administrator – $8,300
- Premises maintenance manager – $8,175
- Operations manager (Commerce) – $8,000
- Network systems and data communication analyst – $7,762
- Administration manager – $7,711
- Credit analyst – $7,584
- Business analyst – $7,500
- Financial analyst – $7,500
- Property / Estate manager – $7,300
- Information technology security specialist – $7,084
- Network and computer systems administrator – $6,713
- Application programmer – $6,463
- Systems designer and analyst – $6,272
- Securities dealer and broker – $6,000
- Advertising and public relations manager – $5,811
- Corporate planning / affairs executive – $5,500
- Executive secretary – $5,417
- Treasury officer – $5,350
- Accountant – $4,900
- Civil engineer – $4,841
- Computer systems operator – $4,724
- Actuary – $4,590
- Training officer – $4,583
- Credit officer – $4,520
- Personnel / Human resource officer – $4,520
- Systems programmer – $4,450
- Sales and marketing executive – $4,428
- Management executive – $4,275
- Public relations officer – $4,217
- Bank officer – $4,167
- Insurance sales agent and broker – $4,063
- Graphic designer – $4,004
- Property management executive – $4,000
- Accounts executive – $3,896
- Operations executive – $3,860
- Secretary – $3,835
- Appraiser and valuer – $3,800
- Insurance underwriter – $3,666
- Clerical supervisor – $3,660
- Mechanical engineer – $3,638
- Personnel / Human resource clerk – $3,531
- Customer service executive – $3,461
- Chauffeur – $3,341
- Fire and safety officer – $3,225
- Legal clerk – $3,200
- Billing clerk – $3,042
- Data processing control clerk – $2,909
- Customer service clerk – $2,742
- Cashier – $2,643
- Ledger and accounts clerk – $2,583
- Marketing clerk – $2,550
- Office clerk – $2,481
- Bank clerk – $2,441
- Insurance / Underwriting clerk – $2,399
- Bank teller – $2,307
- Receptionist – $2,300
- Securities clerk – $2,119
- Office / Library attendant – $1,941
- Building maintenance worker – $1,901
- Storekeeper – $1,643
As noted by some people previously, pilots, military jobs, top civil service posts and political appointments are not included in the MOM survey. Does anyone know why?
126 Comments
is this expat pay or singaporean pay?
Thankyou.Useful information for job seekers.
I believe all the jobs above are for both locals and foreigners. And all salary figures here are in SGD unless otherwise stated.
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Wow… in the general category:
Software engineer – $5,281
But in the financial industry:
Software engineer – $8,309.
No wonder all my techie friends are working in IT in banks.
great work, guys! thanks for providing a clear picture of who makes what in this red dot. but i’m sure the figures don’t apply to expats, esp. the first world ones, who almost always make twice or thrice the listed salaries for doing the same work.
on why pilots have been excluded, let me hazard a guess:
most airlines that fly in and out of singapore are not based here, nor are their wage structures benchmarked to sia. also, pilots who fly on the singapore route are likely not residents for at least 183 days in a year; maybe mom uses that as a yardstick for the purpose of calculation.
military jobs, top civil service posts and political appointments are all non-private sector. guess the govt wants to keep focus on private sector, as the vast majority of jobseekers are playing in that field.
i see “Chinese physician – $7,043” at no 48.
There are still pockets of skewness.
Look at the oil, gas and pharmaceutical products median manager wage compared with the rest of the manufacturing industry.
The best paying sector for 35-39 wage group incidentally is the information and communications sector, beating the financial services sector marginally.
How come there is no Dentist? I always thought it was a great 9 to 5, high paying job. Are they under the specialised surgeon category?? If so, my son should be one when he grows up.
thse are the 75 percentile figures? looks very high…
is this for real? wow.. i should ask for a raise then :p
The figures are supposed to exclude “performance bonuses & profit sharing”. However, most of the finance sales positions seem to have included them. Eg. Personal bankers, forex/futures brokers who get commission but may have no annual bonuses, just like top property/financial planners. On the other hand, managing directors, fund managers, research analysts may get bulk of salary from their annual bonuses which are not included in the figures above.
Yes I think commissions are included in those jobs that are sales related. I would think an MD of an international re-insurance firm will also get commissions. But as the above poster said, take note that some positions are not commissions-based but receive a big part of their comp in bonuses. (Their gross salaries are already quite high relative to the rest, so just imagine if bonuses are included!)
bottomline..revenue generator are highly paid..
cost generators are lower paid..
manual work are lowly paid..
so tell the young kids to study hard and get a degree to prevent fallin into poverty trap..
that’s why if you want to be rich, or if you don’t want to lose out, never be an engineer or techie or operator. if you’re smart, get into banking front office. if you’re not smart, do business or do sales – property, insurance, whatever.
if you insist on being an engineer, don’t stay in Singapore.
it took me half a lifetime to learn this the hard way.
thanks for the information. i’m not really knowledgeable about what a financial engineer can do? any position in the list?
@techie what’s the reason for not being an engineer. It seems high for IT professional.
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Minister leh? Where do they rank?
you add up the top ten and maybe you’ll get close to minister’s pay. they’re in a different league.
add up maybe even the top 20?
Hahaha
Divide the numbers by half and you have pretty accurate figures. The statisticians who got these numbers need to go back to primary school : they cant even tell right from wrong when the truth is staring in their face.
These statistics are killing the nation, they distort figures to make their superiors happy but they are hiding a terrible symptom.
I never knew personal bankers can earn that much and be ranked so high up on the list.
shouldn’t investment bankers, private bankers, corporate bankers be getting more?
and a librarian’s salary seemed pretty good to me here
what about the chemist salary experience up to 4 years in aluminium sector.
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Clifford
The compiled list featured represents the third-quartile monthly gross wages. They are pretty accurate.
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hi,we are see ur website and i am so happy.hope you always time help for all viwers.thanks and best of luck for ur feautier.
Personal Bankers earn less than S$4k base salary.
So there is no way their base salary is S$20k. S$20k will definitely include comps.
Youre right. Investment Bankers and Corporate Finance people should earn more than Personal Bankers.
The statistics are probably not accurate.
Moreover, the figures could be skewed since it only takes into account the top percentile.
One simple example. How do you take into account tthe larger proportion of struggling personal bankers versus the minority that are doing well?
22.
puzzled Says:
September 4th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
I never knew personal bankers can earn that much and be ranked so high up on the list.
shouldn’t investment bankers, private bankers, corporate bankers be getting more?
and a librarian’s salary seemed pretty good to me here
I dont see why Singaporeans are so enamoured with Private Bankers.
The smartest ones who graduate from the top programs in the U.S.A. DONT WANT to be private bankers.
They want to be INVESTMENT bankers.
Private Banking positions are for the SIA stewardesses or those who dont mind carrying laundry or walking the dog for their clients.
Anyone knows about marine fuel/bunker trading?
What’s the work and pay like?
what’s the big deal about being an investment banker. it’s still a job. you are just working for someone. even the ceo works for the directors and shareholders. take the job away and you’re just a nobody, left with nothing but a seemingly impressive looking resume. all the things you build up don’t belong to you. you can develop empires, but when you leave or are asked to leave, the empires are handed a plate to the next player, or fool.
i’d rather be a small towkay earning millions than an investment banker slogging like a slave for greedy bosses. it’s a white collar slave job after all.
if i wanna work for someone, i would rather be a minister.
kids nowadays should get their aspirations right.
you sound really bitter.
i bet youre not a towkay and youre probably working in the government.
in any case, who are you to judge whose “aspirations are right” ?
if everybody thought like you, there would only be government positions or towkays with NO BANKING firms around.
there is a place for everyone.
judging from what you said, youre probably a narrow minded, bitter, presumptuous, one-track-minded, judgmental, insecure fool.
minister Says:
December 12th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
what’s the big deal about being an investment banker. it’s still a job. you are just working for someone. even the ceo works for the directors and shareholders. take the job away and you’re just a nobody, left with nothing but a seemingly impressive looking resume. all the things you build up don’t belong to you. you can develop empires, but when you leave or are asked to leave, the empires are handed a plate to the next player, or fool.
i’d rather be a small towkay earning millions than an investment banker slogging like a slave for greedy bosses. it’s a white collar slave job after all.
if i wanna work for someone, i would rather be a minister.
kids nowadays should get their aspirations right.
small towkay earning millions work for their clients lah! It’s all in the mind. You are your own boss, the investment bank employing you is a client who engages your services.
sorry but i agree with minister. clients are not your bosses. some millionaire hawkers with an attitude can even scold their clients and even refuse to sell to them. boh bian, these clients are slaves to the good food, just like some people are slaves to their cars. haha.
That’s because those millionaire hawkers are good at what they do mah. It’s the same everywhere also. If you’re damn good at your job you can scold your boss (that is, client) and you can be sure there will still be many bosses (that is, clients) requiring your services.
not true. try that if you’re the top trader or top civil servant. lots of others just as good as you can’t wait to replace you.
If there are “a lot of others” as good as you that means you’re not the top lor. Anyway, I think this is where we agree to disagree 🙂
How much does a pilot earn ?
How about aerospace engineer in singapore?
Is this a job with high demand? I need some help here.
I am looking at the salary for library. Wow, I didnt know that Library pay is that high ? Is the list accurate ?
if librarian can earn $6842 a mth, i can earn $100k a mth
HI Bull,
Just wonder what do you do , make you make $100K .. and another WOW ..
I am a Librarian and I make more than 100K a year. I am 31. What’s the issue here?
applying for job at NLB right away!
used to be one for CCA, never knew it get paid that well!
Ehm , wow . NLB friends , any job opening ? I wud like to apply . but WOW ..
LIBRAIAN CAN EARN SO MUCH MEH??
According to the responded , some even earn 100K . Let’s hunt NLB job .
as i said..if librarians can earn 6k+ a mth….even an ITE grad can earn 10k a mth…what bull…..
To bull: you obviously have not seen the world enough. The numbers are for the 75th percentile.
Have you been to libraries at research institutions where the librarians are like researchers who not only have to research for data, but also interpret and compile the data into meaningful reports?
Note that there is also an entry for Library Attendant, making $1,941 at the 75th percentile level. Maybe this number is more palatable to you?
You can say the same thing about teachers. To the uninitiated, a teacher is expected to earn just a few thousand dollars a month. But the fact is that the best teachers out there make tens of thousands.
Grow up, bull.