Singapore Salary Guide 2024: How to Use MOM's Salary Benchmarking Tool
What Is the MOM Salary Comparison Tool?
Wondering if your pay is fair — or if you're offering the right salary to attract top engineering talent? The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) Salary Comparison Tool, managed by the Manpower Research and Statistics Department (MRSD), is Singapore's most authoritative free resource for salary benchmarking.
Available at stats.mom.gov.sg, the tool lets employees and employers compare wages across industries, job roles, and company sizes — all backed by official government data.
Whether you are an engineer benchmarking your next salary negotiation, an HR manager setting competitive pay packages, or a jobseeker deciding whether an offer is worth accepting, this guide walks you through exactly how the tool works and what the numbers mean for Singapore's engineering sector.
Why Salary Benchmarking Matters in Singapore
Singapore has one of the most data-driven employment markets in Southeast Asia. Salaries here are influenced by:
- MOM's annual Occupational Wages Survey, which covers over 500 job titles
- National Wages Council (NWC) guidelines, which set recommended wage growth ranges each year
- COMPASS salary criteria, which use MOM benchmarks to evaluate Employment Pass (EP) applications
- Progressive Wage Models (PWM), which set minimum wage floors in specific sectors
Knowing where your salary sits relative to market percentiles is not just useful for negotiation — in some cases, like EP applications, it has direct regulatory implications.
What the MOM Salary Comparison Tool Covers
The MOM tool is built on data collected through extensive fieldwork and statistically robust methodology, covering full-time resident employees across Singapore. It provides six benchmarking tools for comparison across:
- Different industries (manufacturing, construction, professional services, etc.)
- Different establishment sizes (SMEs vs large corporations)
- Different employee types (rank-and-file, PMETs, executives)
The core dataset — the Occupational Wage Tables — presents basic and gross monthly wages (excluding bonuses) for over 500 occupations, making it one of the most comprehensive publicly available salary references in the region.
Understanding the Key Salary Terms
Before using the tool, it helps to understand what each figure actually means.
Basic Wage Your fixed monthly pay, excluding allowances, overtime, and bonuses. This is the number most relevant for EP and COMPASS salary assessments.
Gross Wage Basic wage plus regular allowances such as transport and food, and overtime pay. Excludes Annual Wage Supplement (AWS) and bonuses.
Gross Monthly Income from Work The most complete income measure. Includes employer CPF contributions, making it the figure used in most MOM income statistics.
Annual Wage Supplement (AWS) Commonly called the "13th month bonus", this is a one-time payment typically made in November or December. Standard across most Singapore industries.
Percentile Rankings The tool reports wages at the 10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentiles. If your salary is at the 50th percentile, half of workers in your role earn more and half earn less. The 25th–75th range gives you the typical market band for most roles.
How to Use the MOM Salary Benchmarking Tool: Step by Step
Step 1: Go to the tool Visit stats.mom.gov.sg/bt/Pages/salary-comparison-general-for-employer.aspx
Step 2: Select your benchmarking type Choose the tool that best matches your situation — by occupation, by industry, or by company size.
Step 3: Input your occupation or industry Search for your job title or select your industry sector. For engineers, look for titles such as "mechanical engineer", "civil engineer", "electrical engineer", "software engineer", or "process engineer".
Step 4: Review the percentile breakdown The tool will show you wage data at different percentile levels. Compare your current salary against the median (50th percentile) and the 75th percentile to understand whether you are below market, at market, or above market.
Step 5: Factor in your experience and specialisation MOM data reflects broad occupational averages. Senior engineers, those with niche skills (semiconductor process, AI/ML, sustainability engineering), or those in high-demand sectors typically earn above the median.
