If you are a foreign professional planning to work in Singapore, or a Singapore company intending to hire overseas talent, one of the most important questions is: What is the minimum salary required for a Singapore Employment Pass (EP)?
As of 2026, the minimum qualifying salary for an Employment Pass generally starts at S$5,600 per month for applicants outside the financial services sector. For applicants working in financial services, the minimum starts at S$6,200 per month.
However, these figures can be misleading if they are interpreted as a universal minimum. Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) uses an age-adjusted qualifying salary, meaning that an older and more experienced applicant is generally expected to earn considerably more.
In addition, meeting the salary requirement alone does not necessarily mean that an Employment Pass will be approved. Most applicants must also satisfy Singapore’s Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS).
There is also an important change approaching. From 1 January 2027, the minimum qualifying salary for new EP applications will increase to S$6,000 per month for most sectors and S$6,600 per month for financial services.
This guide explains how the Singapore Employment Pass salary requirement works, how age affects the minimum salary, what COMPASS means for applicants and employers, and what businesses should consider before submitting an EP application.
What Is a Singapore Employment Pass?
The Employment Pass is a work pass intended for foreign professionals, managers, executives and other skilled professionals who have a job offer in Singapore.
An EP application is generally submitted by the Singapore employer or an appointed employment agent on behalf of the foreign candidate.
Unlike the S Pass, the Employment Pass is designed primarily for professional-level positions and does not operate on the same quota and levy framework.
However, Singapore has progressively tightened the qualifying criteria for EP applicants. Salary is therefore only one part of a broader assessment of whether the foreign professional meets Singapore’s requirements.
What Is the Minimum Salary for an Employment Pass in 2026?
For applications under the prevailing 2026 requirements, the minimum qualifying salary starts at:
S$5,600 per month for most sectors
S$6,200 per month for the financial services sector
These are fixed monthly salary thresholds.
MOM explains that the EP qualifying salary is benchmarked against the salaries of the top one-third of Singapore’s local Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs).
But there is an important point:
S$5,600 does not mean that every EP applicant can qualify with a salary of S$5,600.
The required salary increases progressively with the candidate’s age.
Employment Pass Minimum Salary by Age
MOM expects the salaries of more experienced professionals to reflect their age and experience.
For applicants outside the financial services sector, the current qualifying salaries for new applications submitted before 1 January 2027 are approximately:
| Age | Minimum EP Qualifying Salary |
|---|---|
| 23 or below | S$5,600 |
| 24 | S$5,832 |
| 25 | S$6,064 |
| 26 | S$6,295 |
| 27 | S$6,527 |
| 28 | S$6,759 |
| 29 | S$6,991 |
| 30 | S$7,223 |
| 31 | S$7,455 |
| 32 | S$7,686 |
| 33 | S$7,918 |
| 34 | S$8,150 |
| 35 | S$8,382 |
| 36 | S$8,614 |
| 37 | S$8,845 |
| 38 | S$9,077 |
| 39 | S$9,309 |
| 40 | S$9,541 |
| 41 | S$9,773 |
| 42 | S$10,005 |
| 43 | S$10,236 |
| 44 | S$10,468 |
| 45 and above | S$10,700 |
These figures illustrate why employers should not simply use S$5,600 as the benchmark when assessing whether a candidate is eligible.
For example, a 40-year-old applicant outside financial services would need a qualifying salary of approximately S$9,541 per month, rather than S$5,600, under the current framework.
Why Does the EP Salary Increase With Age?
The principle behind the age-adjusted salary requirement is relatively straightforward.
An experienced professional would generally be expected to command a higher salary than someone at the beginning of his or her professional career.
Singapore therefore benchmarks EP qualifying salaries according to age rather than applying exactly the same minimum to everyone.
This means employers should consider whether the proposed salary is appropriate for the candidate’s:
- Age
- Experience
- Seniority
- Occupation
- Industry
- Responsibilities
- Professional background
The salary should also make commercial sense in relation to the position being offered.
What Is the EP Minimum Salary for Financial Services?
Singapore imposes higher Employment Pass salary requirements on candidates working in the financial services sector.
For current applications, the minimum starts at S$6,200 per month for candidates aged 23 or below.
It then increases progressively with age, reaching S$11,800 per month for candidates aged 45 and above.
Some examples under the current financial-services schedule are:
| Age | Financial Services EP Qualifying Salary |
|---|---|
| 23 or below | S$6,200 |
| 25 | S$6,709 |
| 30 | S$7,982 |
| 35 | S$9,255 |
| 40 | S$10,527 |
| 45 and above | S$11,800 |
Employers in banking, investment, insurance and other financial-services activities should therefore pay particular attention to the higher applicable threshold.
EP Minimum Salary Will Increase in 2027
Employers planning future recruitment should be aware of another major change.
From 1 January 2027, the minimum EP qualifying salary for new applications will increase from:
S$5,600 to S$6,000 per month for most sectors
and from:
S$6,200 to S$6,600 per month for financial services.
The age-adjusted requirements will increase accordingly.
For most sectors, the new scale will start at S$6,000 for candidates aged 23 or below and rise progressively to S$11,500 for candidates aged 45 and above.
For financial services, the corresponding range will be S$6,600 to S$12,700.
The revised requirements will apply to new applications from 1 January 2027 and renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028.
Companies planning to recruit foreign professionals in 2027 should therefore budget based on the new thresholds rather than the current S$5,600 minimum.
Is Meeting the Minimum Salary Enough to Get an EP?
No.
This is one of the most important things employers and applicants need to understand about Singapore’s current Employment Pass system.
EP eligibility generally operates through a two-stage framework.
Stage 1: Meet the EP Qualifying Salary
The applicant must first satisfy the qualifying salary applicable to his or her age and sector.
If the applicant does not meet this requirement, the application will not qualify for an EP even if it might otherwise perform well under COMPASS.
Stage 2: Pass COMPASS
Unless an exemption applies, the candidate must then pass the Complementarity Assessment Framework, commonly known as COMPASS.
An application generally needs 40 points to pass COMPASS.
Therefore:
Meeting the EP minimum salary makes the candidate eligible to proceed through the framework. It does not automatically guarantee EP approval.
What Is COMPASS?
COMPASS is Singapore’s points-based assessment framework for Employment Pass applications.
It evaluates both characteristics of the individual candidate and characteristics of the employing company.
The framework includes criteria covering areas such as salary, qualifications, workforce diversity and the employer’s support for local employment.
There are also bonus criteria that may apply in certain circumstances, including roles involving skills on Singapore’s Shortage Occupation List.
This makes EP planning considerably more sophisticated than simply offering a foreign employee a salary above the minimum.
Salary Under COMPASS Is Different From the Minimum EP Salary
Another common misunderstanding is that the EP qualifying salary and the COMPASS salary criterion are the same thing.
They are not.
The EP qualifying salary is the basic salary threshold that the candidate must meet.
COMPASS C1, meanwhile, compares the candidate’s salary against local PMET salary benchmarks for the relevant sector and age.
For C1, MOM states that a candidate can receive:
20 points where the salary is at or above the 90th percentile benchmark, or
10 points where it falls between the 65th and below the 90th percentile benchmark.
These sector benchmarks are updated periodically to reflect labour-market conditions.
Therefore, merely meeting the minimum qualifying salary does not necessarily mean that an applicant will receive salary points under COMPASS.
Example: A 30-Year-Old EP Applicant
Consider a foreign professional who is 30 years old and applying for an ordinary professional role outside financial services in 2026.
The minimum qualifying salary is not S$5,600.
For a 30-year-old candidate, the applicable current qualifying salary is approximately S$7,223 per month.
If the employer offers S$7,500, the candidate would clear the basic salary requirement.
However, the employer would still need to consider COMPASS and the other applicable EP requirements.
The S$7,500 salary by itself would therefore not guarantee approval.
Example: A 40-Year-Old Senior Manager
Suppose a Singapore company wants to employ a 40-year-old foreign senior manager.
Under the current non-financial-sector schedule, the candidate would need to earn at least approximately S$9,541 per month to satisfy the basic qualifying salary requirement.
Offering S$6,000 or S$7,000 would therefore not be sufficient merely because it exceeds the headline S$5,600 figure.
This is why checking the candidate’s age is essential before determining an appropriate EP salary.
What Counts as Salary for EP Purposes?
Employers should pay attention to the concept of fixed monthly salary rather than simply looking at the employee’s potential total annual compensation.
For example, an employment package may contain basic salary together with fixed monthly allowances and variable components such as performance bonuses or commissions.
A candidate should not assume that a potentially large year-end bonus will compensate for an inadequate fixed monthly salary when assessing the basic EP salary requirement.
Employers should therefore structure remuneration carefully and accurately declare the candidate’s salary when submitting an application.
Are Highly Paid EP Candidates Exempt From COMPASS?
Yes, certain applicants can be exempted from COMPASS.
According to MOM, candidates earning a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500 are exempt from COMPASS.
Other exemptions can apply, including certain overseas intra-corporate transferees and candidates filling roles for one month or less.
However, an exemption from COMPASS should not be confused with an exemption from Singapore’s broader work-pass requirements.
What Is the Difference Between an EP and S Pass Salary?
The Employment Pass and S Pass serve different segments of Singapore’s foreign workforce.
In 2026, the S Pass minimum qualifying salary starts at S$3,300 per month outside financial services, compared with S$5,600 for an Employment Pass.
For financial services, the current S Pass minimum starts at S$3,800, while the EP minimum starts at S$6,200.
Both passes also have age-adjusted salary requirements.
Companies should not simply select whichever work pass has the lower salary requirement. The proposed position and candidate should genuinely fit the eligibility criteria for the relevant work pass.
Does a Higher Salary Improve an EP Application?
Salary can matter beyond simply crossing the minimum threshold because salary is one of the foundational COMPASS criteria.
A salary that performs strongly relative to the relevant local PMET benchmark can generate more COMPASS points.
However, salary should not be viewed in isolation.
An application can involve several factors, including the candidate’s qualifications, nationality diversity within the employer’s PMET workforce, the company’s local employment profile and applicable bonus criteria.
A company should therefore assess the application as a whole before submission.
What Happens If the Salary Is Below the EP Minimum?
If the candidate does not meet the applicable EP qualifying salary, the candidate will not qualify for an Employment Pass under the normal eligibility framework.
Importantly, obtaining enough theoretical COMPASS points cannot compensate for failing the first-stage qualifying salary requirement. MOM expressly states that candidates who do not meet the EP qualifying salary are not eligible regardless of the COMPASS points they otherwise might have obtained.
Employers should therefore verify the applicable age-adjusted salary before investing substantial time in preparing an application.
Do Existing EP Holders Need to Meet Salary Requirements When Renewing?
Yes.
Employment Pass renewals are subject to qualifying requirements as well.
MOM states that renewal candidates must meet the applicable EP qualifying salary, remain employed by the same employer in a managerial, executive or specialised role, and satisfy COMPASS unless an exemption applies. MOM also notes that renewal is not guaranteed.
Employers should therefore review an EP holder’s salary well before renewal.
This will become especially important because the newly announced salary requirements will apply to renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028.
Why Singapore Is Increasing EP Salary Requirements
Singapore periodically reviews Employment Pass qualifying salaries to keep them aligned with local professional wages.
MOM stated in 2026 that the upcoming increase from S$5,600 to S$6,000 is intended to keep the threshold aligned with wages of the top one-third of local PMETs.
The broader policy objective is to allow Singapore businesses access to international expertise while ensuring that foreign professionals complement the local workforce rather than primarily competing through lower wages.
This also explains why employers should expect EP salary thresholds to continue evolving over time.
How Employers Should Prepare an EP Application
Before applying for an Employment Pass, an employer should first determine the candidate’s age and whether the company falls within the financial-services sector.
The employer can then identify the relevant qualifying salary.
After establishing that the salary threshold is satisfied, the company should assess the candidate under COMPASS and consider whether sufficient points are likely to be obtained.
Employers should also check other requirements, including the Fair Consideration Framework where applicable. MOM notes that employers generally need to advertise on MyCareersFuture and fairly consider candidates before submitting an EP application, subject to applicable exemptions.
MOM provides a Self-Assessment Tool that employers and employment agents can use to assess a candidate’s eligibility before submitting an application.
Frequently Asked Questions About EP Minimum Salary
What is the minimum salary for an Employment Pass in Singapore in 2026?
The headline minimum is S$5,600 per month for sectors outside financial services.
However, this minimum applies to younger candidates. The required salary increases progressively with age and reaches S$10,700 for candidates aged 45 and above under the current schedule.
What is the minimum EP salary for financial services?
The current minimum starts at S$6,200 per month and increases progressively with age, reaching S$11,800 for candidates aged 45 and above.
What will the EP minimum salary be in 2027?
For new applications from 1 January 2027, the minimum will start at S$6,000 per month outside financial services and S$6,600 per month for financial services. Higher age-adjusted thresholds will continue to apply.
Can I get an EP with a S$5,600 salary?
Potentially, under the current rules, if you are within the age bracket for which S$5,600 is the applicable threshold and satisfy the remaining eligibility requirements.
An older applicant will generally require a higher salary.
Is S$8,000 enough for an Employment Pass?
It depends on the candidate’s age, sector and other eligibility considerations.
For example, under the current non-financial-services schedule, S$8,000 exceeds the basic qualifying salary for a 30-year-old candidate but falls below the qualifying salary for a 35-year-old candidate, whose threshold is S$8,382.
Does meeting the minimum salary guarantee approval?
No.
Most candidates must also pass COMPASS, and employers must comply with other applicable requirements.
How many COMPASS points are required?
An EP application generally requires 40 points to pass COMPASS, unless the candidate is exempt from the framework.
Conclusion
So, what is the minimum salary for a Singapore Employment Pass?
For 2026, the simple answer is:
S$5,600 per month for most sectors and S$6,200 per month for financial services.
But the more accurate answer is that the required salary depends heavily on the applicant’s age and sector.
For non-financial sectors, the current qualifying salary ranges from S$5,600 for candidates aged 23 or below to S$10,700 for candidates aged 45 and above. In financial services, it ranges from S$6,200 to S$11,800.
From 1 January 2027, the starting minimum for new applications will rise to S$6,000 for most sectors and S$6,600 for financial services, with corresponding age-adjusted increases.
Employers should therefore avoid treating the headline minimum salary as a universal EP requirement. The candidate’s age, industry, proposed fixed monthly salary and COMPASS profile should all be assessed before an application is submitted.
For the latest official requirements and age-specific salary thresholds, employers should refer to the Singapore Ministry of Manpower Employment Pass eligibility page before applying.