The Singapore Employment Pass is not a flat salary threshold. It scales by age, splits by sector, and lifts again in January 2027. If you are targeting Singapore roles, the first filter is not fit — it is whether the salary on offer can clear your age-band floor. Below the floor, the application cannot proceed regardless of match quality.
This guide lays out the current 2026 figures, the January 2027 uplift, and how COMPASS scoring interacts with salary once the floor is cleared.
How the EP salary framework works
Under Ministry of Manpower (MOM) rules, the EP qualifying salary is benchmarked against the top third of local Professional, Manager, Executive, and Technical (PMET) salaries by age. Older candidates face higher floors because local PMET medians rise with age. Financial services has a separate, higher band because sector median salaries are higher than the general PMET benchmark.
This is not a soft guideline. If the offered monthly salary is below the applicable floor, MOM will not approve the EP. Employers know this and screen for it before shortlisting foreign candidates.
Current EP minimums (until 31 December 2026)
These apply to new EP applications lodged before 1 January 2027, and to renewals with existing passes expiring before 1 January 2028.
General sectors
- Age 23 or below: $5,600/month
- Age 30: $7,223/month
- Age 35: $8,381/month
- Age 40: $9,541/month
- Age 45 and above: $10,700/month
Financial services
- Age 23 or below: $6,200/month
- Age 30: $7,982/month
- Age 35: $9,255/month
- Age 40: $10,527/month
- Age 45 and above: $11,800/month
January 2027 uplift
MOM has already announced the next set of floors. New EP applications from 1 January 2027, and renewals with passes expiring on or after 1 January 2028, must meet these:
General sectors (from January 2027)
- Age 23 or below: $6,000/month (up from $5,600)
- Age 45 and above: $11,500/month (up from $10,700)
- Progressive increases across intermediate ages
Financial services (from January 2027)
- Age 23 or below: $6,600/month (up from $6,200)
- Age 45 and above: $12,700/month (up from $11,800)
- Progressive increases across intermediate ages
The jump is roughly 7-8% across the board. If you are negotiating an offer close to your age-band floor and expect to renew after 2028, target a salary that clears the 2027 floor now — not the 2026 one — or budget for a raise at renewal.
What counts as "salary" for EP purposes
MOM's definition is narrower than a total compensation package. Only fixed monthly salary counts. That means:
- Included: Base salary, fixed monthly allowances (housing, transport) if paid every month without conditions.
- Excluded: Bonuses, commissions, overtime pay, performance-based pay, one-off allowances, employer CPF contributions (not applicable to foreigners), stock or equity grants.
A role with a base of $5,500 and a $2,000 annual bonus does not clear the $5,600 floor for a 23-year-old candidate. The bonus does not count.
How salary interacts with COMPASS
Clearing the salary floor is necessary but not sufficient. Since September 2023, all new EP applications must also score at least 40 points on the COMPASS framework — and salary contributes points based on how far above the sector median you sit.
- Salary at 90th percentile or above of local PMET benchmark for the sector: 20 points (maximum)
- Salary at 65th to 89th percentile: 10 points
- Salary at or above floor but below 65th percentile: 0 points
- Below floor: Application rejected outright, no COMPASS calculation.
A salary just above the floor gets zero COMPASS points on that criterion — you then need to clear 40 points from the other five criteria (qualifications, diversity, local support, strategic economic priorities, skills bonus). See our COMPASS scoring guide for the full breakdown.
Salary red flags in Singapore job listings
Public listings often obscure salary. Here are the patterns that suggest a role will not clear your floor:
- "Competitive salary" with no range. Often means below EP floor for senior candidates. Ask early.
- Range that straddles your floor. If the range is $5,000-$7,000 and you need $7,223 for age 30, only the top end works — employers rarely start at the top.
- Salary tied to bonus or commission. Only the fixed base counts for EP. A $4,000 base + $3,000 target commission is a $4,000 EP-relevant salary.
- Advertised for "any level" without seniority split — usually indicates a role priced at the low end, closer to S Pass thresholds than EP.
What to do with this before you apply
Before you spend time on a Singapore application, do two things:
- Compute your floor. Use your age at the time of application (not offer signing — MOM assesses at submission). Add the sector adjustment if the employer is in financial services.
- Cross-check the offer against 2027 rules. If your EP will be issued in 2026 but renewed after Jan 2028, ensure the salary will still clear the new floor at renewal.
The cheapest filter you have is walking away from roles priced below your floor. Every hour spent on a below-floor application is one less hour on a viable one.
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