The Employment Pass (EP) salary threshold in Singapore is S$5,600 a month today for a candidate aged 23 or below, rising with age to S$10,700 at 45 and above. For new applications from 1 Jan 2027, it becomes S$6,000, rising to S$11,500.
That's MOM's stage 1. Stage 2 is the COMPASS points test. This page covers the salary in depth: the announced change, financial services, renewals, what MOM counts as salary, and a check to run before your employer applies. Every figure is from MOM's pages, read on 5 Nov 2026.
Key Takeaways
- S$5,600 today and S$6,000 from 1 Jan 2027, at age 23 or below, rising to S$10,700 and S$11,500 at 45 and above.
- Financial services runs higher: S$6,200 up to S$11,800 today, and S$6,600 up to S$12,700 from 1 Jan 2027.
- Renewals move to the 2027 scale only for EPs expiring from 1 Jan 2028, whenever your employer files them, so an EP expiring in December 2027 still renews on today's figures.
- MOM counts fixed monthly salary only, so a bonus or commission won't lift you over the line.
EP minimum salary: today's figures and the 2027 ones
| Sector | Today, age 23 or below | Today, age 45 and above | From 1 Jan 2027, age 23 or below | From 1 Jan 2027, age 45 and above |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All sectors except financial services | S$5,600 | S$10,700 | S$6,000 | S$11,500 |
| Financial services | S$6,200 | S$11,800 | S$6,600 | S$12,700 |
MOM's Eligibility for Employment Pass page (updated 3 Nov 2026) applies the 2027 columns to new applications from 1 Jan 2027 and to renewals of passes expiring from 1 Jan 2028. Everything else stays on today's columns, and MOM announced the rise in its Committee of Supply 2026 factsheet of 3 Mar 2026. The last step, from S$5,000 to S$5,600 (S$5,500 to S$6,200 in financial services), started with new applications on 1 Jan 2025.
Why the figure rises with age
MOM benchmarks the qualifying salary to the top third of local PMET salaries (professionals, managers, executives and technicians) by age, and reviews it every year. Its 2024 factsheet says the age scale keeps "a level playing field for locals across all age groups". So the minimum climbs with each year of age from 23 until it tops out at 45.
This page gives the start and the top of each scale. For the figure at your exact age, your employer can run MOM's Self-Assessment Tool, or you can enter your age in our EP salary requirement calculator.
Financial services
The sector has its own scale because, in MOM's words, it "has higher wage norms". MOM sets the scale by sector, so your employer's sector decides which row applies to you.
Do bonuses or allowances count towards the EP salary?
Fixed allowances do, and bonuses don't. MOM's answer to "What is a fixed monthly salary?" (updated 14 Mar 2024) defines it as basic monthly salary plus fixed monthly allowances, such as fixed food and housing allowances. It leaves out:
- variable allowances
- overtime, bonus, commission and annual wage supplements
- board fees, stock options and dividends
- payments in kind and reimbursements of any kind
- productivity incentives, employer pension or provident fund contributions, and gratuity
A package of S$5,000 basic plus a S$1,000 fixed housing allowance counts as S$6,000 a month. A S$5,000 basic with a S$12,000 yearly bonus counts as S$5,000. For sales and finance roles, where much of the pay is variable, that gap can put a package below the line.
How the salary check differs from COMPASS
The qualifying salary is a floor. MOM's eligibility page says a candidate who misses it "will not be eligible for an EP, regardless of the points they would have scored under COMPASS". Clear it, and COMPASS scores the application against a pass mark of 40:
- C1 salary: your fixed salary against local PMETs in your employer's sector, with 20 points at the 90th percentile or above, 10 from the 65th, and 0 below.
- C2 qualifications: 20 points for a degree-equivalent qualification from an institution on MOM's 20-point list, 10 for other degree-equivalent qualifications.
- C3 diversity and C4 support for local employment: firm-level, 0, 10 or 20 points each; firms with fewer than 25 PMETs get 10 on each by default.
- C5 and C6: bonus points for shortage occupations and strategic economic priorities.
C1 is a different measure from stage 1. MOM's COMPASS booklet warns that a salary scoring C1 points while missing the qualifying salary "will likely be rejected". A fixed salary of S$22,500 a month or more is exempt from COMPASS, and so are overseas intra-corporate transferees and roles of 1 month or less. COMPASS has applied to new applications since 1 Sep 2023 and to renewals of EPs expiring from 1 Sep 2024. January 2027 changes it too: MOM's updated C2 lists of institutions and professional qualifications apply to new and renewal applications from 1 Jan 2027, so check the qualification as well as the salary. Our EP COMPASS guide explains the scoring in full.
Which figure applies to your renewal?
MOM's Renew an Employment Pass page (updated 17 Aug 2026) lets your employer renew up to 6 months before the pass expires. The renewal must meet the qualifying salary, pass COMPASS for EPs expiring from 1 Sep 2024, and keep you with the same employer in a managerial, executive or specialised job.
For the 2027 rise, the expiry date counts, not the filing date. MOM's wording is "renewal of passes expiring from 1 Jan 2028". On that wording:
| Your EP expires on | Your employer files the renewal in | Salary scale MOM applies |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Nov 2027 | Sep 2027 | Today's: S$5,600 to S$10,700 |
| 31 Dec 2027 | Oct 2027 | Today's: S$5,600 to S$10,700 |
| 15 Mar 2028 | Nov 2027 | 2027: S$6,000 to S$11,500 |
The 2026 step was worded two ways. MOM's 2024 factsheet applied S$5,600 to "renewal applications from 1 January 2026", which is a filing date, while its 2025 factsheet said renewals "for passes expiring from 1 January 2026", which is an expiry date. For a renewal filed now, both readings give the same answer: today's scale.
Two more renewal rules from the same MOM page matter for timing. Renewing early costs nothing: any validity left on your current pass, up to six months, is added on to the renewal. Missing the deadline costs more, because a lapsed EP needs a new application. On our reading, a new application filed from 1 Jan 2027 is measured on the 2027 scale straight away, whatever the old pass's expiry date was.
Check the salary before you apply
- Take the fixed monthly salary only, leaving out bonuses, commission, overtime and variable allowances.
- Pick the sector scale: financial services or all other sectors.
- Pick the date: a new application before or from 1 Jan 2027, or a renewal of an EP expiring before or from 1 Jan 2028.
- Find the figure for your age with the Self-Assessment Tool or our calculator.
- If the salary clears it and is below S$22,500, check COMPASS.
MOM's Apply for an Employment Pass page (updated 15 Jun 2026) says your employer shouldn't apply if the Self-Assessment Tool shows you don't qualify. MOM's processing time for an online application is within 10 business days, or it gives an update by then.
What if the role doesn't qualify for an EP?
If the fixed salary is below the EP line for your age but at least S$3,300 (S$3,600 for new applications from 1 Jan 2027), the S Pass may fit. It comes with your employer's quota and a S$650 monthly levy, and has no COMPASS test. Our EP vs S Pass comparison sets the two side by side.
Where these rules come from
- MOM, Eligibility for Employment Pass (page updated 3 Nov 2026), read 5 Nov 2026
- MOM, What is a fixed monthly salary? (FAQ updated 14 Mar 2024), read 5 Nov 2026
- MOM, Renew an Employment Pass (page updated 17 Aug 2026), read 5 Nov 2026
- MOM, Apply for an Employment Pass (page updated 15 Jun 2026), read 5 Nov 2026
- MOM, Committee of Supply 2024 foreign workforce policy factsheet (4 Mar 2024), read 5 Nov 2026
- MOM, Committee of Supply 2025 factsheet on foreign workforce policies, read 5 Nov 2026
- MOM, Committee of Supply 2026 factsheet on foreign workforce policies (3 Mar 2026), read 5 Nov 2026
- MOM, Navigating with COMPASS booklet (updated as at 1 Aug 2023), read 5 Nov 2026
- MOM, Eligibility for Dependant's Pass and Eligibility for Long-Term Visit Pass (both updated 14 Mar 2024), read 5 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions About the Employment Pass salary threshold in Singapore
Is S$6,000 enough for an Employment Pass in 2027?
At age 23 or below, outside financial services, S$6,000 meets the 2027 minimum exactly. From 24 the figure is higher, up to S$11,500 at 45 and above, and in financial services the 2027 floor is S$6,600. Meeting the figure is stage 1 only. The application must then pass COMPASS unless the salary is S$22,500 or more.
Does the threshold change when I renew?
It can. A renewal must meet the EP qualifying salary in force for it. For EPs expiring before 1 Jan 2028, that's today's scale from S$5,600. For EPs expiring from 1 Jan 2028, it's the 2027 scale from S$6,000, even if your employer files the renewal in 2027. The renewal must also pass COMPASS unless exempt.
Does a degree lower the EP minimum salary?
No. MOM's qualifying salary depends on your age and your employer's sector, and its eligibility page gives no lower figure for graduates. Qualifications count only at stage 2, where COMPASS criterion C2 gives 10 or 20 points for a degree-equivalent qualification. Without one, an application can still reach 40 points from the other criteria.
What salary do I need to bring my family on an EP?
At least S$6,000 a month in fixed salary. MOM's Eligibility for Dependant's Pass page (updated 14 Mar 2024) sets that bar for a Dependant's Pass for your legally married spouse and unmarried children under 21, and counts your own salary only. Parents need S$12,000, on a Long-Term Visit Pass. Our Singapore work pass guide covers every family pass.
Official Sources and References
- Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990 (Singapore Statutes Online)
- Employment of Foreign Manpower (Work Passes) Regulations 2012 (Singapore Statutes Online)
- Immigration Act 1959 (Singapore Statutes Online)
Explore Catalyst Immigration’s other services:
- Work pass application support
- EP salary requirement calculator
- EP COMPASS framework in Singapore
- EP vs S Pass in Singapore
- Singapore work pass guide
Talk to Catalyst Immigration
If the salary sits close to the line for your age, or a renewal straddles the 1 Jan 2028 expiry date, your case may not be simple. Catalyst Immigration can look at it with you before your employer applies. MOM makes the decision.