Singapore's Employment Pass minimum qualifying salary is S$5,600/month for general sectors and S$6,200 for financial services in 2026, rising to S$6,000 and S$6,600 for new applications from 1 January 2027. Separately, updated COMPASS C1 sector salary benchmarks apply to new EP applications from 1 January 2026 and, importantly, to renewals of passes expiring on or after 1 July 2026 (sector benchmarks rose about 5% on average).
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Singapore EP salary now S$5,600; COMPASS benchmarks hit renewals from 1 July 2026
Why this matters for founders
Founders hiring or renewing foreign staff should re-benchmark salaries against the new 2026 thresholds before filing and budget for the January 2027 step-up; foreign founders themselves may be better routed via EntrePass or the ONE Pass rather than an EP.
Source: Ministry of Manpower (MOM)
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