{"id":38616,"date":"2026-02-12T06:28:32","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T06:28:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bondahx.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/12\/405000-singaporeans-earn-s10k-per-month-or-more\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T06:28:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T06:28:32","slug":"405000-singaporeans-earn-s10k-per-month-or-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bondahx.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/12\/405000-singaporeans-earn-s10k-per-month-or-more\/","title":{"rendered":"405,000 Singaporeans earn S$10K per month or more"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, any opinions expressed below belong solely to the author. All data sourced from Labour Force in Singapore 2025<\/a>, released last month by the Singapore Ministry of Manpower.<\/em><\/p>\n

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Manpower, the number of Singaporean workers (citizens and permanent residents) employed full-time and earning an average of S$10,000 per month (in this case, figures provided by MOM exclude<\/span> employers\u2019 CPF contributions)<\/strong> has gone up by 31,200 people, to 404,900 in just a year.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s an impressive jump of 8.3%, on the back of very strong GDP growth, which hit 5% in 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This means that 19.3% (nearly one in five) of locally employed residents make at least S$120,000 annually.<\/p>\n

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More than a quarter earn six figures per year.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

An estimated 26%, or a bit over a quarter of Singaporean workers employed full-time, make S$100,000 or more (around S$8,350 per month).<\/p>\n

Who are they? What do they do?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Now, you must be curious what so many people do to earn a good living, so let\u2019s start by counting them up by industry\u2014a list, unsurprisingly, led by financial services.<\/p>\n

Breakdown by industry<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Industry<\/strong><\/th>\nNumber of workers earning more than S$10,000 per month<\/strong><\/th>\nNational share<\/th>\nIndustry share<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Financial & Insurance Services<\/td>\n90,600<\/td>\n22.4%<\/td>\n38.5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Public Administration & Education<\/td>\n56,400<\/td>\n13.9%<\/td>\n20.6%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wholesale & Retail Trade<\/td>\n53,800<\/td>\n13.3%<\/td>\n16.0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Professional Services<\/td>\n49,700<\/td>\n12.3%<\/td>\n25.8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Information & Communications<\/td>\n39,400<\/td>\n9.7%<\/td>\n30.4%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Manufacturing<\/td>\n36,000<\/td>\n8.9%<\/td>\n17.1%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Health & Social Services<\/td>\n22,300<\/td>\n5.5%<\/td>\n12.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Transportation & Storage<\/td>\n17,200<\/td>\n4.2%<\/td>\n8.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Construction<\/td>\n11,300<\/td>\n2.8%<\/td>\n10.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Real Estate Services<\/td>\n8,400<\/td>\n2.1%<\/td>\n14.3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Administrative & Support Services<\/td>\n6,600<\/td>\n1.6%<\/td>\n5.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Other Community, Social & Personal Services<\/td>\n4,500<\/td>\n1.1%<\/td>\n5.8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Arts, Entertainment & Recreation<\/td>\n3,100<\/td>\n0.8%<\/td>\n8.3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Others<\/td>\n3,100<\/td>\n0.8%<\/td>\n15.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Accommodation & Food Services<\/td>\n3,000<\/td>\n0.7%<\/td>\n2.1%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>
Source: Singapore\u2019s Ministry of Manpower\/ Numbers may not add up perfectly due to rounding.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The second largest, generous employer is the Public Administration<\/em>, where 20% of workers collect S$10,000 monthly or more from work, followed by Trade<\/em>, Professional Services<\/em> and IT<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The tech sector is also second when it comes to the share of all workers making five figures per month, at around 30%, trailing only Financial & Insurance Services<\/em>, where close to 40% are paid that much.<\/p>\n

Breakdown by age<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Naturally, your odds of a higher pay increase with age, with the peak falling in your 40s, although there\u2019s almost 100,000 30-year-olds in this category already.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/a>
Source: Singapore\u2019s Ministry of Manpower\/ Numbers may not add up perfectly due to rounding.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Breakdown by education<\/strong><\/h4>\n

As I reported about two weeks ago<\/a>, university degree holders significantly out-earn all other educational groups, and it\u2019s clearly visible here as well, with over 85% of high-earners having a tertiary degree.<\/p>\n

That said, not all is lost if you\u2019re not among them, as there are even a few thousand people who finished their education below secondary level and yet still have well-paying jobs. Statistically, chances are slim, of course, but depending on your situation, academic education might not be a requirement for a successful career.<\/p>\n

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Source: Singapore\u2019s Ministry of Manpower\/ Numbers may not add up perfectly due to rounding.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Breakdown by gender<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n

What is a surprise to nobody is that men significantly outnumber women among high-earners, comprising over 60% of the total. However, before you conclude that this is evidence of a sexist pay gap, it remains true that fewer women climb the career ladder as high as men<\/a>, and quite a few still choose to put family life first.<\/p>\n

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Source: Singapore\u2019s Ministry of Manpower\/ Numbers may not add up perfectly due to rounding.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Given that more men than women work at any level, we have to correct for this disparity. In their respective groups, 23% of men and around 15% of women are in the S$10,000 per month income bracket, which means there is still a bit of a gap, but not substantial enough considering different choices regarding careers to suggest systemic discrimination.<\/p>\n

Either way, as you can see, attractive pay is not so rare in Singapore, and with the right education and the right field, it is drawn by more than just a tiny elite.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, with a good GDP forecast for 2026<\/a> following a strong 2025, we can expect these numbers to continue climbing, with tens of thousands of Singaporeans joining the S$10,000 club each year.<\/p>\n