An EP candidate must clear two distinct gates: the age-adjusted qualifying salary and, unless exempt, COMPASS. For new applications from 1 January 2027, the minimum floor rises to S$6,000 outside financial services and S$6,600 in financial services; renewals are affected for passes expiring from 1 January 2028.
Start with the decision table
| Situation | What it means |
|---|---|
| New application before 1 January 2027 | Current published floors start at S$5,600, or S$6,200 in financial services |
| New application from 1 January 2027 | New floors start at S$6,000 and S$6,600 respectively |
| Candidate older than 23 | The required salary rises progressively with age |
| Salary gate passes | COMPASS still applies unless an exemption is met |
| COMPASS score below 40 | Application does not pass the standard points route |
Use the age table, not only the floor
The quoted figures are entry floors for the youngest candidates. MOM Employment Pass eligibility publishes higher age-adjusted salaries. Record age on the intended application date and the sector before approving compensation.
Timing differs for new applications and renewals
MOM 3 March 2026 announcement applies the new floors to new applications from 1 January 2027 and to renewals of passes expiring from 1 January 2028. Do not apply the wrong date simply because HR starts preparation earlier.
COMPASS is a separate scorecard
A candidate who earns above the threshold does not automatically qualify. MOM Employment Pass eligibility requires 40 points under the standard route across candidate and firm criteria, with bonus criteria and stated exemptions. Run the official self-assessment using current workforce data.
The job-advertising requirement is another control
Fair Consideration Framework advertising and fair-hiring duties can apply even when salary and COMPASS look strong. Preserve the job description, search process and reasons for selection; do not write an offer as though pass approval is guaranteed.
Make the offer conditional and specific
State the fixed monthly salary components that count, the intended filing window, who bears relocation costs and what happens if the pass is delayed or refused. Avoid promising permanent status or a definite approval date.
Worked application
A 25-year-old non-financial candidate offered S$6,100 for a filing on 2 January 2027 clears the new entry floor, but the employer must still check the age-specific salary point and COMPASS. Moving the filing to December solely to avoid a new rule can create operational and fairness risks; use the actual job start plan.
Action checklist
- Confirm whether the entity is in financial services
- Use the candidate’s age on the filing date
- Separate fixed monthly salary from non-counting components
- Run the official self-assessment tool
- Calculate COMPASS with current firm data
- Complete fair-hiring and advertising checks
- Use a pass-conditional offer and preserve the evidence
Build a decision record another person can check
The useful output is not only an answer to “Employment Pass 2027 salary”. It is a small file showing why the answer fits this reader: a singapore employer budgeting an employment pass hire or renewal. Record the fact that controls each step, the date it was true and the source or service that confirmed it. That matters because the task is to test salary timing and compass separately before making an immigration-dependent offer; a changed amount, date, person, address, venue, device or eligibility fact can change the result even when the general rule has not moved.
| # | Control | Evidence to retain | Failure signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Confirm whether the entity is in financial services | Authority page or service readback | Quoting only the youngest-candidate floor |
| 2 | Use the candidate’s age on the filing date | Dated input, statement or booking screen | Treating salary as a substitute for COMPASS |
| 3 | Separate fixed monthly salary from non-counting components | Calculation sheet with assumptions | Using renewal dates for a new application |
| 4 | Run the official self-assessment tool | Written confirmation from the responsible party | Assuming a bonus counts as fixed monthly salary |
| 5 | Calculate COMPASS with current firm data | Receipt, acknowledgement or reference number | Guaranteeing MOM approval in an offer |
| 6 | Complete fair-hiring and advertising checks | Photograph, timetable or versioned document | Quoting only the youngest-candidate floor |
| 7 | Use a pass-conditional offer and preserve the evidence | Final outcome and date checked | Treating salary as a substitute for COMPASS |
The record should be short enough to update. Put the most recent evidence first, keep the earlier version, and label estimates separately from confirmed figures. The two original tools in this guide—a filing-date matrix separating new cases from renewals and a two-gate decision tree that prevents salary from being mistaken for approval—serve different purposes: one structures the choice, while the other tests the choice against a concrete case. Neither should be copied into a new case without refreshing its inputs.
What each authority source establishes
| Source | Claim used here | Freshness control |
|---|---|---|
| MOM Employment Pass eligibility | Two-stage salary and COMPASS test, age progression, 40 points and exemptions. | Checked 2026-07-17; re-open before acting |
| MOM 3 March 2026 announcement | S$6,000 general and S$6,600 financial-services floors from 1 January 2027; renewal timing. | Checked 2026-07-17; re-open before acting |
These links are attached to the claims they support, not offered as a substitute for explanation. If a service screen, signed agreement or officer’s written response conflicts with the general page, preserve both and ask which fact or newer rule produces the difference. Do not conceal the conflict by selecting the more convenient answer.
For the adjacent decision, continue with our company-secretary duties and employment-terms checklist. Each answers a separate next-step question.
Errors that change the outcome
- Quoting only the youngest-candidate floor
- Treating salary as a substitute for COMPASS
- Using renewal dates for a new application
- Assuming a bonus counts as fixed monthly salary
- Guaranteeing MOM approval in an offer
Keep the dated authority pages, calculation inputs, confirmations and any advice used for the decision. This article applies public information to a general fact pattern and does not determine an individual application, contract, tax position, medical need or legal dispute. Recheck the linked primary source immediately before acting, especially where the transaction, journey, booking or filing occurs after a stated change date.
Questions readers ask
What are the 2027 entry floors?
S$6,000 generally and S$6,600 for financial services, with higher age-adjusted requirements.
Does an S$8,000 salary guarantee an EP?
No. The age salary and COMPASS or exemption tests still need to be met.
When do renewals face the new floors?
For passes expiring from 1 January 2028, under MOM’s 3 March 2026 announcement.
