The next Employment Pass and S Pass salary change follows two clocks. The new table applies to new applications submitted from 1 January 2027. For renewals, it applies to passes expiring from 1 January 2028. An employer that checks only the filing date can budget against the wrong salary floor.
There are two more dimensions: financial-services employers have higher base thresholds, and the qualifying salary rises with the candidate’s age. The published minimum is the first row of a schedule, not a universal figure for every candidate.
The effective-date map
| Transaction | Date test | Salary table |
|---|---|---|
| New EP application | Submitted before 1 Jan 2027 | Current table |
| New EP application | Submitted from 1 Jan 2027 | New table |
| EP renewal | Pass expires before 1 Jan 2028 | Current table |
| EP renewal | Pass expires from 1 Jan 2028 | New table |
The same new-application and renewal date tests apply to the S Pass change. Build the workforce calendar from each pass’s expiry date, then add the application window. Do not assume that filing a renewal in late 2027 preserves the old table when the pass expires in 2028.
The new base and age endpoints
| Pass and sector | Age 23 or below | Age 45 or above |
|---|---|---|
| EP, non-financial services | S$6,000 | S$11,500 |
| EP, financial services | S$6,600 | S$12,700 |
| S Pass, non-financial services | S$3,600 | S$5,100 |
| S Pass, financial services | S$4,000 | S$5,650 |
MOM’s EP eligibility table provides each yearly age step, not only the endpoints. A 35-year-old non-financial-services EP candidate under the new table is shown at S$9,000, for example. Use the exact age and sector row.
Passing the salary floor is only Stage 1 for an EP
An EP candidate who meets the qualifying salary does not automatically qualify. Most applications must also pass the Complementarity Assessment Framework, or COMPASS, unless an exemption applies. The qualifying salary and the COMPASS C1 salary benchmark are different tests. A candidate can clear the basic threshold but score no C1 points if the salary does not reach the sector benchmark.
The employer file should therefore show: fixed monthly salary, candidate age, sector classification, applicable minimum, COMPASS score evidence and any exemption relied on. Do not add variable bonuses or uncertain allowances to reach a fixed-monthly-salary requirement.
S Pass planning needs quota and levy checks too
The S Pass eligibility page publishes the age schedule for general and financial-services employers. Salary is one gate. The employer must also remain within the S Pass quota and pay the applicable levy. A salary adjustment that preserves individual eligibility may still leave a headcount problem.
A six-field renewal register
- Pass type and current pass number.
- Expiry date, which determines the renewal table.
- Candidate age at the relevant assessment point.
- Employer sector, including whether financial-services rates apply.
- Current fixed monthly salary and new required floor.
- Other gates: COMPASS for EP, or quota and levy for S Pass.
For every gap, name the decision owner and date. A company may choose to adjust salary, redesign the role, recruit differently or let the pass end. Employment-law, contractual and fairness implications need separate review; a work-pass threshold is not by itself a salary-setting policy.
Worked gap examples
A 23-year-old non-financial-services EP candidate submitted from January 2027 has a base floor of S$6,000, S$400 above the current S$5,600 base. A 45-year-old candidate’s new floor is S$11,500, S$800 above the current S$10,700 endpoint. The age schedule therefore changes the absolute gap.
For an S Pass in financial services, the new base is S$4,000, but the age-45 endpoint remains S$5,650. The employer should not apply a flat S$200 increase to every person.
Where COMPASS skills points may matter, preserve occupation evidence using our Shortage Occupation List file guide. Financial firms can also use the MAS register-check route when role or regulated-entity context needs verification.
The budget conclusion
Run the date, pass, sector and age tests person by person. Then apply the remaining eligibility gates. A base headline tells employers that costs are moving; the register tells them which employee, which amount and which decision date actually changes.
Reconcile age at the correct point
Do not carry last year’s age row into a new filing. Use the age and salary schedule required by MOM for the application or renewal. Where a birthday falls near the filing window, run the Self-Assessment Tool with the exact candidate details and retain the result used for planning.
For salary changes, distinguish fixed monthly salary from bonuses and reimbursements. If a proposed package must change, document the contractual, payroll and internal-equity review before promising the candidate that the pass will qualify.
Portfolio exposure table
| Group | Count | Budget action |
|---|---|---|
| New 2027 applications | Planned hires | Use new salary and current COMPASS or quota assumptions |
| Passes expiring in 2027 | Renewal cohort | Check current table and actual renewal window |
| Passes expiring from Jan 2028 | Renewal cohort | Use new salary table now in workforce planning |
| Financial-services roles | Separate subset | Apply higher sector rows |
Show the annualised cost difference and any knock-on effect on internal salary bands. A pass decision that fixes one employee’s eligibility but creates unexplained inequity needs HR review.
Do not time filings to evade proper assessment
Application dates should reflect genuine workforce need and complete information. The date map supports planning; it is not advice to submit an incomplete or premature filing. MOM can assess eligibility and require accurate documents.
Use the official tools again before submission
Threshold pages can change. Reopen the eligibility table, run the Self-Assessment Tool and check COMPASS, quota or levy immediately before the real application. Preserve the dated output, but do not present a positive self-assessment as approval.
