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How a Singapore SME hires a worker from the Philippines
Which pass, what salary MOM requires, and the advertising step most SMEs get wrong. Every figure below is cited to MOM and was checked on 17 September 2026.
The short answer
A Singapore SME picks the pass first. An Employment Pass needs a fixed monthly salary of at least S$5,600; an S Pass needs S$3,300. A Work Permit has no salary floor of its own, but it is limited to approved source countries and sectors, and a worker from the nine NTS countries in a Services or Manufacturing role must be paid at least S$2,000 fixed monthly when the occupation is on MOM's NTS Occupation List. Employment Pass and S Pass also need the role advertised on MyCareersFuture for 14 consecutive days.
Step 1 — Work out which pass the role falls under
The pass is decided by the salary and the type of work, not by the nationality of the candidate. The three that matter to most SMEs:
| Pass | Minimum fixed monthly salary | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Employment Pass | S$5,600 — S$6,200 in financial services.1 | Professional, managerial and executive roles. |
| S Pass | S$3,300 — S$3,800 in financial services.2 | Mid-skilled technical and supervisory roles. |
| Work Permit | No minimum salary published for the services sector.3 | Semi-skilled roles, and only from approved source countries and sectors. |
Both the Employment Pass and S Pass minimums increase with the candidate's age, so a 40-year-old costs more to hire on the same pass than a 25-year-old. The age-banded tables are on MOM's pages, linked below.
Step 2 — Advertise on MyCareersFuture for 14 days (the step SMEs miss)
If the role is going to be an Employment Pass or an S Pass, the job has to go on MyCareersFuture and stay open for at least 14 consecutive days before the application can be submitted. You must not make a job offer to anyone during that period.4
You do not have to advertise if your company has fewer than 10 employees, or if the fixed monthly salary for the vacancy is S$22,500 and above.4
This is the single most common reason a small employer's application has to be restarted, and it is avoidable — the exemption for firms with fewer than 10 staff means many SMEs never have to do it at all.
Step 3 — Budget the levy before you offer
Work Permit holders carry a monthly foreign worker levy that the employer pays, not the worker. In the services sector it is tiered against how much of your total workforce is already on Work Permits:3
| Quota tier | Basic-skilled, monthly | Higher-skilled, monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 — up to 10% of the total workforce | S$450 | S$300 |
| Tier 2 — above 10% to 25% | S$600 | S$400 |
| Tier 3 — above 25% to 35% | S$800 | S$600 |
A Work Permit applicant must be at least 18 and no more than 62 at application, and a holder can keep working until 64.3
Step 4 — Apply to MOM, then wait
The employer or an appointed employment agent submits the application to MOM. MOM decides it. Nothing an employer, a candidate or a job board says can guarantee a pass, and a job advertisement is not an offer of a pass.
BestHirePath is not part of this step in any way: we do not submit passes, do not represent you to MOM, and do not place workers. See what we actually do for employers.
Common questions
What is the minimum salary for an Employment Pass in Singapore?
An Employment Pass needs a fixed monthly salary of at least S$5,600 for all sectors except financial services, where the minimum is S$6,200. Both figures increase progressively with the candidate's age, reaching S$10,700 and S$11,800 respectively at age 45 and above. From 1 January 2027 the minimums become S$6,000 and S$6,600.1
What is the minimum salary for an S Pass in Singapore?
An S Pass needs a fixed monthly salary of at least S$3,300 in general sectors, or S$3,800 in financial services. The qualifying salary rises progressively with age, up to S$4,800 and S$5,650 at age 45 and above. From 1 January 2027 these minimums rise to S$3,600 and S$4,000.2
Does a Singapore SME have to advertise the job before applying for a work pass?
Yes, for Employment Pass and S Pass applications: the job must be advertised on MyCareersFuture and stay open for at least 14 consecutive days before the application is submitted, and you must not make a job offer during that period. You are not required to advertise if your company has fewer than 10 employees, or if the fixed monthly salary for the vacancy is S$22,500 and above.4
What is the monthly foreign worker levy for a Work Permit in the services sector?
The monthly levy is S$450, S$600 or S$800 for basic-skilled workers, depending on which quota tier the worker falls into — up to 10% of the total workforce, above 10% to 25%, and above 25% to 35%. For higher-skilled workers the rates are S$300, S$400 and S$600.3 MOM has also said that from 2028 the first two tiers merge into one rate — S$600 for basic-skilled and S$400 for higher-skilled — with the implementation timeline still to be published.
How old can a Work Permit holder in Singapore be?
A Work Permit applicant must be at least 18 years old and no more than 62 years old at the time of application, regardless of nationality. A Work Permit holder can then keep working until they reach 64.3
Does BestHirePath recruit, place workers or charge candidates?
No. BestHirePath is a job board, not an employment agency. It does not recruit, place or supply workers, does not arrange interviews or negotiate salaries, and does not submit work passes — the employer does all of that. No candidate is ever charged for anything, and work passes are decided by MOM, never by BestHirePath and never by an employer promise.
Sources — every figure above, read live
- Ministry of Manpower — Employment Pass eligibility. Minimum qualifying salary S$5,600 (S$6,200 financial services), rising with age to S$10,700 / S$11,800; S$6,000 / S$6,600 for new applications from 1 January 2027.
mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/eligibility · read 17 September 2026. - Ministry of Manpower — S Pass eligibility. Minimum qualifying salary S$3,300 (S$3,800 financial services), rising with age to S$4,800 / S$5,650; S$3,600 / S$4,000 for new applications from 1 January 2027.
mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/s-pass/eligibility · read 17 September 2026. - Ministry of Manpower — Work Permit: services sector requirements. Minimum age 18, maximum age 62 at application, work until 64. Monthly levy tiers: basic-skilled S$450 / S$600 / S$800, higher-skilled S$300 / S$400 / S$600.
mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/work-permit-for-foreign-worker/sector-specific-rules/services-sector-requirements · read 17 September 2026. - Ministry of Manpower — Consider all candidates fairly (Fair Consideration Framework). MyCareersFuture advertisement open at least 14 consecutive days; no job offer during that period; not required if the company has fewer than 10 employees or the fixed monthly salary is S$22,500 and above.
mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/employment-pass/consider-all-candidates-fairly · read 17 September 2026.
These are MOM's rules as published on 17 September 2026 and are re-checked when this page is revised. They change: MOM has already announced different minimum salaries from 1 January 2027, which are stated above. This page is general information, not advice on your case, and BestHirePath is not your agent or adviser — MOM decides every application.
Where BestHirePath fits
We are a job board with tools and coaching — not an employment agency. An employer posts the vacancy themselves, free, and every ad passes an automated compliance scan before it publishes. Candidates apply directly to the employer.
- Post a Singapore job free — and see the compliance scan before it goes live.
- Browse live jobs — open to Singaporeans and PRs, and pass-ready where it says so — Work Permit, S Pass and Employment Pass.
- Free AI hiring tools — compliant ad writer, translation into Filipino, Vietnamese, Burmese, Hindi and Tamil, salary and work-pass check, CV review and interview kit.
- For candidates — free to apply, always.
Hiring is one job; the admin around it is another. ScaleSMEs puts an AI department to work on the paperwork and follow-up that arrive after the hire — 30 days free, nine departments, no card, nothing charged.
BestHirePath is a wholly web-based job board for Work Permit, S Pass and Employment Pass roles in Singapore. It is not an employment agency: it does not arrange interviews, negotiate salaries, submit work passes or place candidates. Employers post jobs free; employers pay any government fees directly.
Straight answers
What is the minimum salary for an Employment Pass in Singapore?
An Employment Pass needs a fixed monthly salary of at least S$5,600 for all sectors except financial services, where the minimum is S$6,200. Both figures increase progressively with the candidate's age, reaching S$10,700 and S$11,800 respectively at age 45 and above. From 1 January 2027 the minimums become S$6,000 and S$6,600. (MOM, Employment Pass eligibility, checked 17 September 2026.)
What is the minimum salary for an S Pass in Singapore?
An S Pass needs a fixed monthly salary of at least S$3,300 in general sectors, or S$3,800 in financial services. The qualifying salary rises progressively with age, up to S$4,800 and S$5,650 at age 45 and above. From 1 January 2027 these minimums rise to S$3,600 and S$4,000. (MOM, S Pass eligibility, checked 17 September 2026.)
Does a Singapore SME have to advertise the job before applying for a work pass?
Yes, for Employment Pass and S Pass applications: the job must be advertised on MyCareersFuture and stay open for at least 14 consecutive days before the application is submitted. You must not make a job offer during that period. You are not required to advertise if your company has fewer than 10 employees, or if the fixed monthly salary for the vacancy is S$22,500 and above. (MOM, Consider all candidates fairly, checked 17 September 2026.)
What is the monthly foreign worker levy for a Work Permit in the services sector?
For the services sector the monthly levy is S$450, S$600 or S$800 for basic-skilled workers, depending on which quota tier the worker falls into — up to 10% of the total workforce, above 10% to 25%, and above 25% to 35%. For higher-skilled workers the rates are S$300, S$400 and S$600. (MOM, Work Permit services sector requirements, checked 17 September 2026.)
How old can a Work Permit holder in Singapore be?
A Work Permit applicant must be at least 18 years old and no more than 62 years old at the time of application, regardless of nationality. A Work Permit holder can then keep working until they reach 64. (MOM, Work Permit services sector requirements, checked 17 September 2026.)
Does BestHirePath recruit, place workers or charge candidates?
No. BestHirePath is a job board, not an employment agency. It does not recruit, place or supply workers, does not arrange interviews or negotiate salaries, and does not submit work passes — the employer does all of that. No candidate is ever charged, and work passes are decided by MOM, never by BestHirePath and never by an employer promise.