Hiring guide · APAC
How to hire in Singapore
To hire in Singapore you need a registered entity with CPF and IRAS obligations, or an Employer of Record that holds them. Employer CPF is up to 17% of wages for citizens and permanent residents, with no CPF for foreign pass holders. Payroll is monthly.
- Currency
- SGD
- Payroll cycle
- Monthly
- Employer cost
- Up to 17% CPF (residents)
- Notice
- 1 day to 4 weeks by service
The talent market in Singapore
Singapore is the default APAC headquarters location: English-language, common-law, politically stable and within a short flight of every major regional market. It concentrates regional leadership, finance, legal and commercial roles rather than volume engineering.
The constraint is not law but labour supply. Foreign hiring is managed through the Employment Pass framework with qualifying salary thresholds and the COMPASS points system, and roles must be advertised on MyCareersFuture before most passes can be granted.
Salary benchmarks in Singapore
Indicative annual gross base salary in SGD for common roles. Treat these as planning ranges — actual offers move with city, seniority, sector and equity mix, and we model a live benchmark before you go to offer.
| Role | Annual gross base |
|---|---|
| Software engineer (mid) | SGD 90,000 – 120,000 |
| Senior software engineer | SGD 120,000 – 165,000 |
| Account executive (SaaS) | SGD 90,000 – 130,000 base + variable |
| Customer support specialist | SGD 45,000 – 62,000 |
Employment rules and payroll in Singapore
The statutory framework any offer has to sit inside — hours, leave, notice and the contributions that turn salary into fully loaded cost.
Working week
44 hours maximum for Employment Act–covered employees
Probation
3–6 months, with shorter notice by contract
Notice period
1 day to 4 weeks by length of service, unless the contract sets more
Paid leave
7 days after one year, rising to 14; 14–20 days is market
Public holidays
11 gazetted holidays
Payroll cycle
Monthly, payable within seven days of period end
Employer contributions
CPF up to 17% for citizens and PRs; Skills Development Levy on all employees
Contractor, EOR employee or your own entity?
Three ways to engage someone in Singapore. The right one depends on how permanent the role is, how much direction you give, and how much local risk you want to carry.
Contractor
Fastest to start and simplest to end. Suitable for genuinely independent, project-scoped work where the person controls how and when they deliver, invoices you, and works for other clients. No statutory benefits, no notice period, no severance.
Employee via EOR
The right structure for a full-time role with fixed hours, managerial direction and exclusivity. A licensed in-country partner is the legal employer, so the person gets a compliant contract, statutory benefits and local payroll — without you opening an entity.
Your own entity
Worth it once headcount, permanence and local revenue justify the incorporation, tax registration, statutory filings and local directorship. Most companies reach that point somewhere between 15 and 30 employees in a single country.
Misclassification risk in Singapore
MOM assesses control, ownership of tools and financial risk. Reclassification brings back CPF for citizens and permanent residents with late-payment interest, and using a contractor arrangement to avoid work-pass requirements for a foreign national is a separate and more serious immigration offence.
Work permits and right to work
Citizens and permanent residents work freely. Foreign professionals need an Employment Pass, which requires a qualifying monthly salary that rises with age and sector and a passing COMPASS score, or an S Pass subject to quota and levy. Passes are tied to the sponsoring employer, and an EOR partner can act as that sponsor for eligible roles.
Hire in Singapore without an entity
Our Employer of Record page for Singapore covers statutory cost, compliance obligations and onboarding timelines in detail, through licensed in-country partners.
EOR in Singapore- Fully loaded cost modelled before offer
- Licensed partner matched, not assumed
- One contract, one consolidated bill
Hiring in Singapore: frequently asked questions
Can we hire in Singapore without incorporating?
Yes. A Singapore Employer of Record employs the person under its own UEN, handles CPF, IRAS filings and the Skills Development Levy, and can sponsor an Employment Pass for eligible foreign hires where quota and COMPASS criteria are met.
What does a Singapore employee cost above salary?
For citizens and permanent residents, employer CPF of up to 17% of ordinary wages subject to the wage ceiling, plus the Skills Development Levy. Foreign pass holders attract no CPF, so their fully loaded cost is close to gross salary plus the EOR fee.
How long does an Employment Pass take?
Ministry of Manpower processing is typically two to four weeks after the role has met the MyCareersFuture advertising requirement, with in-principle approval issued before the pass itself. Plan six to eight weeks end to end from offer to start date.
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Get the Singapore Hiring Cost Guide
A country brief covering fully loaded employment cost in SGD, salary benchmarks by role, statutory contributions, leave and notice rules, and a sample offer breakdown for Singapore.