6 Interesting Jobs That Pay Well in Singapore
International salary survey platform Paylab ranks Singapore as #17 in its list of top countries with the highest salaries. While having a high pay job may not be our only career goal, it factors in our decision-making. In Jobstreet’s Decoding Global Talent 2021 report, financial compensation became more important for Singaporeans in 2020, rising three spots in a list of top job preferences.
The pandemic has affected priorities, making individuals re-think the core values they desire in a job. Having a high pay job in Singapore can help one better deal with the instability and financial uncertainty that COVID-19 brought to many people’s lives.
Those looking for a financially stable career may look to enter the common high salary industries, such as finance, healthcare, technology and business. However, not everyone may be interested in following these career paths. In today’s ever-changing job landscape, high pay jobs are not always found in the usual places. An individual can find other roles – jobs both unconventional and dynamic — that pay well, too.
What Is the Average Salary in Singapore?
According to Paylab, the average salary for Singapore is USD 4,023 or around SGD 5,476.81 per month. The platform notes that the salary range for people working in Singapore is from SGD 2,605 to SGD 9,004 per month.
Our Jobstreet Salary Report 2020 found that the largest proportion of respondents earn between SGD 2,000 and SGD 3,999 per month.
If you’re looking for a high pay job, you might want to look at a role that pays higher than the average rate. But for entry-level employees, having a job that pays higher than what most people are currently earning can already be considered high paying.
What Are the Highest-Paying Jobs in Singapore?
According to the 2020 Occupational Wage Survey released by the Ministry of Manpower, the top highest-paid jobs include:
- In-house legal counsel
- Securities and finance dealer/Broker
- Chief Information Officer/Chief Technology Officer/Chief Security Officer
- Advocate/Solicitor
- Audit Manager
- Specialist Medical Practitioner
- General Practitioner
- Chief Operating Officer
- University Lecturer
- Fund/Portfolio Manager
Note that these jobs mostly require a high level of education and experience. If you’re just starting in your career, you can build up your capabilities so that you can aim for high paying jobs in the future.
On the other hand, not everyone might be a good fit for these conventional careers. Fortunately, the jobs market is vast and varied – there could be other well-paying roles out there for you.
Other Jobs That Pay Well in Singapore
Some jobs don’t immediately come to mind when it comes to remuneration. Here are some surprisingly well-paying jobs we found on Jobstreet. Who knows, maybe one of these may be your calling:
Fashion Stylist
(SGD 2,400- SGD 4,000): A fashion stylist job is for those with an eye for style and the ability to think on their feet. The fast-paced retail environment requires someone aware of the latest trends while also catering to the needs of a wide variety of clientele. They work closely with the sales team to know which items are coming out when and to help drive up orders. Styling is a fun job for those who love to interact with people – it’s like you’re giving someone a makeover every day!
Game Writer/Designer/Producer
(SGD 2,500 – SGD 8,000): Creatives can look forward to a high pay job when they go into the lucrative gaming industry. Statista estimates that the global gaming market will be worth USD 268.8 billion in 2025, with strong growth predicted for the Asian region. Game Designers create and develop new content for the game, as well as in-game events and features. Game Writers are in charge of the game’s storyline, scripted events and character dialogues throughout the game. Game Producers are in charge of the publishing aspect of games from the development to launch, to its live operations.
Food technologist/Research & Development Chef
(SGD 3,000 – SGD 7,000): Love food but are too daunted by the idea of working in a restaurant? Being a food technologist or an R&D chef can give you a similar experience but on a different scale. Working in industries like food & beverage, food manufacturing or retail, food techs are mostly in charge of ensuring that food products are safe. They will check if products meet standards and are responsible for keeping up with food production regulations. The job also entails modifying foods to create new products and inventing new recipes and concepts.
Crane Operator/ Lifting Supervisor
(SGD 3,500 – 5,500): Crane operators lift and move materials around a construction site as safe as possible. Supervisors are required to be familiar with OSH/ISO documents and can create a lift plan that is compliant with legal standards. They should have heavy lift crane experience and certification issued by a MOM/WDA-accredited training organisation. Because of the high physical risks involved in this line of work, it is understandable that crane operators earn higher than the average plus bonuses. In 2016, the pay went as high as SGD 7,000 a month.
Workplace or Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) Officer
(SGD4,000 – SGD6,500): The OSH officer helps keep the work environment safe by maintaining prescribed administrative processes and conducting basic OSH training. They also use a range of tools and processes to implement safety programs and encourage employee compliance. They can also be responsible for conducting investigations to determine how accidents happen in the workplace. It helps OSH officers to have interpersonal skills to be able to communicate effectively with employees.
Ethical Hacker
(SGD6,000 – SGD12,000) – With most of us more online than ever, cybersecurity and data privacy is in high demand in every sector. It is where ethical hackers come in. More formally known as a penetration tester or pentester, they conduct simulated cyberattacks on a company to help identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses before someone else has a chance to exploit them. This role is ideal for tech experts who love a mystery, as you’re trying to look for unknowns in a system to help make it stronger.
Check out our Career Resources page for more tips on how you can find your dream role. It also offers expert insights and advice that could help you on your career journey.
