COMPASS C1 Salary Benchmarks 2027: Singapore Employment Pass Dates

Published: 13 November 2026 · Reviewed by Ray Tay, Co-Founder & Director, VIVOS PTE. LTD. (ACRA Filing Agent FA20240323 · MOM EA Licence 24S2425)

By Ray Tay · Published 13 November 2026 · Last reviewed 19 October 2026 · Reviewed by Ray Tay, VIVOS

The episode video first aired on 3 November 2026. For the full, regularly updated guide, see COMPASS framework in Singapore.

The explainer on YouTube: COMPASS C1 Salary Benchmarks 2027: Singapore Employment Pass Dates. Transcript below.

What are the two salary tests for a Singapore Employment Pass?

MOM assesses an Employment Pass (EP) candidate in two stages (MOM, Eligibility for Employment Pass, updated 28 April 2026):

• Stage 1, the EP qualifying salary, benchmarked to the top one-third of local PMET salaries by age. Fail it and the candidate is not eligible, whatever the COMPASS points.
• Stage 2, COMPASS, the points framework, unless exempt. Its salary criterion, C1, compares fixed monthly salary with benchmarks for the employer’s sector and the candidate’s age.

COMPASS C1 salary benchmarks 2027: what changed in the August 2026 table?

MOM derives the C1 benchmarks from its annual Comprehensive Labour Force Survey and updates them yearly (MOM, C1 salary benchmarks, last updated 11 August 2026). Three rows from MOM’s two PDFs (August 2025 table; August 2026 table):

VIVOS’s reading of the two PDFs at age 35: the 10-point figure rose in 21 of 22 sectors and fell in one (Fund Management Activities and Activities Auxiliary to Financial Services: S$15,969 to S$15,891); the 20-point figure rose in 15 and fell in 7.

How are C1 points scored, and how do you reach 40?

• Below the 65th percentile for the sector and age: 0 points.
• 65th to less than the 90th percentile: 10 points.
• 90th percentile and above: 20 points.

COMPASS needs 40 points. In MOM’s typical case (example A-1), C1 to C4 score 10 each. A candidate with 0 on C1 can still reach 40 (MOM example B).

Which C1 table applies when?

New passes follow the application date; renewals follow the pass expiry date:

VIVOS’s reading of two MOM date rules: a pass expiring from 1 July to 31 December 2027 is renewed under the new C1 table but the current qualifying salary. Renewals can be filed up to 6 months before expiry (MOM, Renew an Employment Pass); since the table refers to expiry, filing early does not, on our reading, change the table.

Does meeting the qualifying salary earn C1 points?

Not by itself. At age 35 outside financial services, the Stage 1 qualifying salary is S$8,382 now and S$9,000 for new applications from 1 January 2027 (MOM, 3 March 2026). In MOM’s Professional Services table, C1’s 10 points start at S$9,556 at age 35 from the same date. On VIVOS’s reading, S$9,000 clears Stage 1 but scores 0 on C1.

Which sector table applies to your company?

MOM sets the COMPASS sector from the primary business activity the company declared to ACRA or another UEN issuance agency; there are 22 sectors. MOM says inaccurate or missing SSIC information may delay or reject work pass applications (MOM FAQ on sector classification, 15 July 2026).

What counts as fixed monthly salary, and who is exempt?

Fixed monthly salary is basic monthly salary plus fixed monthly allowances. It excludes variable allowances, overtime, bonus, commission, in-kind payments, reimbursements and employer pension contributions (MOM FAQ).

Exempt from COMPASS: a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500, overseas intra-corporate transferees, and roles filled for 1 month or less (MOM). Stage 1 still applies.

What if the declared salary is wrong?

MOM’s press release of 16 October 2026 says false salary declarations in work pass applications are an offence under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, carrying a fine of up to S$20,000, up to two years in prison, or both (MOM, 16 October 2026).

What should an employer check before filing or renewing?

1. Confirm the company’s sector (ACRA primary activity).
2. Open the C1 table for the date.
3. Compare fixed monthly salary, not total pay, with the age row.
4. Check the Stage 1 qualifying salary separately.
5. If C1 scores 0, check the other criteria or an exemption.
6. For renewals, the expiry date decides.

How does VIVOS help with Employment Pass applications?

VIVOS Pte. Ltd. (MOM EA Licence 24S2425) supports Employment Pass applications in Singapore. MOM decides every application. Most firms compare countries. VIVOS connects them. Free consultation: vivos.com.sg/contact-us or WhatsApp +65 8827 7870.

Related guides:

• How the COMPASS framework works
• Singapore Employment Pass eligibility, COMPASS and salary
• EP and COMPASS calculator: check Stage 1 and your COMPASS points (choose your C1 band from MOM’s August 2026 table)
• Employment Pass 2027: file in 2026 or 2027?

Part of the 2027 Rule Changes series

Episode 6 of “2027 Rule Changes: What Most Pages Still Get Wrong”. Every dated change: the 2026-2027 Rule Changes Tracker: Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, UAE. Previous episode: UAE Tax Credit Deadline: Claim Old Credit Balances by 31 December 2026 (video). Next, Wednesday 4 November 2026: Malaysia e-Invoice: Exempt Below RM3 Million, Relaxation Ends 31 Dec 2027, on the tracker.

Video transcript

Video transcript

What salary earns Employment Pass COMPASS points in 2027? MOM’s new C1 table: ten points at the sixty-fifth percentile of local PMET pay, twenty at the ninetieth. New applications from the first of January 2027.

I’m Ray Tay, co-founder of VIVOS. Many pages written before August still cover only the qualifying salary. That is stage one. Stage two is COMPASS, forty points, and C1 is its salary criterion.

MOM’s Professional Services row, age thirty-five: ten points start at nine thousand five hundred fifty-six dollars, up from nine thousand three hundred twenty. Stage one at that age is nine thousand dollars. Clearing one does not clear the other.

C1 gives zero points below the sixty-fifth percentile, ten up to the ninetieth, twenty above. Other criteria can make up the forty. Fixed monthly salary of twenty-two thousand five hundred dollars or more is exempt.

New applications: both tests change on the first of January 2027. Renewals differ: the new C1 table covers passes expiring from the first of July 2027, the new qualifying salary from the first of January 2028.

Check your sector and age row before you file or renew. VIVOS supports Employment Pass applications in Singapore. Most firms compare countries. VIVOS connects them.

Presented by an AI-generated avatar and voice of Ray Tay, co-founder of VIVOS. Content written and fact-checked by VIVOS; facts checked 19 October 2026. General information, not immigration or tax advice.

Setting up a Singapore company and an Employment Pass together?

Most of our clients are foreign founders who need two things at once: a new Singapore company and an Employment Pass (EP) so they can live in Singapore and run it. The order matters. The company is incorporated first, with a resident director, and then applies for your EP as your employer.

VIVOS PTE. LTD. incorporates companies as an ACRA Registered Filing Agent (FA20240323) and handles EP applications under MOM Employment Agency Licence 24S2425. See Singapore company incorporation for foreigners and our Employment Pass application service, or read Can a company shareholder apply for an EP through their new Singapore company.

Frequently asked questions

What are the COMPASS C1 salary benchmarks for 2027?

MOM’s August 2026 table sets, by sector and age, the fixed monthly salary that earns C1 points: 10 at the 65th percentile of local PMET salaries, 20 at the 90th. It applies to new Employment Pass applications from 1 January 2027 and to renewals of passes expiring from 1 July 2027 (MOM, checked 19 October 2026).

When do the new C1 benchmarks apply to Employment Pass renewals?

To renewals of passes expiring from 1 July 2027; MOM’s table refers to the expiry date. The new qualifying salary applies to passes expiring from 1 January 2028, so on VIVOS’s reading a pass expiring from 1 July to 31 December 2027 meets the new C1 table and the current qualifying salary (MOM, checked 19 October 2026).

How many points is COMPASS C1 worth, and what is the COMPASS pass mark?

C1 gives 20 points at or above the 90th percentile of local PMET salaries for the sector and age, 10 from the 65th, and 0 below. COMPASS needs 40 points, and a candidate with 0 on C1 can still reach 40 through other criteria (MOM, checked 19 October 2026).

Does meeting the Employment Pass qualifying salary give C1 points?

Not by itself. The qualifying salary is Stage 1; C1 belongs to COMPASS, Stage 2. For Professional Services at age 35, the qualifying salary from 1 January 2027 is S$9,000, but C1’s 10 points start at S$9,556, so S$9,000 scores 0 on C1 (VIVOS’s reading of MOM figures, checked 19 October 2026).

Which COMPASS sector table applies to my company?

The one MOM assigns from the primary business activity declared to ACRA or another UEN issuance agency, across 22 sectors; the employer does not choose it. MOM says inaccurate or missing SSIC information may delay or reject work pass applications (MOM, checked 19 October 2026).

Who is exempt from COMPASS?

Candidates with a fixed monthly salary of at least S$22,500, overseas intra-corporate transferees, and roles filled for 1 month or less. The exemption is from COMPASS only: a candidate below the Employment Pass qualifying salary is still not eligible (MOM, checked 19 October 2026).

Sources

• MOM, Eligibility for Employment Pass: checked 19 October 2026.
• MOM, COMPASS C1 salary benchmarks: checked 19 October 2026.
• MOM, C1 table released August 2026 (PDF): checked 19 October 2026.
• MOM, C1 table released August 2025 (PDF): checked 19 October 2026.
• MOM, Renew an Employment Pass: checked 19 October 2026.
• MOM FAQ, sector classification: checked 19 October 2026.
• MOM FAQ, fixed monthly salary: checked 19 October 2026.
• MOM press release, 3 March 2026 (para 14): checked 19 October 2026.
• MOM, COS 2026 factsheet (PDF): checked 19 October 2026.
• Singapore Budget 2026 statement, para 108: checked 19 October 2026.
• MOM press release, 16 October 2026 (false declarations): checked 19 October 2026.