Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, any opinions expressed below belong solely to the author. Data sourced from the Labour Force in Singapore 2025 report by Singapore Ministry of Manpower released on 29 Jan 2026.
According to the latest data released by the Ministry of Manpower, the path to prosperity in Singapore still leads through university. While success stories of college dropouts who became billionaires capture imagination, the truth is that for most people the safe and tested path of organised education is still the one that pays best.
As the national median salary for all resident Singaporean employees climbed to S$5,775 in 2025, university degree holders saw their median salary rise to S$9,038, up from S$8,656 last year.
In fact, university degree holders outearn the next group – those with diplomas and other professional qualifications – by a whopping 78 per cent.
$100,000 in your 30s
It’s also quite impressive how quick the income progression is for university graduates. Starting at just S$4,680 in gross income upon graduation, they double it by mid to late 30s, pushing the median for everybody above S$100,000 annually.
Incomes peak and remain relatively comparable in your 40s and 50s, before declining on average towards your retirement (but still remaining at over six figures annually for more than a half of degree holders).
A tale of two Singapores
With recently reported increases in median pay of around $400 per month per year, university graduates in Singapore are on track to be the first group to cross the S$10,000 mark by about 2030.
By then they might be outearning diploma holders by $4,000 (and other groups by even more). They would also constitute about half of the local labour force (currently at around 45 per cent).
Given the huge disparities it does suggest a growing, fundamental split in the Singaporean society—two different groups leading completely different lives, increasingly disconnected from each other, which could contribute to greater sociopolitical divisions as well.
It’s no longer about a narrow elite that many aspire to joining but few do, but one half of the society regularly making twice as much money than the other.
On the one hand, it’s only natural for those best educated and most capable to considerably outearn the rest. On the other, however, it may put a strain on the expectations Singaporeans on both sides of the divide have of their country.
The only thing you can do is to stay the course on education and climb the ladder to join the prosperous side.
Featured image: jpldesigns / depositphotos