For Punggol employees in 2026, the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) is S$1,800 gross monthly for relevant full-time local workers in firms hiring foreign employees, while qualifying local part-timers must receive at least S$10.50 gross hourly. Those are not universal minimum wages for every person working in Singapore. A covered retail cashier, food service employee, cleaner or other Progressive Wage Model (PWM) worker can be entitled to a different, often higher occupational or sectoral wage requirement.

The fastest way to check an offer is identify the real employer → classify the job → identify whether PWM or LQS applies → select the correct effective date → separate basic from gross pay → examine hours and overtime → compare actual payroll. The correct wage can change in July, September or another scheduled month, so an old screenshot of a wage table is not an adequate 2026 calculation.

This Working in Punggol article explains the pay framework for readers working in and near local shops, food services, office and campus support, cleaning, facilities and other businesses. It is not a legal determination for a specific worker or a live jobs listing. MOM confirmed on 8 September 2026 that the LQS increased from S$1,600 to S$1,800 on 1 July 2026. Read MOM’s parliamentary clarification.

Quick reference: which wage system are you checking?

Question	Direct answer in October 2026	First source
Does every job have a national minimum wage?	No universal minimum wage, but specific wage obligations exist	MOM PWM and LQS
What is LQS for full-time locals?	S$1,800 gross per month for 35–44 weekly hours in relevant firms	MOM LQS
What is part-time LQS?	At least S$10.50 gross for each hour	MOM LQS
When did S$1,800 start?	1 July 2026; previously S$1,600	MOM 8 September 2026
Does a covered retail cashier use S$1,800?	Check retail PWM instead; from September 2026 full-time cashier minimum is S$2,435 gross, excluding overtime	Retail PWM
What about quick-service food counter staff?	From July 2026, covered full-time food-service counter attendant minimum is S$2,295 gross, excluding overtime	Food services PWM
What about an outsourced commercial general cleaner?	From July 2026, covered full-time Group 1 general cleaner basic minimum is S$2,080	Cleaning PWM
Does overtime top up any inadequate base pay?	Not automatically; sectoral rules specify gross wages excluding overtime and separate overtime requirements	Sectoral PWM guidance
Does every part-timer count as one local worker for foreign quota?	No. S$900–below S$1,800 is 0.5; S$1,800 or more is 1 under quota computation rules	MOM LQS
Where can employees check?	The Progressive Wage Portal and official MOM sector tables	MOM and PW Portal

For the definitive rules visit MOM’s Local Qualifying Salary page and MOM’s Progressive Wage Model directory.

Why Punggol workers need two different wage lenses

Punggol’s working landscape is varied. A person might earn wages at a shop in Waterway Point, a café near Punggol Coast, an office supporting Singapore Institute of Technology, or a business tenant at Punggol Digital District. Those places share geography, not identical employment conditions.

The first lens is LQS, a salary threshold connected with foreign-worker hiring and local headcount quota. The second is PWM, which attaches specified wage and training requirements to designated sectors and occupations. The rules are designed to improve lower-wage local workers’ earnings and skills, but the coverage details differ.

A security officer, retail cashier, driver and software engineer can have different frameworks even if they report to the same building. A site photograph and its impressive architecture say nothing about the applicable individual salary requirement.

Some employees are covered by sector-specific PWM regulations. Others may come under occupational Progressive Wages for administrators or drivers in firms employing foreign workers. Remaining qualifying local workers in relevant foreign-worker-hiring firms can fall under the LQS requirement.

The employee should therefore avoid asking only, “Is S$1,800 enough?” The useful question is, “What job does MOM classify this as, and which employer requirement applies to that role and period?”

The exact 2026 LQS increase

MOM’s 8 September 2026 parliamentary answer explicitly confirmed that the LQS rose from S$1,600 to S$1,800 on 1 July 2026. Its 5 August 2026 answer estimated that the new figure corresponded to about the sixth percentile of gross income distribution among full-time resident employees.

Those statistics describe how the policy is positioned, not an instruction to set every worker’s salary at the sixth percentile. The 2026 wage amount is a concrete legal or administrative compliance threshold in the situations MOM identifies.

For firms hiring Work Permit, S Pass or EP holders, MOM says they must pay the appropriate PWM wage for local workers covered by a PWM and at least LQS for other local workers. A noncompliant firm may lose its ability to apply for or renew work passes.

A local worker in this context means a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident employed under the relevant contract. It does not mean everyone who happens to live in Punggol or has an office address there.

Check the actual month’s payroll: a change taking effect from July does not automatically establish the rate for a May pay period. Equally, payroll in October should not be compared against an outdated June threshold without accounting for the new effective date.

The LQS full-time and part-time distinctions

The official LQS page states that the S$1,800 gross monthly requirement applies to full-time locals working 35–44 hours per week in the relevant firms.

For locals working less than 35 hours weekly, the current requirement is at least S$10.50 gross an hour. MOM says the hourly gross check for monthly-rated part-timers is total monthly gross wages divided by total hours worked during that month.

A higher rate is required for full-time employees working more than 44 hours a week under the LQS wage schedule. That is why a full-time worker cannot assume that a flat S$1,800 gross remains the correct comparison after frequent extra hours.

Part-time classification itself depends on a contract of service and the weekly-hours definition. A business may advertise “flexible” shifts, but the employee should ask for contracted hours and actual payable time. Our part-time jobs and CPF guide explains the wider employment issues.

Do not compare a S$10.50 hourly figure with a S$1,800 monthly figure as though they represent identical schedules. Convert using the actual hours and appropriate official rules.

Worked example: a part-timer just below the LQS hourly threshold

Suppose a hypothetical local worker has 80 payable hours during an October pay period and receives S$800 total gross wages. Their effective hourly gross rate for the LQS calculation is S$800 ÷ 80 = S$10.

For an otherwise applicable LQS requirement of S$10.50 hourly, the wages are S$0.50 per hour below that level. A simple illustration of the shortfall is 80 × S$0.50 = S$40, making S$840 the mathematical gross amount at the threshold.

This example does not determine that every employee with such hours is legally owed exactly S$40. The actual firm must be subject to the requirement, the time and components must be classified correctly, and a sectoral or occupational PWM may instead set a higher applicable rate.

Suppose the same worker is a retail cashier at a business subject to the retail PWM. Its September 2026 part-time hourly gross requirement is S$12.77, so the LQS calculation alone is insufficient. Classification decides which comparison to perform.

Do not simply add a discretionary bonus from another month to fix a shortfall. Use the wage components and effective period prescribed by the applicable rule.

LQS also determines foreign-worker quota counting

The LQS has a second function: qualifying local employees contribute to how many Work Permit and S Pass holders an employer can hire. MOM says a local employee generally counts as one local worker if earning at least S$1,800 a month, and 0.5 local worker for earnings from S$900 up to below S$1,800.

These are quota-counting rules, not different categories of citizenship or an employee’s share of a person. A human being earning S$1,000 is still one employee; “0.5” refers to an administrative count used in calculating a firm’s foreign-worker entitlement.

The difference can matter to a part-time worker. MOM’s own example describes a worker who earns S$500 monthly gross while working ten hours weekly, resulting in S$11.50 hourly. The employer meets the part-time LQS requirement but the worker is not counted for quota entitlement because earnings are below S$900.

Therefore “complies with part-time LQS” and “counts toward the quota” are not identical questions. A good employer should understand both; an employee can check their wages without assuming every quota result creates a personal salary claim.

For employer calculations, use MOM’s current quota calculator and sector-specific rules rather than trying to determine quota solely from a single local employee’s pay.

What the Progressive Wage Model actually does

The Progressive Wage Model combines wage progression and skills or training requirements for local workers in designated jobs. It is not one simple number pasted across all industries.

MOM’s framework includes sectoral Progressive Wages for cleaning, security, landscape, lift and escalator maintenance, retail, food services and waste management, alongside occupational Progressive Wages for administrators and drivers under specified employer conditions.

A proper PWM check requires a role classification. A retail assistant has a different level from an assistant retail supervisor. A general cleaner is not automatically an office administrative assistant even though both work in the same office building.

The rules also identify what counts in the required wage figure. Retail and food service tables commonly use monthly gross wages excluding overtime, while cleaning’s published schedule has basic wage requirements for the stated roles. Do not silently compare unlike figures.

Training requirements are part of the employer’s compliance responsibility too. Paying a figure on the payslip does not necessarily settle whether the appropriate skills-training requirement has been fulfilled.

September 2026 retail PWM: the familiar Punggol cashier

For covered local retail employees, MOM’s retail PWM page publishes a schedule effective 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027.

The full-time retail assistant or cashier required monthly gross wage, excluding overtime, is at least S$2,435 for 35–44 weekly hours. The corresponding part-time hourly gross wage is at least S$12.77.

A senior cashier or senior retail assistant has a higher full-time requirement of S$2,680 and part-time rate of S$14.06 in the same period. An assistant retail supervisor is higher still, at S$2,950 full-time and S$15.47 part-time.

MOM also labels some higher management roles “left to market forces” instead of assigning the same PWM figure. The actual classification must be checked against responsibilities, not decided by a flattering job title printed on an advertisement.

These values are official September 2026 wage floors for the stated PWM categories, not market-average or guaranteed salaries at any named store in Punggol.

Worked example: a covered cashier’s S$2,350 offer

Imagine a hypothetical firm hiring foreign workers with a covered local full-time retail cashier earning S$2,350 eligible monthly gross wages excluding overtime in October 2026.

The September 2026 minimum for that classification is S$2,435, so the numerical difference is S$85. A comparison against LQS’s S$1,800 would misleadingly suggest that the amount is comfortably sufficient; the correct retail PWM wage floor is higher.

Before concluding that there is a compliance problem, confirm the employer is under the relevant coverage, the employee’s actual job grade, full-time hours and which items form the PWM gross wage. Check whether overtime has been incorrectly included in the proposed “total”.

If the worker is actually performing senior retail assistant duties, a different and higher grade may apply. If the employee is in a different occupation or an excluded situation, the calculation changes.

The example teaches the order of operations. Select the right standard before subtracting numbers. Do not use an invented $85 difference as evidence about an actual Punggol company.

July 2026 food service PWM: the counter attendant

For covered food service workers, MOM’s food services PWM wage schedule shows revised wage floors from 1 July 2026.

A qualifying quick-service kitchen assistant or food service counter attendant has a full-time minimum of S$2,295 gross monthly, excluding overtime, and a part-time gross minimum of S$12.04 hourly.

A food or drink stall assistant has a full-time figure of S$2,220, and a quick-service cook has a full-time figure of S$2,470. Other full-service food positions have their own categories and schedule, such as the waiter and waiter-supervisor levels.

A person working at a Punggol café should not assume every café role belongs to the same category. Duties and type of operation matter. An outlet’s business label and a worker’s real tasks both need consideration.

The relevant wage requirement is not the same as a discretionary bonus or an employer’s separate CPF contribution. Check the official inclusion and exclusion list before comparing the offer.

Worked example: why retail and food service cannot share one wage floor

Suppose two invented Punggol employees each earn S$2,350 eligible monthly gross, excluding overtime, and both work an ordinary full-time schedule.

Person A is a covered retail assistant in October 2026; the applicable published wage floor is S$2,435. Person B is a covered quick-service food counter attendant; the July 2026 minimum is S$2,295. The same S$2,350 therefore produces a numerical shortfall for A but exceeds B’s listed threshold by S$55.

This example does not establish that B’s employer is fully compliant, because training, job classification and other workplace rules still need assessment. Nor does it show that S$2,350 is an appropriate market wage for either employee. It only demonstrates that category and effective date control the statutory comparison.

If Person B’s duties actually correspond to a different food service category, the comparison must change accordingly. Job titles should not be rearranged to avoid the correct pay requirement.

Employees should use the official job classification descriptions and the Progressive Wage Portal when in doubt.

Cleaning PWM: understand why the wage table says “basic”

The cleaning sector PWM page describes separate groups: office/commercial sites, food and beverage establishments and conservancy. Some job categories use monthly basic wage requirements rather than the retail-style gross wage definition.

From 1 July 2026, the Group 1 outsourced general or indoor cleaner minimum full-time basic wage is S$2,080. A Group 1 outdoor, healthcare or restroom cleaner has a different basic floor of S$2,495, while a Group 1 supervisor has a higher figure of S$2,870.

In-house cleaners also have applicable categories and schedules. Job site does not alone settle whether someone is outsourced or in-house; identify which firm employs the worker and how the role is classified.

The cleaning PWM also includes an eligible PWM bonus requirement, commonly described by MOM as at least two weeks’ basic monthly wages for qualifying employees in a year, subject to its rules and pro-rating where applicable.

Do not treat a cleaning wage requirement as identical to a retail gross wage figure. This difference is precisely why two apparently similar payslips may need separate checks.

The administrator and driver occupational wage system

Not every covered job is inside a sectoral PWM. MOM’s Occupational Progressive Wages for administrators and drivers describe wage and training requirements for specified local occupational roles at firms hiring foreign workers.

Office administration near SIT or Punggol Coast might involve a job covered by occupational Progressive Wages. A workplace’s industry could be technology, but the worker’s occupation could be administrative support; do not assume all staff in a tech office must be compared with software engineering salaries.

The driver categories changed on 1 July 2026, with updated distinctions by relevant licence and role level. A worker driving under a qualifying job description should use the table for their role and effective dates, not copy an older generic driver number.

MOM also publishes part-time occupational wage requirements and an overtime wage schedule for covered situations. The same principle holds: basic, gross and overtime treatment must be checked in the correct table.

If a worker’s duties span administration, customer service and technical work, request help with proper classification instead of selecting the lowest threshold from several possible categories.

Is S$1,800 a national minimum wage for all workers?

No. MOM describes LQS as an obligation connected to firms employing foreign workers and as a quota measure. Some workers are subject to sectoral or occupational PWM requirements, some to other applicable wage and contractual terms, and not every employment relationship fits these categories.

An employee should not conclude that they are legally entitled to S$1,800 under LQS solely because they are a Singapore resident. They must examine employer circumstances and the relevant worker category.

Conversely, an employer should not claim that Singapore has no universal minimum wage and therefore ignore an applicable PWM or LQS requirement. The absence of one national rate does not remove these specific obligations.

A business owner can voluntarily pay wages above a legal floor or adopt a more generous wage progression ladder. A worker’s skills, responsibility, market conditions and career opportunities may justify salary negotiation beyond the applicable minimum.

The legal wage floor is a compliance question. The right job offer is a broader question involving pay, hours, development and realistic household needs.

Which parts of gross wage count for a PWM comparison?

MOM’s retail and food service PWM pages describe eligible monthly gross wages, excluding overtime, as including basic wages, certain allowances and productivity incentive payments. They exclude items such as annual wage supplements or other bonuses, stock options, reimbursements of special work expenses, payments in kind and employer CPF contributions.

This is a specific calculation definition. A restaurant’s employer-paid insurance is not simply added to the PWM gross wage. Nor does the employer’s statutory CPF contribution make a too-low eligible wage suddenly meet the floor.

If a worker receives an allowance, check whether it is a wage allowance or a genuine reimbursement for expenditure incurred for the employer. Labels can be misleading; classification depends on the substance and governing rule.

For cleaning, the published monthly basic wage schedule should be checked differently. Do not use the gross formula as a substitute for that basic wage floor.

If payroll cannot explain what was counted, ask for an itemised calculation referencing the exact MOM sector and job level.

Can overtime rescue a salary that misses PWM?

The retail and food service wage tables explicitly describe monthly gross wages excluding overtime payments for full-time workers. That means a covered worker whose eligible regular pay is below the PWM wage floor cannot simply be shown a month full of overtime and told the total now meets the stated figure.

MOM imposes additional PWM gross wage requirements for overtime hours where the worker works more than 44 hours per week and is covered by Part IV of the Employment Act. It also requires the applicable overtime rate, at least 1.5 times the basic hourly rate for eligible staff.

The Part IV coverage test has its own criteria, including salary thresholds and whether the employee is a workman or non-workman. Do not assume every professional or manager is covered by statutory Part IV overtime.

Our Punggol shift-roster and overtime guide explains the separate overtime and rest-day framework. A proper wage check uses both relevant systems without counting the same payment in contradictory ways.

An accurate payslip and time record are essential. Use the period in which work occurred rather than a verbal summary of unusually busy weeks.

How to check the Progressive Wage Portal

MOM’s Progressive Wage Model pages direct local workers to the Progressive Wage Portal (PW Portal) to check reported salary and job information and to assess whether their employer pays the relevant progressive wages.

The portal does not make your job category impossible to dispute. If the displayed role does not reflect actual duties, ask the employer for its recorded classification and relevant supporting details.

Check the wage month and effective date. A retail job beginning in July 2026 can cross the 1 September wage-schedule increase without changing employer, title or basic duties. A payroll review should consider both periods correctly.

Save or note relevant differences securely. Do not distribute another employee’s private pay, NRIC or CPF information in a public group chat in an attempt to show what you believe the company owes.

If the difference remains unexplained, seek official MOM guidance. A worker can ask a straightforward classification question without accusing the employer of deliberate underpayment.

What to ask a Punggol recruiter about progressive wages

An advertisement may offer a monthly figure without stating which wage requirement applies. Asking a recruiter for clarity is reasonable, especially for retail, F&B, cleaning, security, drivers and administration roles.

Try these questions: “Which employing company will be named on my contract? Is this job within a PWM sector or occupational category? Which grade or role level is used? Does the advertised amount refer to basic salary, PWM gross wages excluding overtime, or total variable earnings?”

Follow up with: “What training is expected? How are overtime, rest days, allowances and bonuses calculated? What are the normal hours and the actual reporting site?”

A recruiter need not memorise every wage table, but a legitimate employer should be able to identify the relevant policy and provide written terms. A vague answer that “Singapore has no minimum wage” is not enough where an applicable PWM requirement exists.

Verify the recruiter independently, particularly if someone asks for deposits or Singpass credentials. Use our Punggol job-scam verification guide for that separate safety check.

The part-time trap: compare the correct hourly gross amount

Part-time staff can legitimately work fewer hours and receive proportionate income, but a worker covered by a part-time PWM should compare the official hourly gross wage requirement rather than pro-rating a full-time monthly figure by an invented divisor.

For example, MOM’s September 2026 retail PWM requires a S$12.77 hourly gross for the covered retail assistant/cashier grade. Suppose an employee works sixty payable hours and receives S$720 eligible gross wages. The actual average is S$12 hourly, below that published role threshold if all other coverage assumptions are met.

At sixty hours, the threshold arithmetic is 60 × S$12.77 = S$766.20, a difference of S$46.20. These are invented wages and hours; they do not prove a specific employer has violated a rule.

A worker in a different PWM occupation must use that occupation’s rate. One who is outside PWM but subject to LQS would use the different S$10.50 hourly gross standard instead.

Do not assume a part-time employee is excluded from the Employment Act or CPF. Those systems have additional qualifying rules explained in our part-time jobs guide.

A practical wage classification worksheet

Field	Write this from evidence	Why it matters
Actual employer	Registered legal entity on contract	Coverage and foreign-worker employer obligations
Worker status	Singapore Citizen, PR or other	PWM/LQS local-worker coverage
Employment relationship	Contract of service or another arrangement	Basic scope of employment rules
Industry and job	Real tasks, employer’s sector, grade	Correct PWM schedule
Wage month	Exact calendar or payroll period	July/September 2026 rate changes
Weekly hours	Contracted and actual separately	Full-time/part-time and overtime
Basic salary	Monthly or hourly fixed base	Critical for cleaning and other calculations
Eligible gross	Applicable wages excluding disallowed components	Retail, food service and LQS comparisons
Overtime	Actual extra hours and payment	Additional statutory and PWM rules
Published threshold	Exact MOM row and effective dates	Prevents an outdated or misclassified comparison

Complete the table using your own documents and official sources. If you cannot find the correct row, that is a classification question to resolve, not permission to choose the lowest available figure.

Does the Progressive Wage Mark prove every wage is correct?

The Progressive Wage Mark (PW Mark) recognises firms meeting relevant progressive wage and LQS conditions. PW Mark Plus involves additional practices for lower-wage workers.

It can be useful contextual information for jobseekers but is not a replacement for checking the worker’s own job role, dates, hours and payslip. A worker may hold a job with different grade requirements, and a firm’s designation does not automatically tell you your precise contractual compensation.

An employer should not use an award badge as a reason to avoid answering a legitimate salary question. Similarly, a missing badge in an advertisement does not prove that every worker at the company is underpaid.

Use recognition as one source among several. The actual employment agreement and applicable MOM wage table are more important to personal pay.

The company may also provide training, rest areas and progression beyond the statutory minimum. Ask what those benefits mean in the ordinary working week.

How training requirements fit the progressive wage ladder

PWM connects wages with skills development and practical progression. A retail assistant moving toward senior or supervisory responsibilities may need training and evidence of competence, not merely time served. Similar ideas apply to food service and other PWM occupations.

Employers covered by PWM need to examine specified training requirements; the exact acceptable certifications or exemptions depend on the sector and role. A worker should ask what training is compulsory, who organises it and what learning is expected in paid work.

A training requirement does not mean a worker must buy an expensive external course before receiving appropriate wages. Follow the actual MOM rules and employer responsibilities.

For someone considering career growth, a clear wage ladder can make future steps visible: new tasks, recognised training and a higher occupational grade. But the employer’s staffing needs and classification still matter; a completed course does not automatically guarantee a particular promotion.

Our performance review and promotion guide helps structure evidence-based conversations about increased responsibility.

Check the difference between wages and take-home money

Even when a covered role meets PWM or LQS, the bank transfer can differ from gross wages because applicable employee CPF and other lawful deductions are taken into account. The employer’s own CPF share is paid separately.

Do not compare your net bank deposit directly against a published gross PWM wage floor and conclude there is an underpayment. Reconstruct the gross figure from the payslip first.

Conversely, a transfer that looks large because an expense reimbursement was included is not automatic proof that all the pay counted toward a PWM gross wage requirement.

The CPF Board’s contribution rates vary by age, Singapore Citizen or PR status and wage components, and the January 2026 ordinary wage ceiling also matters. Use the CPF contribution calculator with correct inputs.

For the complete reconciliation, consult our Punggol payslip and CPF explanation instead of guessing from a headline amount.

A twelve-day wage-checking routine

Days 1–2: find your latest employment agreement, pay breakdown, ordinary hours and actual employer name. Confirm whether you have an employee relationship and qualify as a local worker.

Days 3–4: identify your sector or occupational job category. Compare job title with actual duties. Do not assume an office address means an administrative occupation.

Days 5–6: read MOM’s current LQS and PWM pages for the effective period. If the wage month crosses a scheduled increase, note the relevant dates separately.

Days 7–8: reconstruct basic wage, allowable gross wage components and overtime from the relevant payslip. Confirm full-time or part-time work and actual hours.

Days 9–10: run the applicable comparison using the correct wage basis. Record the published wage row, the amount reported and any genuine uncertainty.

Days 11–12: ask payroll or HR a specific written question if the calculation does not reconcile. Seek MOM guidance if a material discrepancy remains unresolved.

This is an educational checking routine, not a statutory complaint deadline. A current shortfall can deserve prompt attention, and different claims can have filing limits.

A calm payroll clarification message

“Hello, I am reviewing my [month] wages for my role as [actual job]. My contract shows [weekly hours], and my payslip records [basic amount and other components]. I understand that the relevant MOM Progressive Wage schedule for [job category] from [effective date] specifies [appropriate minimum]. Could you confirm which PWM grade applies to my role, which wage components were included and how any overtime was treated? Thank you.”

Use the genuine amounts rather than copying the invented figures in this article. If you are uncertain whether PWM applies at all, frame it as a classification question.

An accurate, neutral question often resolves an administrative mistake faster than a public accusation. Keep the response and supporting documents safely.

Do not accept a vague “we follow the law” answer as a numerical explanation if the difference remains. Ask which official requirement and pay components were used.

If there is a dispute about wages actually owed, check the relevant MOM salary guidance and, where suitable, TADM’s employment claim process.

What a responsible Punggol employer can do

A firm should map its roles to the correct sector and occupational classifications, watch official effective dates and ensure payroll and HR share the same wage definitions. A promotion, change in duties or increased working hours may change the appropriate row.

Employers should not rely on an outdated payroll template when a new July or September schedule takes effect. Nor should a recruiter offer a package based on maximum bonuses when the legal comparison requires a regular gross or basic wage.

Provide staff with a clear payslip, correct job classification and an accessible payroll question channel. Train supervisors not to promise that overtime always “fixes” a wage requirement.

For lower-wage roles, meaningful training and safe work arrangements can support the wage progression that the model intends. The employer’s budget planning should include real pay and training rather than viewing the legal floor as a one-off publicity task.

Good compliance builds trust but does not guarantee perfect employee retention. Employees may still choose another role with better training, pay, work hours or family fit.

Frequently asked questions

Is S$1,800 the minimum salary for everyone in Punggol?

No. LQS applies under the stated local-worker and employer conditions. PWM may require a higher amount for the correct job category, and Singapore has no single national minimum wage for every job.

When did LQS rise to S$1,800?

MOM confirmed 1 July 2026, up from S$1,600.

What is the part-time LQS amount in October 2026?

At least S$10.50 gross per hour for qualifying local part-time staff in relevant firms.

Can an employer count S$900 earnings as one local worker for quota?

Under MOM’s LQS quota calculation, S$900 to below S$1,800 generally counts as 0.5 local worker, not one.

Does S$1,800 settle a covered retail cashier’s PWM requirement?

No. From 1 September 2026, the covered retail assistant/cashier full-time wage requirement is S$2,435 eligible gross excluding overtime.

What is the covered quick-service counter attendant requirement?

From 1 July 2026, MOM lists S$2,295 full-time eligible gross excluding overtime for that job category.

Do cleaners use the same gross wage table as retail workers?

No. The cleaning PWM has basic wage requirements by cleaning category and job grade, including outsourcing and in-house distinctions.

Do full-time overtime payments count toward the ordinary retail PWM floor?

The published full-time retail wage table expressly excludes overtime payments. Separate statutory and PWM overtime requirements can apply.

Does every administrator have an occupational progressive wage?

No universal conclusion follows. Employer conditions and the exact occupational classification determine applicability.

Can a part-timer get CPF when on PWM?

Eligible employees can attract CPF even with reduced hours. CPF rules depend on wage amount, status, age and other criteria; PWM is a separate wage framework.

Is the Progressive Wage Mark the same as a personal payslip check?

No. It recognises qualifying employer practices but does not replace checking your own job category, wage month and payments.

Does completing PWM training automatically make me a supervisor?

No. Training is relevant to compliance and development, while actual promotion depends on work responsibilities, job grade and employment decisions.

Can I be underpaid despite receiving a large year-end bonus?

A discretionary bonus may be excluded from the relevant wage calculation. Compare the specific published eligible basic or gross wage requirement.

Why should I use the Progressive Wage Portal?

MOM says the portal lets local workers check job and reported wage details to help assess progressive wage compliance.

What if my employer disagrees with my job classification?

Describe the actual duties and request an explanation tied to MOM’s category definitions. Consult official MOM guidance if the difference cannot be resolved.

Official sources and reporting limits

Verified for October 2026: MOM’s LQS S$1,800 and S$10.50 thresholds, 1 July effective date and quota-counting rule; retail PWM wage schedule starting 1 September 2026; food service and cleaning revisions starting 1 July 2026; occupational wage schedules and training; the distinction between wage compliance and foreign worker quota counting.

Hypothetical: every illustrated Punggol salary, hour count, shortfall and job offer is constructed for explanation. No actual employer is identified as noncompliant. Individual cases depend on correct coverage, occupation, period and records. Recheck schedules for 2027 and later, rather than treating this article as an unchanging rate table.

• MOM: Local Qualifying Salary
• MOM: 8 September 2026 LQS clarification
• MOM: Progressive Wage Model
• MOM: Retail PWM
• MOM: Food services PWM
• MOM: Cleaning sector PWM
• MOM: Occupational Progressive Wages for administrators and drivers
• MOM: Progressive Wage Mark
• MOM: Paying salary
• Working in Punggol: full 100-article series index