SINGAPORE: A Singaporean was shocked after hearing her friend confidently state that she would only accept a job that pays more than S$10,000 a month.
Sharing on the r/askSingapore subreddit, the individual explained that several of her friends are about to graduate, and some have already secured offers with starting salaries ranging from S$8,000 to S$11,000. Many of them are entering high-paying industries like finance, tech, and law, so the numbers, while shocking, made some sense to her. However, one friend’s comment caught her off guard.
“[She] hasn’t even gotten a job offer yet, [but] she casually said she’s only going to accept something that pays more than S$10,000/month. I was like… huh? That’s a pretty bold stance to take, considering how competitive the job market is right now.”
The Singaporean went on to say that while she understands where such expectations might come from — with Singapore’s cost of living rising sharply and home ownership becoming increasingly expensive — she couldn’t help but feel that the mindset some fresh grads have might be a little out of touch with reality.
“…Some expectations are getting a bit unrealistic. Personally, I think you can live decently and frugally on much less, especially when just starting out. Yet it seems like more and more grads are dead set on hitting high 4s or 5 figures right out of uni,” she continued.
To get a better sense of what others think, she asked fellow Redditors what their starting salaries were when they graduated and whether they thought fresh grads today were being “realistic” with their salary expectations, given the current job market.
“The numbers you hear are the outlier, not the norm.”
Responses in the comments section were mixed. Many felt that expecting to earn more than S$10,000 per month straight out of university was overly optimistic, if not outright delusional.
Several commenters also pointed out that such figures are usually only seen in a small number of high-paying sectors, and even then, these roles usually go to graduates with outstanding academic records, competitive internships, or strong industry connections.
One commenter bluntly remarked, “A bit unrealistic is a severe understatement; they are just dreaming.”
Another chimed in with a nostalgic comparison, saying, “Wah market really damn different. In my time, I only got S$2.5k/month and was already laughing to the bank and then laughing on the way home.”
A third wrote, “She’s valedictorian? What industry? Hahah, if she’s in high finance, then understand, la. If she’s not in tech/high finance, then ask her to continue dreaming.”
Despite the criticism, a few users shared examples of high-paying roles they had encountered or secured as fresh graduates, although they were quick to clarify that such cases were the exception rather than the norm.
One commenter, who graduated in 2020, said, “My previous company paid fresh grads S$120k-130k per year. My current company doesn’t hire fresh grads, but I’m quite sure it would be in the same ballpark if it did. That said, I’d be lying if I told you these were the average. The numbers you hear are the outlier, not the norm. When I graduated, I started at S$4.5k.”
Another added an important caveat about the trade-offs involved, writing, “Just keep in mind that those S$10k+ jobs require crazy amounts of hours. Like most regular Joes, earning S$5k means working 40 hours a week for 5 days. These folks are probably clocking in 70-80 hours at least 6 days a week. That kind of salary, especially as a newbie, can guarantee saying goodbye to work-life balance.”
Fresh grad salary
As revealed by the Joint Autonomous Universities Graduate Employment Survey, the median starting salary for fresh graduates has risen by 4.2%, increasing from S$4,317 in 2023 to S$4,500 in 2024.
According to the report, business graduates experienced the biggest boost, with their median salaries rising from S$4,150 to S$4,400. On the other hand, graduates from the arts, design, and media disciplines recorded the smallest increase, with their starting pay moving slightly from S$3,740 to S$3,800.
Read more: Salary for fresh graduates higher in 2024, but fewer were employed 6 months after finishing uni
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