‘Is it a lot?’: Soon-to-be diploma graduate wonders if asking for S$3K a month is excessive

SINGAPORE: Unsure of how much he should reasonably ask for in his first full-time role, a Singaporean who is set to graduate soon from a local polytechnic took to social media to seek advice on whether requesting S$3,000 a month would be seen as excessive.

Posting on a local forum on Wednesday (Jan 21), the soon-to-be diploma graduate shared that he has about two years of prior administrative work experience from before enrolling in polytechnic and is currently applying for an administrative position at a law firm.

“I’m currently applying for a role that is also admin-related. This company is a law firm,” he said. “Since I have prior related work experience, the current diploma fresh graduate salary data might not fully apply to me. Is S$3000/month realistic? [Is it] too high or still can be a bit more?”

He added that his own research showed higher numbers. “I found the salary for the same role on Glassdoor listed at S$3200, but I’m not sure how accurate that is.”

“Is S$3000/month for a fresh graduate diploma a lot?” he asked. “Would appreciate any advice or benchmarks, especially from people who have worked in law firms or similar environments. Thanks!”

“If you can get that job, go for it.”

In the comments, one Singaporean Reddit user responded that the salary he’s aiming for is ‘decent,’ considering that diploma holders usually only get job offers that are less than S$3,000.

“Even donkey years back, fresh dip holders were paid around S$2k-plus, but salaries haven’t really caught up with all inflation etc,” the user said. “If you can get that job, go for it. A high starting salary will help you when you’re job-hopping to your next.”

Another commenter, who identified themselves as working in human resources, agreed that the figure was reasonable but cautioned that base pay is not the only factor to consider. 

“HR here. Yes, quite good,” they wrote. “But of course, don’t forget to look at the overall annual package too. Maybe some [companies] may offer S$3,300 but have no bonus at all, a low number of leave days, etc.”

A third wrote, “S$3k is considered quite high for a diploma graduate. I say take it first and learn more in the company.”

To help the post author make a more informed decision, several diploma holders also began sharing their own starting salaries.

One user recalled, “Back then, not even 10 years ago, my first job as a diploma holder paid only S$2,200 basic. Took me quite a few years of job hopping and industry hopping to get to S$6k-plus.”

Another shared a similar experience: “Mine was a ‘S$2,100 take it or leave it’ offer. My cousin managed to snag a S$2,500 job, and the subsequent hire got a lower salary because the new management thinks it’s overpaid. Lol.”

A third commenter, who had worked in a law firm, said, “When I started in 2023, I was paid S$2,500 with no legal experience and only A-level qualifications. Your offer sounds pretty good. I’ve heard of law firms paying between S$1,800 and S$2,200 for law diploma graduates.”

In other news, a 26-year-old woman was left utterly flabbergasted, and more than a little insulted, when her 29-year-old ex-boyfriend casually asked her to transfer her share of their BTO flat to his new girlfriend. Yikes.

In a post on a local forum, the woman said they had been together for seven years, having started dating back in their JC days.

Read more: ‘Cannot eat, cannot sleep’: Woman devastated after ex asks her to hand over BTO to new girlfriend