‘Is the extra money worth it?’: Singapore fresh grad earning S$6.5k struggles with 12-hour workdays

SINGAPORE: While it seems fortunate to have a high-paying job, when does a salary stop being worth the demands that come with it? A 25-year-old fresh graduate asked a similar question after graduating from one of Singapore’s Big Three universities and starting his first job with a S$6,500 monthly base salary, but found himself feeling like he had little time left outside of work.

“On paper, I know I’m very fortunate — S$6.5k base and roughly S$105k total compensation for my first job. But I’m working around 9 a.m.–9 p.m. almost every weekday, fully in office. By the time I reach home, it’s basically dinner, shower, sleep, repeat. I used to go to the gym regularly, meet friends spontaneously and travel whenever uni allowed. Now even finding time for the gym feels like something I have to schedule for the weekend.”

He also said he couldn’t help feeling “slightly jealous” of some of his friends who had taken “lower-paying but much chiller jobs”, where they could work from home and knock off on time.

“Obviously the trade-off is that I earn more, but lately I’ve been wondering how much that extra money is actually worth,” he said.

While he likes his supportive team and manager, he said what concerns him is looking at those above him, who earn exponentially more but “also seem to have exponentially less time.”

As someone who is single with no kids, he said he already feels stretched and genuinely has no idea how those with spouses, children and other responsibilities do it.

Asking others further along in their careers, he wondered if they eventually got used to what it takes to “climb the corporate ladder”, deliberately chose a lower-paying job for better work-life balance, or just accepted that this is the trade-off for earning more in Singapore.

Commenters were mixed, with some willing to trade longer hours for higher pay.

One commenter said, “I accepted that this is a trade-off. But usually in corporate, time = money. So to get more compensation you usually have to dedicate more time. Unless you’re in sales or similar.”

Others, however, said they had learned that higher pay may not be worth it after experiencing the trade-off themselves.

A commenter said, “Took a higher level role before I realised that the additional 20% pay for 100% more stress is not worth it and eventually moved on to a lower paying role with better work life balance.”

Another added that earning S$160,000 a year meant working 996 — from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week — at a minimum, breaking down multiple times and missing many important events with family and friends.

“Wife and I went out dating even less than when we were dirt poor. Bosses think my sleeping without my phone ringer on is ‘questionable ‘, and somehow they think responding to texts at 4 in the morning like they do is what I should aspire to climb towards. Pretty sure I spent all that extra money on therapy instead. 75k with a strict 5-day 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. behind-the-scenes non-managerial job is a blessing,” he said. /TISG

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