Expats' salaries, benefits on the rise in Singapore

Middle managers get US$259,000.

Expats’ salaries and benefits packages are on the rise in Singapore, a report by ECA International revealed today.

The report showed that the republic has the seventh-highest expatriate pay packages in the region, down from last year’s sixth position despite the cost of a package having risen over twelve months.

The value of a typical total expatriate package for Middle Managers in Singapore is US$259,000.

Expatriate packages in Singapore are still lower than in Hong Kong, ranked 5th. However, ECA noted that the gap between the two territories continues to narrow.

Singapore is behind South Korea and Hong Kong. Japan still has the highest expat benefit package in the region, followed by Australia, India and China.

The rising cost of an expatriate package in Singapore will make some companies think twice about where they set up in the region. However, the country’s reputation for providing an excellent quality of life is a big plus in terms of motivating employees to accept an assignment there. Furthermore, there are ways in which companies can contain costs – we see many revising housing allowances down or using an approach based around local salaries topped up with additional benefits rather than using the employee’s salary at home as a starting point,” said Lee Quane, Regional director – Asia, ECA International.