🇸🇬 Hire in Singapore: cost, rules and best EOR options
English-speaking, highly skilled, politically stable hub in APAC with a transparent legal system and no income tax withholding burden for employers, though salaries are high.
- Employer on-costs: 0.25–17.25% of gross salary (on a $60,000 salary, about $60,150–$70,350 total)
- EOR onboarding: not verified; own entity: not verified
- Probation: Contractual; commonly 3-6 months. Employment Act does not fix a length.
- Currency: Singapore dollar (SGD)
- Data confidence: medium, verified 2026-10-05
Get matched for SingaporeCalculate cost
What it costs to employ someone in Singapore
Employer on-costs run roughly 0.25–17.25% on top of gross salary. High = CPF employer 17% on ordinary wages up to SGD 8,000 a month (Singapore citizens and PRs aged 55 and below) + SDL 0.25%. Low = SDL only (0.25%, min SGD 2, max SGD 11.25 per month), which is all that applies for foreign employees on Employment Pass or S Pass, who are outside CPF (a foreign worker levy applies to some work permit categories). CPF rates are lower for employees over 55 and for first-year PRs (not itemised).
| Contribution | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CPF (Central Provident Fund) - employer | 17% (age 55 and below); lower for older workers | Ordinary wage ceiling SGD 8,000 a month from 1 January 2026; employee share 20% (PwC). |
| SDL (Skills Development Levy) | 0.25% of monthly wages (min SGD 2, max SGD 11.25) | Applies to all employees including foreigners. |
| Foreign Worker Levy | monthly levy by pass type | PwC notes an employer-paid levy for certain foreign workers; not applicable to most Employment Pass holders (not verified). |
Employer withholds the employee CPF share (20% for those 55 and below; PwC) from citizens and PRs. There is no withholding of income tax at source for employees; employees file annually.
Mandatory benefits
- CPF for citizens and PRs
- Annual leave: minimum 7 days after 3 months' service, rising by one day per year up to 14
- Sick leave: 14 days outpatient and 60 days hospitalisation after 3 months
- Public holidays (11)
- Maternity leave 16 weeks (government co-funded)
Employment rules at a glance
| Payroll | Monthly; salary due within 7 days after the end of the salary period; CPF due by the 14th of the following month (general knowledge) |
|---|---|
| Probation | Contractual; commonly 3-6 months. Employment Act does not fix a length. |
| Notice & severance | Notice per contract; if silent, 1 day to 4 weeks by length of service. No statutory severance; retrenchment benefits follow tripartite guidelines (commonly 2 weeks to 1 month per year of service) for employees with 2+ years' service. |
| Working time | 44 hours per week for covered employees, 8 hours per day (5-day week); overtime at 1.5x for covered workers up to the salary ceiling. |
| Paid leave | 7 days annual leave in the first year rising to 14 days (Employment Act minimum), plus 11 public holidays; sick leave 14/60 days after 3 months' service (general knowledge). |
| Minimum wage | No general statutory minimum wage; Progressive Wage Model applies to certain sectors (cleaning, security, landscape and others). Not verified in detail. |
Termination
Wrongful dismissal claims go through TADM and the Employment Claims Tribunal. Employers must notify MOM of retrenchments (for those with 10+ employees). Discrimination law (Workplace Fairness) is being phased in.
Employee or contractor in Singapore?
Freelance and contractor arrangements are allowed; the 'contract for service' is judged by substance. Platform and freelancer protections exist; misclassification risk is low to moderate.
Compare contractor vs employee cost →
Hiring through an EOR in Singapore
A foreign company can set up a Pte Ltd quickly or use an EOR; foreign hires need a work pass (EP or S Pass), which depend on salary thresholds (not verified here). EORs can sponsor passes. Timelines not verified.
Typical onboarding: EOR not verified; own entity not verified. SGT, UTC+8 all year with no DST; 12-13 hours ahead of US Eastern.
Providers worth shortlisting
| Provider | Best for | EOR pricing | Coverage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deel | Companies that want one platform for contractors, EOR and a US PEO, with transparent per-seat list prices. | $599 per EOR employee per month (public list price, checked 2026-10-05) | 150+ countries (vendor claim, per Deel's own and third-party descriptions) | Visit Deel |
| Remote | Teams that want a published price for each product (EOR, global payroll, contractors, contractor of record, US PEO) and an affiliate program with 12-month revenue share. | $699 per employee/month (public list price, checked 2026-10-05) | 90+ countries for EOR (vendor pricing page claim) | Visit Remote |
| Rippling | Companies already running (or willing to adopt) a unified HR, IT and finance platform who want global hiring as an add-on module. | — | Visit Rippling | |
| Oyster | Distributed teams that want published EOR and contractor prices and a long-running affiliate program with tiered revenue share. | $699 per employee/month (public list price, checked 2026-10-05); annual discounts available; refundable deposit required | 120+ countries EOR; contractors in 180+ countries (vendor claim) | Visit Oyster |
| Papaya Global | Mid-size and larger companies that need multi-country payroll orchestration and workforce payments, and will go through a sales process. | 160+ countries (vendor claim as repeated on FlexOffers listing and third-party pages) | Visit Papaya Global | |
| Multiplier | Cost-conscious teams that want EOR priced below $500 per employee with an annual discount. | Third-party summary of Multiplier's pricing: EOR from $459/employee/month on annual contracts and $499 on monthly contracts (not confirmed; multiplier pricing page returned 403 to our fetch) | — | Visit Multiplier |
| Remofirst | Small teams that want the lowest published EOR starting price and a free contractor tier. | Starting at $199 per person/month (public list price, checked 2026-10-05); 'no hidden fees, setup fees, or minimum contract terms' per vendor page | 185+ countries for EOR (vendor claim) | Visit Remofirst |
| Pebl (formerly Velocity Global) | Companies that want an EOR with a tiered reseller/partner program and are comfortable with a recently rebranded vendor. | Third-party reports a flat $399 per employee/month (not confirmed on vendor page; hellopebl.com/pricing returned 404) | 185+ countries (third-party report) | Visit Pebl (formerly Velocity Global) |
Paying and covering your team in Singapore
Related
FAQ
What employer contribution applies in Singapore?
CPF at 17% for citizens and PRs aged 55 and below on wages up to SGD 8,000 a month, plus a 0.25% SDL.
Do foreign employees get CPF?
No. Employment Pass and S Pass holders are outside CPF but still attract SDL.
Is severance mandatory?
No statutory severance; retrenchment benefit norms apply.
Is there a minimum wage?
No general minimum wage; sector Progressive Wage Models apply.