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The Ultimate Guide To: Starting Salary For Fresh University Graduates
31st July 2019
Fresh university graduates have been reported to earn a higher starting pay as compared to their seniors, ranging from S$4,000 to S$5,000 a month in business and computing areas.
The median salary of a Singaporean is $4,437, what about the salary that you should be getting and what your peers are getting?
The key takeaway from this article is for you:
- You are choosing your university course
- To manage your expectations before an interview
- You wish to know the similar situations of the peers before you
- TO KNOW YOUR WORTH
TL;DR – Which University Graduates Hold The Highest Salary On Average For Each Faculty
Do note that we are using the basic salary for the calculation. Basic salary refers to only full-time permanently employed graduates. It comprises of the pay before deduction of employee’s CPF contributions and personal income tax. Income such as Employer’s CPF contributions, bonuses, stock options, overtime payments, commissions, fixed allowances, other regular cash payments, lump-sum payments, and payments-in-kind are all excluded.
- Business Degree: $3,600 a month from SMU (Out of 5 universities)
- Arts & Social Sciences Degree: $3,257 a month from NUS(Out of 4 universities)
- Sciences Degree: $3,315 a month from NTU (Out of 3 universities)
- Engineering Degree: $3,933 a month from SUTD (Out of 4 universities)
- Computing Degree: $4,450 a month from NTU (Out of 3 universities)
- Law Degree: $5,000 a month from NUS (Out of 2 universities)
- Medicine/ Nursing Degree: $3,400 a month from SIT (Out of 2 universities)
- Design: $3,900 a month from SUTD (Out of 3 universities)
| Faculties | NUS | NTU | SMU | SIT | SUTD | SUSS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business | $3,263 | $3,500 | $3,600 | $3,050 | - | $3,200 |
| Arts & Social Sciences | $3,257 | $3,180 | $3,200 | $3,109 | - | - |
| Sciences | $3,267 | $3,315 | - | $2,946 | - | - |
| Engineering | $3,538 | $3,526 | - | $3,115 | $3,933 | - |
| Computing | $4,352 | $4,450 | - | $3,600 | - | - |
| Law | $5,000 | - | $4,500 | - | - | - |
| Medicine/ Nursing | $3,300 | - | - | $3,400 | - | - |
| Music | $1,750 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Dentistry | $4,050 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Education | - | $3,775 | - | - | - | - |
| Sports | - | $3,200 | - | - | - | - |
| Design | $3,180 | - | - | $2,650 | $3,900 | - |
*Salary figures have been rounded up to the nearest dollar.
Fresh Graduates Starting Salary
Figures are taken from graduates who have completed the graduate employment survey by the Ministry of Education in 2017.
Don’t worry if it has been a while since you have graduated, we have also compiled a salary guide for you to reference to too!
Which university did you graduate from?
Basic Salary Of Graduates From National University of Singapore (NUS)
| Degree From NUS | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences | |
| Bachelor of Arts | $3,070 |
| Bachelor of Arts (Hons) | $3,300 |
| Bachelor of Social Sciences | $3,400 |
| Faculty of Dentistry | |
| Bachelor of Dental Surgery | $4,050 |
| Faculty of Engineering | |
| Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical Engineering) | $3,300 |
| Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical Engineering) | $3,700 |
| Bachelor of Engineering (Civil Engineering) | $3,500 |
| Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical Engineering) | $3,600 |
| Bachelor of Engineering (Engineering Science) | N.A. |
| Bachelor of Engineering (Environmental Engineering) | $3,300 |
| Bachelor of Engineering (Industrial and Systems Engineering) | $3,800 |
| Bachelor of Engineering (Materials Science and Engineering) | $3,600 |
| Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) | $3,500 |
| Faculty of Law | |
| Bachelor of Laws | $5,000 |
| Faculty of Science | |
| Bachelor of Science | $3,000 |
| Bachelor of Science (Hons) | $3,300 |
| Bachelor of Science (Computational Biology) | N.A. |
| Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy) | $3,500 |
| NUS Business School | |
| Bachelor of Business Administration | $3,150 |
| Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons) | $3,800 |
| Bachelor of Business Administration (Accountancy) | $3,000 |
| Bachelor of Business Administration (Accountancy) (Hons) | $3,100 |
| School of Computing | |
| Bachelor of Computing (Communications and Media) | N.A. |
| Bachelor of Computing (Computational Biology) | N.A. |
| Bachelor of Computing (Computer Science) | $4,280 |
| Bachelor of Computing (Electronic Commerce) | N.A. |
| Bachelor of Computing (Information Security) | N.A. |
| Bachelor of Computing (Information Systems) | $4,375 |
| Bachelor of Science (Business Analytics) | $4,400 |
| School of Design & Environment | |
| Bachelor of Arts (Architecture) | N.A. |
| Bachelor of Arts (Industrial Design) | $3,200 |
| Bachelor of Science (Project and Facilities Management) | $3,040 |
| Bachelor of Science (Real Estate) | $3,300 |
| Yong Loo Lin School (Medicine) | |
| Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery | N.A. |
| Bachelor of Science (Nursing) | $3,250 |
| Bachelor of Science (Nursing) (Hons) | $3,350 |
| YST Conservatory of Music | |
| Bachelor of Music | $1,750 |
| Yale-NUS College | |
| Bachelor of Arts with Honours | $3,600 |
| Bachelor of Science with Honours | $4,800 |
| Multi-Disciplinary Programmes | |
| Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Engineering) | $3,800 |
| Bachelor of Environmental Studies | $3,414 |
Basic Salary Of Graduates From Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
| Degree From NTU | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| College of Business (Nanyang Business School) | |
| Accountancy | $3,000 |
| Accountancy and Business | $4,000 |
| Business | $3,500 |
| Business and Computing | $4,450 |
| College of Engineering | |
| Aerospace Engineering | $3,625 |
| Aerospace Engineering and Economics | N.A. |
| Bioengineering | $3,500 |
| Business and Computer Engineering | N.A. |
| Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering | $3,500 |
| Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and Economics | N.A. |
| Civil Engineering | $3,400 |
| Computer Engineering | $3,700 |
| Computer Engineering and Economics | N.A. |
| Computer Science | $3,800 |
| Electrical & Electronic Engineering | $3,500 |
| Environmental Engineering | $3,360 |
| Environmental Engineering and Economics | N.A. |
| Information Engineering & Media | $3,725 |
| Maritime Studies | $3,300 |
| Materials Engineering | $3,400 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $3,500 |
| College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences | |
| Art, Design & Media | $2,800 |
| Chinese | $3,150 |
| Communication Studies | $3,000 |
| Economics | $3,500 |
| English | $3,000 |
| History | $3,500 |
| Linguistics & Multilingual Studies | $3,200 |
| Philosophy | $3,000 |
| Psychology | $3,300 |
| Public Policy and Global Affairs | $3,350 |
| Sociology | $3,175 |
| College of Science | |
| Biological Sciences | $3,200 |
| Biomedical Sciences | N.A. |
| Biomedical Sciences & Chinese Medicine6 * | $3,000 |
| Chemistry & Biological Chemistry | $3,167 |
| Environmental Earth Systems Science* | $3,440 |
| Mathematical Sciences | $3,600 |
| Mathematics & Economics | $3,500 |
| Physics & Applied Physics | $3,300 |
| National Institute Of Education (NIE) | |
| Arts (With Education) | $3,750 |
| Science (With Education) | $3,800 |
| Sport Science and Management | |
| Sport Science and Management | $3,200 |
Basic Salary Of Graduates From Singapore Management University (SMU)
| Degree From SMU | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| School of Accountancy (4-year programme) | |
| Accountancy | $3,000 |
| Cum Laude and above | $3,450 |
| School of Business (4-year programme) | |
| Business Management | $3,600 |
| Cum Laude and above | $4,000 |
| School of Economics (4-year programme) | |
| Economics | $3,500 |
| Cum Laude and above | $4,000 |
| School of Information Systems (4-year programme) | |
| Information Systems | $4,000 |
| Cum Laude and above | $4,650 |
| School of Social Sciences (4-year programme) | |
| Social Sciences | $3,200 |
| Cum Laude and above | $3,550 |
| School of Law (4-year programme) | |
| Law | $4,500 |
| Cum Laude and above | $4,750 |
Basic Salary Of Graduates From Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT)
| Degree From SIT | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| DigiPen Institute of Technology | |
| Bachelor of Arts in Game Design | $3000 |
| Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Arts & Animation | $2825 |
| Bachelor of Science in Computer Science & Game Design | $3250 |
| Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in Real-Time Interactive Simulation | $3800 |
| The Glasgow School of Art | |
| Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Communication Design | $2600 |
| Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Interior Design | $2700 |
| Newcastle University | |
| Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Chemical Engineering | $3100 |
| Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Electrical Power Engineering | $3200 |
| Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Marine Engineering | $3300 |
| Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Mechanical Design & Manufacturing Engineering | $3000 |
| Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Naval Architecture | $3300 |
| Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Offshore Engineering* | 3300 |
| Bachelor of Science with Honours in Food & Human Nutrition | $2600 |
| Technische Universität München | |
| Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering | $3000 |
| Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering & Information Technology | $3175 |
| The Culinary Institute of America | |
| Bachelor of Professional Studies in Culinary Arts Management | $2300 |
| Singapore Institute of Technology -Trinity College Dublin / Trinity College Dublin | |
| Bachelor in Science (Diagnostic Radiography) | N.A. |
| Bachelor in Science (Occupational Therapy) | $3250 |
| Bachelor in Science (Physiotherapy) | $3350 |
| Bachelor in Science (Radiation Therapy) | N.A. |
| University of Glasgow | |
| Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Aeronautical Engineering | $3100 |
| Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Aerospace Systems | $3125 |
| Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Mechanical Design Engineering | $3100 |
| Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Mechatronics | $3050 |
| Bachelor of Science with Honours in Computing Science | $3600 |
| University of Manchester | |
| Bachelor of Science with Honours in Nursing Practice | $3400 |
| University of Liverpool | |
| Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Criminology and Security | $3800 |
| Wheelock College | |
| Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education | $2900 |
| Singapore Institute of Technology | |
| Bachelor of Accountancy with Honours | $3050 |
| Bachelor of Hospitality Business with Honours | $2700 |
Basic Salary Of Graduates From Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)
| Degree From SIT | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Bachelor of Engineering (Engineering Product Development) | $3,700 |
| Bachelor of Engineering (Information Systems Technology and Design) | $4,300 |
| Bachelor of Engineering (Engineering Systems and Design) | $3,800 |
| Bachelor of Science (Architecture and Sustainable Design) | $3,900 |
Basic Salary Of Graduates From Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS)
| Degree From SIT | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Bachelor of Accountancy | $3,000 |
| Bachelor of Science in Finance | $3,400 |
| Bachelor of Science in Marketing | $3,000 |
Source: MOE Graduate Employment Survey
Our community shared their personal experiences
They shared about their starting salary during their time and many spoke up about their personal experiences.
So it is time to see if the starting salary of a degree graduate that we all have been receiving over the years has gradually increased.
This is the MEDIAN salary of our community members across industries:
| Year | Median Salary (S$) |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 2,500 |
| 1997 | 2,300 |
| 2003 | 1,800 |
| 2004 | 3,100 |
| 2005 | 2,400 |
| 2006 | 1,800 |
| 2007 | 2,400 |
| 2008 | 2,400 |
| 2009 | 2,250 |
| 2010 | 3,275 |
| 2012 | 2,750 |
| 2013 | 2,300 |
| 2014 | 2,800 |
| 2015 | 3,300 |
| 2016 | 2,900 |
| 2017 | 3,500 |
| 2018 | 3,400 |
If you would like to read more of their stories and experiences, you can find them here.
If you read through the conversation, you might realise that not every industry had increased the graduates’ salary even from 14 years back!
This is an important finding to realise that wages ARE STICKY and we should manage our expectations when it comes to negotiating your pay with the HR.
Why Do We Use Median Salary?
In case you would like to know why we are using the median salary,
- Mean: An average of the salaries
- Median: The 50th Percentile, meaning the “central” graduate amongst everyone.
Median is a more accurate reference as data of the salaries received are not symmetrically distributed.
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