Jobstreet by SEEK’s latest Salary Pulse: Singapore 2026 report highlights a significant gap between perceived fairness and satisfaction with pay among Singaporean workers. Whilst nearly three-quarters of employees believe their compensation is fair, only 37% express genuine contentment with their earnings, placing Singapore among the least satisfied markets in the Asia Pacific region.
The report, conducted with research agency Nature, surveyed 1,008 employed Singaporeans aged 18 to 64. It reveals that younger workers, particularly Gen Z and millennials, are more likely to reassess their career paths if salary expectations are unmet. Specifically, 29% of Gen Z and 25% of millennials would consider changing roles if a pay rise falls short, compared to 20% of Gen X and 13% of baby boomers.
Transparency in salary discussions is increasingly important, with 77% of workers desiring internal disclosure of salary ranges. Despite this, only 7% feel “extremely comfortable” asking for a pay rise, with women and entry-level workers feeling the most uneasy. Jaslyn Koh, Head of Remuneration and Benefits, Asia, SEEK, noted, “Dissatisfaction is no longer driven purely by salary. Many workers feel they are working harder but not seeing meaningful movement in return.”
The report suggests that improving pay satisfaction requires deliberate action from both employers and employees. Employers should focus on transparency, progression pathways, and recognition frameworks, whilst employees need to prepare for evidence-based salary discussions. The findings underscore the importance of aligning expectations around pay, progression, and opportunity from the outset.
