Local Qualifying Salary

Wage condition for firms hiring foreign workers

LQS is S$1,800 under the reviewed MOM page. Firms hiring Work Permit, S Pass or EP holders must pay covered local workers the applicable PWM and other local employees at least LQS. Failure prevents new work-pass applications and renewals. LQS is reviewed regularly; use the effective official schedule for the salary period concerned.

Required gross wages
Working arrangement	Requirement
Part-time, under 35 hours weekly	At least S$10.50 gross per hour. For monthly-rated part-time work, divide monthly gross wages by total hours worked in that month.
Full-time, 35–44 hours weekly	At least S$1,800 gross per month
Full-time, over 44 hours weekly	Minimum increases with each overtime hour; use the linked LQS schedule.

Quota counting is a separate calculation

A citizen or PR under a contract of service, including an employed director, counts as 1 local worker if monthly pay is at least S$1,800, or 0.5 if it is at least S$900 but below S$1,800. MOM’s example: a part-timer working 10 hours weekly receives S$500 monthly, about S$11.50 an hour, meeting the hourly LQS requirement. However, the worker does not contribute to quota because monthly pay is below S$900. Use the quota calculator and local-count guide to plan Work Permit and S Pass hiring. PW Portal lets employees check records.

Complete LQS overtime schedule

The schedule updated 1 July 2026 lists every 0–72 paid monthly overtime-hour requirement for full-time locals working beyond 44 weekly hours. At 0 hours the floor is S$1,800; at 10 it is S$1,932; at 72 it is S$2,751. Check any additional Employment Act pay duty separately.

All LQS thresholds
Monthly paid overtime hours	Minimum gross wage
0	S$1,800
1	S$1,813
2	S$1,826
3	S$1,839
4	S$1,852
5	S$1,866
6	S$1,879
7	S$1,892
8	S$1,905
9	S$1,918
10	S$1,932
11	S$1,945
12	S$1,958
13	S$1,971
14	S$1,985
15	S$1,998
16	S$2,011
17	S$2,024
18	S$2,037
19	S$2,051
20	S$2,064
21	S$2,077
22	S$2,090
23	S$2,103
24	S$2,117
25	S$2,130
26	S$2,143
27	S$2,156
28	S$2,170
29	S$2,183
30	S$2,196
31	S$2,209
32	S$2,222
33	S$2,236
34	S$2,249
35	S$2,262
36	S$2,275
37	S$2,289
38	S$2,302
39	S$2,315
40	S$2,328
41	S$2,341
42	S$2,355
43	S$2,368
44	S$2,381
45	S$2,394
46	S$2,407
47	S$2,421
48	S$2,434
49	S$2,447
50	S$2,460
51	S$2,474
52	S$2,487
53	S$2,500
54	S$2,513
55	S$2,526
56	S$2,540
57	S$2,553
58	S$2,566
59	S$2,579
60	S$2,593
61	S$2,606
62	S$2,619
63	S$2,632
64	S$2,645
65	S$2,659
66	S$2,672
67	S$2,685
68	S$2,698
69	S$2,711
70	S$2,725
71	S$2,738
72	S$2,751