Flying instructors have soared to the top of Singapore’s earnings list, bringing home a median gross monthly salary of $20,000, according to the latest Occupational Wage Survey released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

Close behind are foreign exchange brokers with a median of $19,750, followed by in-house legal counsel at $17,972. The survey, conducted between July and December 2024, covered 407,800 full-time resident employees across private sector companies with at least 25 staff. Salaries in the public sector were excluded.

At the other end of the spectrum, some of the lowest median wages were found among bus attendants, construction labourers, and laundry workers, with pay ranging from $1,400 to $1,560.

Flying instructors also lead at the upper end of the scale. At the 75th percentile, they earn $30,000, but those in the 25th percentile take home just $8,050 — reflecting one of the widest gaps in median-level wages across occupations.

Industry experts say the figures are not surprising. Fabian Lim, an aviation consultant at WingsAcademy.sg, explained that only a small group of instructors reach the $20,000 mark, usually airline pilot trainers with 15 to 20 years of experience. In contrast, junior instructors working to build flying hours, or those giving private lessons in smaller planes, tend to earn much less.

Jezreel Mok, chief pilot at Aviation Hub, noted that the type of aircraft also matters. “Those training pilots on Airbus or Boeing jets can command higher salaries. But if you’re teaching beginners in smaller propeller planes, your income will likely fall below the 25th percentile,” he said.

Company size is another key factor. MOM data shows instructors working for firms with more than 200 employees earn nearly $13,000 more than their peers in smaller organisations. This pay gap also applies to roles like sales executives, management consultants and directors. However, certain professions — including general practitioners, actuaries, and advocates — sometimes earn more in smaller companies.

The report also highlights gender disparities. For men, the best-paid positions are flying instructor, foreign exchange broker, in-house lawyer, oil and bunker trader, and economist, with median pay between $16,808 and $20,000. Among women, the top earners include in-house legal counsel, chief information and security officers, foreign exchange dealers, chief operating officers, and commercial airline pilots, earning between $12,179 and $17,477.

While men generally out-earn women in roles such as economist, HR consultant and IT quality assurance specialist, women lead in fields like security operations, attractions management and beauty services. Some jobs, including executive search consultant, auxiliary police officer, and reflexologist, show no gender pay gap.

Pay also evolves with age and experience. Among 25- to 29-year-olds, the highest median salaries are seen in software and app management, in-house legal counsel and forex trading. In their 30s, top earners include in-house lawyers, brokers and management consultants. By their 40s, flying instructors and oil traders typically hit the $20,000 mark. For those in their 50s, the top five roles are in-house counsel, flying instructor, forex dealer, financial adviser and airline pilot.

Certain jobs, such as financial advisers, ICT professionals and business valuers, see income rise steadily with age, while others, like management consultants, auditors and securities dealers, often peak in their 40s before declining in later years.

The MOM figures reflect gross monthly pay, including basic and overtime wages, commissions and allowances, but exclude employer CPF contributions, bonuses, stock options and payments in kind.

In a separate MOM report released in January, the overall median salary for full-time resident employees in 2024 was $4,860, excluding employer CPF contributions.