Hiring an employee in Singapore comes with more than just salary payments. From social security and pension obligations to onboarding, equipment, and relocation, the True Cost of Employment in Singapore is often much higher than expected. This Singapore Recruitment Cost Calculator for 2025 gives business owners, HR teams, and financial planners a complete view of what it really costs to hire a new team member. By including every major employment expense, you can build smarter budgets and avoid underestimating your staffing costs. For a full explanation of how each cost element is calculated, view the supporting employment cost guide for Singapore in 2025.
Understanding the calculations behind the Singapore Recruitment Cost Calculator 2025
Whether you are the Director of a multi-million organisation, setting up a new company in Singapore , or have a business venture in Singapore, knowing where your money goes and how much you spend on employment resources is essential. Staff costs in Singapore are one of the biggest expenditures for a company, but it isn’t just wages that cost the business money, there are additional expenditures, known more commonly as 'on-costs' or 'onboarding-costs'.
Calculating the true cost of an employee in Singapore can seem very complex but, as with most financial calculations with multiple elements, they can each be placed into simple cost buckets which allow us to provide a simple working formula:
tce = sc + bc + oc + fc
where:
- tce = The True Cost of an Employee in Singapore
- sc = Salary Costs in Singapore
- bc = Benefit Costs in Singapore
- oc = Onboarding Costs in Singapore
- fc = Facilities in Singapore
Each of these costs includes a number of sub elements which are defined within the calculator where you can enter specific amounts or a percentage rate for benchmarking expenditure. Please review the supporting guide "Calculating the 'True Cost of an Employee in Singapore' in 2025" which explains the associated costs computed within this calculator.
The True Cost of an Employee in Singapore Calculator is similar to the Cost Per Hire Calculator with the addition of live income tax and salary deductions for an employee working in Singapore in 2025.
📌 Tip: Employers in Singapore should always factor in these mandatory contributions when budgeting for new hires, as they can increase the true cost of an employee by 17% or more depending on local laws.
Singapore Payroll and Social Security Contributions in 2025
When calculating the full cost of hiring an employee in Singapore, it’s crucial to understand that employer expenses extend far beyond the basic salary. Mandatory contributions to social security, pension schemes, and payroll taxes can add a significant percentage to your overall employment costs.
The tables below outline the current Singapore payroll deductions and social security rates for both employers and employees in 2025. These statutory costs form part of your legal obligations and vary depending on the employee’s income level and the applicable contribution category.
As shown, the employer must pay a portion of social security for each employee, and in some cases, may also be responsible for topping up employee contributions through gross-up or benefit matching schemes. The combination of salary, benefits, onboarding costs, and these statutory deductions contributes to what we refer to as the true cost of employment.
Singapore Social Security in 2025: Rates for Employers and Employees| Social security category | Employee | Employer | Total |
|---|
| Central Provident Fund (CPF) | 20% | 17% | 37% |
| Foreign Worker Levy (FWL) | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Singapore Social Security in 2025: Earnings Thresholds for Employers and Employees| Social security category | Employee | Employer |
|---|
| Min. | Max. | Min. | Max. |
|---|
| Central Provident Fund (CPF) | $ 600.00 | $ 88,800.00 | $ 600.00 | $ 88,800.00 |
| Foreign Worker Levy (FWL) | n/a | n/a | n/a | $ 6,600.00 |
Singapore Cost of Employment: Tax Years available
We currently support the following tax years for employee cost calculations in Singapore, if you require additional tax years, please get in touch and we can add them to the list of available tax years.