Skilled tradesmen are essential workers in Singapore and across the world, and their salary is an important indicator of how much they’re appreciated by society at large.
Remuneration will also be a consideration for younger people who might want to take up such jobs.
Thus, a Parliamentary Question (PQ) asked how much a skilled tradesman in Singapore earns.
Source: Robert Linder on Unsplash
The reply was that their average salary is S$3,100 and the average age is 53 years old.
The PQ was asked by Aljunied MP Gerald Giam to the Manpower Minister for a sitting on or after Wednesday (22 Nov).
In a written answer, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) revealed the median and average salaries of Singapore residents employed full-time under the occupational group “Craftsmen and Related Trades Workers”.
In short, their median salary is S$2,700, i.e. the figure that represents the middle number in all the salaries in the group.
Their average salary, on the other hand, is S$3,100 — i.e. the total of all the individual salaries divided by the number of workers.
For the uninitiated, the group “Craftsmen and Related Trades Workers” covers a wide range of trades requiring varying levels of skill, MOM said.
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According to the Singapore Standard Occupational Classification 2020, it comprises professions like:
A total of 53,000 residents and 133,000 non-residents are employed under this occupational group in Singapore, MOM said.
MOM also revealed the ages of skilled tradesmen in Singapore, as prompted by Mr Giam’s question.
The median age of a skilled tradesman in Singapore is 56.
The average age, however, is 53.
Additionally, Mr Giam asked for an update on the Government’s efforts to attract more young Singaporeans to such jobs.
MOM replied that the Government is working with the NTUC, industry associations, and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) in this regard.
They are collaborating to develop new initiatives to “professionalise skilled trades”. For example, by offering clearer career and skills progression ladders.
Source: Ryno Marais on Unsplash
Details of these initiatives will be announced at a later date.
However, MOM noted that a “whole-of-society effort will be needed” so the diverse contributions of tradespeople can be better recognised.
After all, their services “are essential to our daily lives”, the ministry said, adding:
Consumers and employers must also be willing to fairly reward tradespeople who have honed their skills to provide high-quality services.
Hopefully, these efforts will lead to an improvement in the lives of these essential workers.
Also read: S’poreans Can Give Feedback On Career Support They Need, Help Shape Policies For Workers
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Featured image adapted from frank mckenna on Unsplash.
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