ML engineer salary
ML engineer salary in Singapore
Percentile salary data for ml engineer roles in Singapore, SG, by seniority. Senior-level figures include total compensation where regionally applicable. Figures are shown in USD by default, with the local SGD amount alongside; use the currency switcher to change the display.
Singapore carries a cost-of-living index of 96 on the Numbeo and Mercer blended scale where New York City equals 100, a high cost of living that is close to New York City. The figures below are nominal pay in SGD; read them alongside that index when comparing Singapore with other markets.
Median pay by seniority
Median pay by seniority
Junior
US$69,560 (local: $94,000)
Base p50
Mid
US$107,300 (local: $145,000)
Base p50
Senior
US$225,700 (local: $305,000)
Total comp p50
Staff
US$428,460 (local: $579,000)
Total comp p50
Distribution
Percentile distribution
10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile by seniority, shown in the local currency (SGD). The detailed table below defaults to USD.
Salary percentiles by seniority, in SGD. Junior: 10th percentile SGD 61,000, 25th SGD 77,000, median SGD 94,000, 75th SGD 118,000, 90th percentile SGD 146,000. Mid: 10th percentile SGD 94,000, 25th SGD 119,000, median SGD 145,000, 75th SGD 181,000, 90th percentile SGD 225,000. Senior: 10th percentile SGD 198,000, 25th SGD 250,000, median SGD 305,000, 75th SGD 381,000, 90th percentile SGD 472,000. Staff: 10th percentile SGD 417,000, 25th SGD 498,000, median SGD 579,000, 75th SGD 782,000, 90th percentile SGD 1,043,000.
Detailed figures
| Seniority | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Comp | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| junior | US$45,140 | US$56,980 | US$69,560 | US$87,320 | US$108,040 | Base | 320 |
| mid | US$69,560 | US$88,060 | US$107,300 | US$133,940 | US$166,500 | Base | 480 |
| senior | US$146,520 | US$185,000 | US$225,700 | US$281,940 | US$349,280 | Total comp | 220 |
| staff | US$308,580 | US$368,520 | US$428,460 | US$578,680 | US$771,820 | Total comp | Not reported |
Source: Levels.fyi 2025 + US BLS OES May 2024 (SOC 15-1299.09) (2025) https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/focus/ml-ai, cost-of-living index 96 (NYC=100)
How pay grows with seniority
Each step compares the median (50th percentile) of one tier with the next, using the figures in the table above for ml engineer roles in Singapore.
- Moving from mid to senior, the median rises roughly 110% in Singapore.
- Moving from senior to staff, the median rises roughly 90% in Singapore.
- Across the full ladder, the highest tier median is about 6.2x the entry tier for ml engineer roles here, before negotiation and individual level calibration.
Take-home
After-tax pay and per-month take-home
Headline salaries are gross. What lands in your account after income tax and mandatory contributions is what actually pays the rent, so here is the estimated split on the Singapore senior median.
Gross / year
$305,000
Senior median (50th pct)
Take-home / year
$246,650
81% of gross
Take-home / month
$20,554
from $25,417 gross
Effective rate
19%
tax + contributions
On a senior median of $305,000 in Singapore, an estimated $58,350 goes to income tax and mandatory contributions, leaving roughly $246,650 take-home, or about 81% of gross.
That deduction breaks down as roughly $37,950 in income tax and $20,400 in social contributions at this income level in Singapore.
In monthly terms that is about $20,554 net from $25,417 gross a month, the figure that actually lands in a ml engineer's account before pension or benefit elections.
Affordability
Is this a good salary in Singapore?
"Good" depends on what the city costs. Type your own figure below to see the estimated take-home and how far it goes against Singapore's single-person cost of living, or read the verdict on the senior median first.
Enter an annual gross figure to see the estimated take-home and how it compares with Singapore's single-person cost of living. Estimate based on Singapore IRAS 2025 + employee CPF.
Take-home / year
$246,650
81% of gross
Take-home / month
$20,554
from $25,417 gross
Est. monthly living cost
$7,395
incl. ~$5,449 rent
Left over / month
$13,159
64% of take-home
very comfortable in Singapore
On $305,000 gross, your estimated take-home covers typical single-person living costs with close to half of take-home left over, and rent stays inside the conventional 30% guideline. Rent is about 27% of monthly take-home here.
Reference estimate for a single filer with no dependants, using published 2025/2026 statutory bands and a cost-of-living index where New York City equals 100. It is not tax advice or a personalised calculation. Real take-home and living costs vary with filing status, pension elections, allowances, and where exactly you live.
Against Singapore's single-person cost base, a senior ml engineer on this median is very comfortable: the estimated take-home of $20,554 a month covers typical single-person living costs with close to half of take-home left over, and rent stays inside the conventional 30% guideline.
Typical single-person monthly costs in Singapore, including roughly $5,449 for a one-bedroom rental, come to about $7,395, which would leave around $13,159 discretionary each month at the median.
Rent works out at about 27% of monthly take-home here, against the conventional 30% guideline often used as a reference point.
The verdict is descriptive, not advice: it compares one number against a modelled cost base. Living costs and tax both vary with circumstances this page cannot see.
What drives the range
Why the same job title in Singapore can span the spread shown above. These are descriptions of the data, not guidance on what to ask for.
- Base versus total compensation
- Senior and staff figures here are reported as total compensation, so they fold in bonus and equity rather than base salary alone. The mid and junior rows are base only, which is part of why the step up between mid and senior looks larger than the raw seniority multiplier.
- Cost of living
- Singapore carries a cost-of-living index of 96 on a scale where New York City is 100. Local pay levels track local market rates and tech employer presence, not the cost-of-living index directly, so a lower index does not translate one-for-one into lower real pay.
- Role premium
- ML engineer pay is anchored to occupation-specific medians from the underlying labour statistics, then adjusted for the local tech market. Specialisation, scarcity of the skill set, and the mix of employers hiring for it in Singapore all feed the published range.
The Singapore market
Singapore functions as the tech gateway to Southeast Asia. Regional headquarters of American and Chinese platforms, homegrown super-apps, and a dense banking sector drive demand, with government-linked digital projects adding another steady employer. Hiring is efficient and businesslike; loops are shorter than Silicon Valley's, and offers arrive quickly when there is a fit. English is the working language everywhere. Work-pass policy has tightened, with salary floors that rise with age and a points framework favouring specialised skills, so sponsorship is realistic for senior engineers and harder for junior ones. Low income tax flatters take-home pay, but rent has climbed sharply and housing will absorb much of that advantage for newcomers.
Cost-of-living-adjusted pay
Singapore has a cost of living about 4% lower than New York City. Because the two report in different currencies, compare the percentile tables directly rather than the headline numbers.
Real-terms figures divide the nominal median by the city cost-of-living index (New York City = 100). They are a rough purchasing-power comparison, not a take-home or after-tax calculation.
Methodology and sources
The mid-level median anchors to occupation medians from the sources below, then scales by the documented seniority multipliers (junior 0.65x, mid 1.00x, senior 1.45x, staff 2.05x) and the local tech-pay level for Singapore. The 10th, 25th, 75th, and 90th percentiles are fitted from the median using the cross-sectional dispersion that the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports for software occupations. Cost-of-living indices blend Numbeo 2025 and Mercer 2025.
Primary source for this slice: Levels.fyi 2025 + US BLS OES May 2024 (SOC 15-1299.09) (2025). https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/focus/ml-ai
Reference data only. Reported medians describe a market; individual pay varies by employer, level calibration, and negotiation. Nothing here is financial advice.
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