AI/ML Engineer Is Now Singapore's Top-Paying Job for Under-30s

Artificial intelligence and machine learning engineering has become the single highest-paying occupation for young workers in Singapore, with a median gross monthly wage of S$8,970 for those aged 25 to 29. The figure comes from Ministry of Manpower data covering 30 occupations where under-30s already out-earn the national median of S$5,775 — and it puts AI engineers ahead of lawyers, doctors, and finance professionals. IT companies are now paying top young AI talent more than S$100,000 a year.

The list is dominated by tech and finance, which account for 10 and nine of the 30 occupations respectively. Data scientists (S$7,000), software developers (S$6,400), cloud specialists (S$6,380) and even data centre engineers (S$5,798) all clear the national median, based on MOM's June 2025 wage data. For context, the median fresh graduate salary in Singapore is S$4,500 — meaning AI engineers are earning roughly double that before turning 30.

The pay premium is only widening. International tech giants from the US and China are competing for Singapore-trained AI graduates, with packages reported as high as S$350,000 for the most sought-after candidates. That puts Singapore at the centre of a global bidding war for AI talent, and local employers now have to match offers from some of the world's most valuable companies. For young Singaporeans, it makes AI skills arguably the fastest route to financial security in today's labour market.

Why it matters for Singapore: The data underscores how central AI has become to the city-state's economy — and how quickly the skills market is repricing. With the government pushing AI adoption through Smart Nation initiatives, SkillsFuture retraining and university AI programmes, homegrown AI talent is turning into a strategic national asset. For workers, the message is straightforward: AI-related skills are the surest path to the top of Singapore's pay ladder, and the window to build them is wide open right now.