Singapore's Public Sector Pays 107% More for AI Talent, PwC Finds
Source: The Business Times
Singapore's public sector pays a 107% wage premium for AI-skilled roles, the highest of any sector, according to PwC's 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer. AI job postings surged to 5.3% of all listings in 2025, with 84,000 AI-related roles and most demand for AI users rather than AI builders.
Singapore's government and public sector now pays a 107% wage premium for roles requiring AI skills compared to non-AI jobs in the same sector, according to PwC's Singapore edition of its 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer. Consumer markets follow close behind at 96%, making AI skills the fastest-rising salary multiplier in the local labour market.
The report shows that AI-related job postings accounted for 5.3% of all listings in 2025, up from 3.3% a year earlier — an influx of roughly 30,000 new AI-tagged roles. Notably, 82% of those listings were for "AI user" roles (fluency with AI tools), not AI developer roles, meaning baseline AI literacy is becoming table stakes across functions.
PwC's data also pushes back against the narrative that AI primarily destroys jobs. High AI-exposure occupations accounted for more than half of all hiring activity, and 18.9% of companies reported redesigning existing job functions rather than eliminating them. The public sector premium is the clearest signal yet that the government is competing aggressively for AI talent to drive its Smart Nation and NAIS 2.0 ambitions.
Why it matters for Singapore: A 107% public sector wage premium means the government isn't just talking about AI — it's outbidding the private sector for the people who can build it. That level of investment signals real institutional commitment behind initiatives like the National AI Council and National AI Impact Programme. For Singaporeans, the message is clear: AI literacy isn't optional anymore, and the public sector is where the pay premium is right now.