In just five days, Singapore’s Occupational Progressive Wage (OPW) floors for resident administrators and drivers will reset upward. The National Wages Council’s 2025/2026 guidelines take effect on 1 July 2026, introducing a significantly redesigned salary structure for drivers and a meaningful uplift across all three tiers of administrative workers. Any firm that employs foreign workers and has resident administrators or drivers on its payroll must comply with the NWC OPW 2026 Singapore requirements — or risk jeopardising its work-pass eligibility.
Unlike sector-specific Progressive Wage Models (PWM) for cleaning, security, food services, and retail, the OPW is an occupational framework. It applies to administrative and driving roles across all industries, as long as the employer hires at least one foreign worker. This breadth means that many firms — even those in professional services, logistics, or healthcare — have resident employees in scope. For an overview of how the broader PWM framework operates alongside the OPW, see the Progressive Wage Model 2026 employer compliance guide at our related company, Raffles Corporate Services.
What Changes on 1 July 2026 for Administrative Workers
The OPW for administrators uses a three-tier structure: Administrative Assistants, Administrative Executives, and Administrative Supervisors. Per the Ministry of Manpower’s OPW page (last updated 19 November 2025), the monthly gross wage floors from 1 July 2026 are:
| Role | 1 Jul 2025–30 Jun 2026 | 1 Jul 2026–30 Jun 2027 | 1 Jul 2027–30 Jun 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Supervisor | S$3,160 | S$3,340 | S$3,520 |
| Administrative Executive | S$2,580 | S$2,760 | S$2,940 |
| Administrative Assistant | S$1,980 | S$2,170 | S$2,360 |
These are monthly gross wages including basic salary plus allowances such as transport, meal, and housing supplements, but excluding overtime payments, bonuses, and employer CPF contributions. Part-time administrators are covered by equivalent hourly floors (S$11.38/hour for an Administrative Assistant from 1 July 2026).
Notably, the revised tier descriptions from 1 July 2026 include updated job-duty expectations, particularly around digital tool proficiency. Administrative Executives are now expected to use digital systems to optimise workflows and process invoices, while Administrative Supervisors must manage complex chatbot or technology-enabled systems. Employers should review their current job descriptions before the changeover to ensure tier alignment.
The New NWC OPW Driver Structure from 1 July 2026
The driver OPW undergoes the most significant structural change since the framework was introduced. Previously, drivers were classified as either General Drivers or Specialised Drivers. From 1 July 2026, this is replaced by a Group A / Group B, Level 1 / Level 2 structure based on driving licence class.
Group A: Drivers with Class 3 or Below Licence (Cars, Vans, Motorcycles)
| Level | 1 Jul 2026–30 Jun 2027 | 1 Jul 2027–30 Jun 2028 |
|---|---|---|
| Group A Level 2 (mentoring, route planning, higher-value duties) | S$2,485 | S$2,665 |
| Group A Level 1 (standard operating and record-keeping) | S$2,370 | S$2,550 |
Group B: Drivers with Class 4 or Above Licence (Lorries, Trucks, Buses, Chauffeurs)
| Level | 1 Jul 2026–30 Jun 2027 | 1 Jul 2027–30 Jun 2028 |
|---|---|---|
| Group B Level 2 (mentoring, route planning, higher-value duties) | S$2,555 | S$2,790 |
| Group B Level 1 (standard operating and record-keeping) | S$2,505 | S$2,690 |
The old “General Driver” floor of S$2,190 maps to a Group A Level 1 driver at S$2,370 — an increase of S$180 per month (8.2%). The old “Specialised Driver” floor of S$2,320 maps to a Group B Level 1 driver at S$2,505 — an increase of S$185 per month (8.0%). Employers must reclassify all resident drivers into the correct Group and Level before 1 July 2026. Paying a Class 4 lorry driver at the Group A Level 1 floor instead of Group B Level 1 constitutes non-compliance.
Who Is Covered by the OPW Requirements
The OPW applies to all Singapore citizens and permanent residents who are:
- Employed on a contract of service (not a contract for service or freelance arrangement)
- Performing administrative or driving roles as defined in MOM’s updated job rungs
- Employed by a firm that also employs at least one foreign worker
This means approximately 57,600 lower-wage workers are covered in the current cycle. Firms that employ only local workers are not required to comply with the OPW. However, most SMEs in Singapore do employ at least one S Pass or Work Permit holder, which brings all their resident administrators and drivers into scope.
Managerial staff whose duties do not align with the OPW tiers are not covered. If a Finance Manager occasionally handles filing tasks, that person is not an Administrative Executive under the OPW. However, a dedicated full-time receptionist almost certainly qualifies as an Administrative Executive or Administrative Assistant — and the tier must be assessed against MOM’s updated job-rung descriptions, not merely the job title used internally.
Why OPW Non-Compliance Affects Your Entire Foreign Workforce Programme
MOM ties OPW compliance directly to work-pass eligibility. An employer that is not meeting the OPW wage and training requirements for its resident administrators and drivers will face difficulty renewing existing work passes or applying for new ones. For a logistics firm with forty foreign Work Permit holders, failing to pay two resident drivers the correct OPW floor creates a blocking condition that can stall forty pass renewals simultaneously.
The OPW interacts closely with the Local Qualifying Salary, which also rises from 1 July 2026. For a full explanation of how the LQS affects your foreign worker quota and headcount calculations, see our detailed guide: Local Qualifying Salary 2026: S$1,800 Quota Guide.
The OPW vs the LQS: Which Floor Is Binding?
From 1 July 2026, Singapore’s Local Qualifying Salary rises to S$1,800 per month. For most lower-wage occupations, the LQS is the binding wage floor. But for administrators and drivers, the OPW floor is higher than the LQS and is therefore the binding constraint:
- Admin Assistant OPW floor from 1 July 2026: S$2,170 (vs LQS of S$1,800)
- Group A Level 1 Driver OPW floor from 1 July 2026: S$2,370 (vs LQS of S$1,800)
- Group B Level 1 Driver OPW floor from 1 July 2026: S$2,505 (vs LQS of S$1,800)
An employer paying an admin assistant or resident driver exactly S$1,800 is technically complying with the LQS but violating the OPW. Both requirements must be met simultaneously. Where the OPW applies, it supersedes the LQS as the effective wage floor for that worker.
OPW Training Requirements
The OPW includes a training requirement for each covered employee. Employers must ensure resident administrators and drivers complete one of the following:
- At least one WSQ (Workforce Skills Qualification) Statement of Attainment from any MOM-approved course, regardless of the specific module; or
- An in-house training programme guided by defined training objectives, modalities, key tasks, and duration — with supporting documentation and attendance records
On-the-job training can count towards the in-house programme if it meets these specifications. New hires are given a six-month grace period from their start date to meet the training requirement. The wage requirement, however, applies from the first day of employment — there is no grace period for wages.
Government Support: Progressive Wage Credit Scheme
The Singapore Government provides transitional support through the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme (PWCS) administered by IRAS. For 2026, the PWCS co-funds 20% of eligible wage increases for qualifying lower-wage employees earning S$4,000 or less in average gross monthly wages. No application is required — PWCS credits are automatically computed by IRAS based on CPF contribution data and disbursed in Q1 2027.
For an employer raising an admin assistant’s salary from S$1,980 to S$2,170 (a S$190 increase), the PWCS co-funds S$38 per month. Across multiple affected employees, this support meaningfully offsets the total wage uplift cost. The scheme also applies to voluntary wage increases beyond the mandated OPW floor, giving employers an additional incentive to invest in their lower-wage workforce.
HR Action Checklist: What to Do Before 1 July 2026
With less than a week remaining, these actions should be completed immediately:
- Audit your payroll — identify all Singapore citizen and PR employees in administrative or driving roles at firms that also employ foreign workers
- Reclassify all drivers — map each resident driver to the new Group A / Group B, Level 1 / Level 2 structure based on actual licence class and job duties
- Verify admin tier alignment — confirm each admin worker’s duties match the updated MOM job-rung descriptions (Assistant, Executive, or Supervisor)
- Calculate the wage gap — determine the increase required for each affected employee to reach the new floor from 1 July 2026
- Check training records — confirm each covered employee has a WSQ SOA or a documented in-house programme; log start dates for any new hires to set training deadlines
- Update employment contracts — reflect the new gross salary in writing before 1 July 2026; verbal or informal pay increases do not satisfy MOM documentation standards
- Set a 2027 reminder — the next step-up takes effect 1 July 2027: Admin Assistants to S$2,360; Admin Executives to S$2,940; Group A Level 1 Drivers to S$2,550; Group B Level 1 Drivers to S$2,690
For the broader HR compliance timeline covering EP renewals, levy payments, and other MOM deadlines across the year, refer to the Singapore HR MOM Compliance Calendar 2026.
Conclusion
The NWC 2025/2026 OPW update is one of several simultaneous changes taking effect on 1 July 2026, alongside the LQS uplift to S$1,800, the retirement age moving to 64 and re-employment age to 69, and the EP COMPASS benchmark refresh. For HR teams managing foreign worker quotas, OPW compliance deserves particular attention: non-compliance does not merely attract a fine — it creates a work-pass eligibility problem that can stall your entire foreign workforce programme.
If you need assistance reviewing your payroll structure, reclassifying workers under the new OPW framework, or managing your foreign worker complement alongside these changes, Singapore Employment Agency — the consumer brand of Little Big Employment Agency Pte Ltd (Licence No. 19C9790) — provides MOM-licensed employment agency services to help employers stay compliant. For matters relating to company payroll structuring, incorporation, or corporate secretarial support, our related company Raffles Corporate Services is available to assist.
— The Editorial Team, Little Big Employment Agency