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EP renewal age-band salary: packaging before the floor moves
Companion to EP / COMPASS renewal rails — age-banded qualifying salary vs fixed monthly packaging, new-app vs renewal clocks, and when a raise must land before HR files.
Parent map: Employment Pass · EP renewal strategy. Firm-score layer: COMPASS firm scores on renewal. This companion is the age-band salary packaging depth — where renewals fail because last year’s fixed monthly no longer clears this year’s floor for your age.
The floor moves with you
Stage 1 is an absolute qualifying-salary gate that rises with age (and is higher in financial services). Clearing it at 29 does not guarantee clearance at 35. New applications and renewals also move on different published calendars — do not assume your renewal still sits on the table HR screenshotted last year.
| Folklore | Safer reading |
|---|---|
| “We renewed at this number last cycle” | Re-check the live age-band table for this filing month |
| “Total package clears the floor” | MOM cares about fixed monthly — C1 packaging |
| “Bonus / AWS will cover the gap” | Variable pay usually does not fix a Stage-1 miss |
| “HR can file first and raise later” | If the filed fixed monthly is under the floor, raise before submit — salary / occupation changes |
Packaging checklist before renewal file
- Confirm your age at filing and sector band against the live MOM table.
- Separate fixed monthly vs AWS / variable / allowances — salary package decoding.
- Re-run SAT with the figure HR will actually type — not recruiter “package” maths.
- If you need a raise to clear the band, get the notified fixed monthly in place before renewal submit.
- Firm-score risk is a parallel track — COMPASS firm scores — not a substitute for Stage 1.
Decision rule
If fixed monthly at your renewal age does not clear the live Stage-1 band, stop the file — raise or restructure first; do not hope COMPASS points paper over a floor miss.
Sources & citations
Admin and policy details change. Prefer the official page when making decisions; we cite primary sources for Singapore government and statutory guidance.
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