Polytechnic graduates employment outcomes in 2025 largely held steady and graduates commanded higher salary
The 2025 Polytechnic Graduate Employment Survey (GES) found that among graduates in the labour force, 90.0% secured employment (i.e., they were employed, had accepted a job offer, or were starting a business venture) within six months of completing their final examinations or after completing full-time National Service (NS). (see Table 1)
The median gross monthly salary among graduates in Full-Time Permanent (FTP) employment increased from $2,900 in 2024 to $3,000 in 2025. (see Annex B Table B-1)
Table 1: Employment Indicators from 2023 to 2025
| Proportion of Respondents in the Labour Force who have: | Fresh Graduates | Post-NS (PNS) Graduates | Combined (Fresh and PNS Graduates) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 (%) | 2024 (%) | 2025 (%) | 2023 (%) | 2024 (%) | 2025 (%) | 2023 (%) | 2024 (%) | 2025 (%) | |
| Secured Employment | 95.3 | 88.7 | 88.5 | 97.0 | 93.8 | 93.1 | 95.8 | 90.4 | 90.0 |
| Currently employed^ | 91.7 | 85.6 | 85.4 | 95.1 | 91.4 | 90.7 | 92.7 | 87.5 | 87.2 |
| In Full-Time Permanent Employment |
55.5
|
49.2
|
48.3
|
69.2
|
65.2
|
66.2
|
59.8
|
54.6
|
54.2
|
| Freelancing | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 7.3 | 8.3 | 5.8 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 4.8 |
| In Part-Time/ Temporary Employment | 32.3 | 31.6 | 32.9 | 18.5 | 17.8 | 18.7 | 28.0 | 27.0 | 28.2 |
| Voluntary# | 30.9 | 29.6 | 30.6 | 17.7 | 16.8 | 16.3 | 26.7 | 25.3 | 25.9 |
| Involuntary | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.3 |
| Accepted a Job Offer and Starting Later | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.3 |
| Taking Active Steps to Start a Business Venture | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Not Secured Employment | 4.7 | 11.3 | 11.5 | 3.0 | 6.2 | 6.9 | 4.2 | 9.6 | 10.0 |
| Received but Rejected FTP Job Offers | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.3 |
| Applied but Had Not Received any FTP Job Offer | 2.9 | 8.4 | 8.2 | 1.9 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 2.6 | 7.2 | 7.1 |
| Did Not Search for any FTP Job | 1.0 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.6 |
Note:
- Starting this year, to provide a fuller picture of graduates' employment status, graduates who secured employment (i.e., they were employed, accepted a job offer, and were starting later, or were taking active steps to start a business venture) are reported as one category. Further breakdown of unemployed graduates is also reported to provide further context as to their reasons for their unemployment.
- The percentages may not add up due to rounding. The list of definitions for the employment indicators can be found in Annex A.
^ This term corresponds to the “overall employment rate” in previous Polytechnic GES press releases.
# Consistent with previous years, a significant majority of the polytechnic graduates in part-time/temporary employment did so voluntarily, with about half of them concurrently pursuing or preparing to begin further studies.
Better graduate employment outcomes by the one-year mark
The GES is based on a snapshot of graduate employment outcomes about six months after graduation, i.e. as at 1 October 2025. Graduate employment outcomes generally continue to improve beyond the 6-month mark, as more graduates subsequently secure jobs. For instance, the GES employment rate for the 2024 cohort was 5%-pts lower than the 2023 cohort, at 88% in 2024 vs 93% in 2023. By the 12-month mark, the proportion of the 2024 cohort who were in further studies locally or had wage records was broadly comparable to that of the 2023 cohort (93% in 2024 vs 94% in 2023). The remaining 7% includes graduates who could be unemployed, pursuing further studies overseas, as well as self-employed or freelance workers whose income are not reflected in wage records.
Likewise, graduate employment outcomes for the 2025 cohort are expected to improve beyond the 6-month mark. Based on MOM’s labour market data, total employment continued to grow in 2025, with varying impacts across different sectors. As of 3Q 2025, growth in resident employment was led by the Financial & Insurance Services and Health & Social Services sectors. Meanwhile, some outward-oriented sectors, such as Information and Communications, saw subdued economic and resident employment growth due to the uncertain global economic environment.
Fresh graduates continue to be in demand, with an increase in the number of entry-level vacancies to 39,000 in September 2025, up from 26,000 in September 2024. About four in ten entry-level vacancies are in growth sectors such as Information & Communications, Financial & Insurance Services, and Professional Services.
Support is available for graduates looking for jobs
Graduates who require support in their job search process may approach their Polytechnics for dedicated career counselling and participate in career fairs and events organised by their Polytechnics. The Polytechnics have stepped up their efforts to support fresh graduates, including proactively engaging those who may require additional support and regularly disseminating available job opportunities to them.
Graduates may also tap on career resources, guidance, and job search services from Workforce Singapore (WSG) and NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i). These can help them better understand the range of jobs available, and make more informed choices that are aligned with their strengths and interests.
Additionally, the GRaduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) and GRIT@Gov Programmes earlier launched by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), WSG, and the Public Service Division in October 2025, support fresh graduates with no prior working experience to gain hands-on industry-relevant experience and skills, and strengthen their employability by preparing them for successful transition into full-time employment.
Speaking on behalf of the Polytechnic GES Committee on the outcome of the survey findings, Mr Lim Kok Kiang, Principal & CEO, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, said, “Our polytechnic graduates have continued to demonstrate resilience, securing opportunities in growth sectors including finance, healthcare and social services amid economic uncertainty. We will continue to strengthen our industry-focused curriculum, expand workplace immersion opportunities and enhance career guidance, to equip our learners with the skills, confidence and agility to build meaningful and sustainable careers.”
Annex A: Definition of Employment Indicators
- Employment refers to graduates working in full-time permanent, part-time, temporary employment, and freelancing. The employment rate is the number of employed graduates, as a proportion of graduates in the labour force (i.e., those who were working or not working but actively looking and available for work).
- Secured Employment refers to graduates who are in employment, have accepted a job offer and will start later, or are taking active steps to start a business venture.
- Full-Time Permanent Employment refers to employment of at least 35 hours a week, and where the employment is not temporary. It includes those on contracts of one year or more.
- Freelancing refers to those who operate their own business without employing any paid worker in the conduct of their business or trade.
- Part-time employment refers to employment of less than 35 hours a week.
- Temporary Employment refers to casual, interim, or seasonal employment, including those on contracts of less than one year.
- Involuntary part-time/temporary employment refers to those who indicated that they were in part-time/temporary employment after they were unable to obtain a full-time permanent job offer.
- Voluntary part-time/temporary employment refers to those who indicated that they were in part-time/temporary employment as they were pursuing/ preparing to commence further studies or taking active steps to start a business venture, due to personal choice and other reasons.
- Gross Monthly Salary comprises basic salary, fixed allowances, overtime pay, commissions, and other regular cash payments, before deduction of the employee’s CPF contributions and personal income contributions. Bonuses, stock options, other lump sum payments, and payments-in-kind are excluded.
Annex B
- Table B-1: Median Gross Monthly Salary by Course Cluster (Full-Time Permanent Employed Graduates only), GES 2023 to 2025
| Course Cluster | Fresh Graduates | Post-NS (PNS) Graduates | Combined (Fresh and PNS Graduates) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2023 ($) |
2024 |
2025 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 | |
| Overall | 2,700 | 2,800 | 2,900 | 2,963 | 3,000 | 3,137 | 2,800 |
2,900 | 3,000 |
|
Arts, Design & Media | 2,500 | 2,500 | 2,600 | 2,800 | 2,900 | 3,000 | 2,600 | 2,625 | 2,700 |
|
Built Environment | 2,500 | 2,675 | 2,700 | 2,800 | 2,900 | 3,225 | 2,640 | 2,800 | 3,000 |
|
Business | 2,600 | 2,700 | 2,700 | 3,000 | 3,000 | 3,200 | 2,700 | 2,800 | 2,830 |
|
Engineering | 2,629 | 2,775 | 2,900 | 2,900 | 3,000 | 3,100 | 2,800 | 2,900 | 3,000 |
|
Health Sciences | 3,000 | 3,000 | 3,000 | 3,069 | 3,273 | 3,400 | 3,000 | 3,000 | 3,011 |
|
Humanities & Social Sciences | 2,900 | 3,100 | 3,200 | 2,970 | 3,000 | 3,100 | 2,913 | 3,038 | 3,200 |
|
Information & Digital Technologies | 2,700 | 2,900 | 2,950 | 3,000 | 3,000 | 3,150 | 2,900 | 3,000 | 3,000 |
|
Sciences | 2,340 | 2,500 | 2,600 | 2,980 | 2,940 | 3,200 | 2,500 | 2,600 | 2,700 |
Note: The list of diploma courses under each course cluster is available in Annex C.
Table B-2: Further breakdown of Gross Monthly Salaries by Course Cluster (Full-Time Permanent Employed Graduates only), GES 2025
Note: The 25th percentile is also known as the first quartile (Q1), the 50th percentile as the median or second quartile (Q2), and the 75th percentile as the third quartile (Q3).
| Course Cluster | Fresh Graduates | Post-NS (PNS) Graduates | Combined (Fresh and PNS Graduates) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Q1 ($) |
Q2 ($) |
Q3 ($) |
Q1 ($) |
Q2 ($) |
Q3 ($) |
Q1 ($) |
Q2 ($) |
Q3 ($) | |
| Overall | 2,600 | 2,900 | 3,253 | 2,800 | 3,137 | 3,650 | 2,630 | 3,000 | 3,400 |
|
Arts, Design & Media | 2,300 | 2,600 | 2,900 | 2,600 | 3,000 | 3,575 | 2,400 |
2,700 | 3,100 |
|
Built Environment | 2,500 | 2,700 | 3,000 | 2,910 | 3,225 | 3,688 | 2,605 | 3,000 | 3,491 |
|
Business | 2,500 | 2,700 | 3,000 | 2,750 | 3,200 | 3,800 | 2,580 | 2,830 | 3,278 |
|
Engineering | 2,580 | 2,900 | 3,250 | 2,800 | 3,100 | 3,600 | 2,700 | 3,000 | 3,500 |
|
Health Sciences | 2,700 | 3,000 | 3,382 | 3,000 | 3,400 | 3,774 | 2,700 | 3,011 | 3,400 |
|
Humanities & Social Sciences | 2,949 | 3,200 | 3,450 |
2,800 | 3,100 | 3,600 | 2,869 | 3,200 | 3,450 |
|
Information & Digital Technologies | 2,558 | 2,950 | 3,200 | 2,800 | 3,150 | 3,500 | 2,700 | 3,000 | 3,364 |
|
Sciences | 2,400 | 2,600 | 2,843 | 2,995 | 3,200 | 3,700 | 2,474 | 2,700 | 3,200 |
Note:
Quartiles or percentiles indicate an individual’s relative position within a distribution. For example, for a course with 100 graduates who responded to the survey, a gross monthly salary at the 25th percentile means that 25 graduates earn less than or equal to that salary, while a gross monthly salary at the 75th percentile means that 75 graduates earn less than or equal to that salary. The median (or the 50th percentile) gross monthly salary represents the middle of the distribution, where half of the respondents earn less than or equal to that amount and half earn more.
Annex C: List Of Diploma Courses Surveyed
|
ARTS, DESIGN & MEDIA
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
ENGINEERING
|
ENGINEERING (CON'T)
HEALTH SCIENCES
HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES
INFORMATION & DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
SCIENCES
|