20 Highest-Paying Engineering Jobs in Singapore: Responsibilities and Salaries

Engineers are the bedrock of modern society. These professionals are the brains behind almost everything we use today, from smartphones to houses. Most major industries, from healthcare to technology, need these professionals and their ingenuity.     

Given the importance of engineering today, it is no secret that engineers get attractive compensation for their jobs. However, factors like education, specialisation, and experience influence an engineer’s salary to a great extent. While a basic engineering foundation is necessary, it also helps if you have expertise or specialisation in high-demand fields.        

This guide will walk you through the 20 best-paying engineering jobs in Singapore. We will also learn about the responsibilities that come with these jobs and the type of salary you can expect. So, make sure you read it till the end to make an informed choice!    

1. Petroleum Engineer

Average Salary: SGD 159,871 per month 

Responsibilities:

• Design: Petroleum engineers play a very important role in designing different oil and gas extraction methods. They will evaluate different characteristics of the deposits and design the proper approach for extraction. 

• Planning and Development: Another responsibility for this job role requires petroleum engineers to develop drilling plans. They will also oversee every good operation to ensure things go as planned.      

• Safety Assurance: Petroleum engineers also need to take the right measures to ensure safety in the extraction process. It is important to ensure that safety concerns do not hamper the process’s efficiency.    

Industry: Petroleum engineers are the right fit for energy companies or oil and gas exploration businesses. 

2. Computer Hardware Engineer

Average Salary: SGD 113,936 per year  

Responsibilities:

• Design and Development: The primary responsibility of a computer hardware engineer is to design and develop computer systems. They also work to develop hardware components that we see and use every day.   

• Testing and Troubleshooting: As one of the best high-salary engineering jobs, these engineers need to test every component to determine flaws that can compromise quality. They will then troubleshoot those flaws in the design to ensure unmatched quality. 

• Integration: These experts often need to collaborate with software developers to integrate the software into the hardware. These engineers will also analyse if the software functions as it should with the hardware. 

Industry: Computing, technology, and electronics manufacturing industries 

3. Aerospace Engineering

Average Salary: SGD 73,308 per year  

Responsibilities:

• Design and Testing: An aerospace engineer’s primary responsibility is to design and test different aerospace components. They will test and design aircraft, satellites, spacecraft, and even missiles. 

• Innovating: Developing new aviation technologies is an important part of an aerospace engineer’s job. This means constantly working on new space exploration, defence and aviation technologies.       

• Safety Assurance: Aerospace engineering is a top-paying engineering job, and such impressive salary packages don’t come with compromising on safety. These engineers must check the structural integrity of everything they develop and ensure compliance with the relevant safety standards.    

Industry: Defence, aerospace, space agencies and the aviation industry

4. Nuclear Engineer  

Average Salary: SGD 121,406 per year 

Responsibilities:

• Development: Every nuclear engineer must have the right skills to develop processes and equipment for energy production. They will develop everything one needs to produce nuclear energy efficiently. 

• Safety Assurance: Safety should be the top priority for anyone working with radioactive materials. Nuclear engineers, who hold one of the highest-paying engineering jobs, must adhere to many safety standards and cannot compromise.          

• Monitoring and Researching: These engineers must constantly monitor the operations of the nuclear plants to ensure nothing goes wrong. They will also research new energy solutions to find more innovative and safe ways to use nuclear energy.   

Industry: Nuclear facilities, energy production, and research sectors.   

5. Software Engineers

Average Salary: SGD 66,714 to SGD 124,336 per year  

Responsibilities:

• Software Design: As one of the highest-paid engineers on this list, these software experts work to design new applications. They manage everything from designing and coding to testing software applications to achieve favourable outcomes. 

• Collaboration: Effective and continued collaboration is an important part of the software engineer’s job description. They will collaborate with clients and developers to ensure that they meet system requirements. 

• Maintenance: Software engineers also have responsibility for maintenance. They constantly upgrade existing applications to address security vulnerabilities and minimise risks.                   

Industry: Software development, information technology (IT) and technology companies. 

6. Chemical Engineer 

Average Salary: SGD 177,747 per year  

Responsibilities: 

• Process Development: These engineers are important in developing better and more useful processes for manufacturing different chemicals. They analyse pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and even fuels to develop the right process based on their needs.      

• Equipment Design: Chemical engineers must design equipment and systems for producing chemicals. With the right knowledge of different chemicals, these experts with one of the highest-paying engineering jobs can design the right equipment to produce those chemicals.   

• Compliance: Working with chemicals can be risky, which makes compliance very important for these engineers. They need to ensure uncompromised compliance with all safety and environmental regulations. 

Industry: Pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and manufacturing industries     

7. Electrical Engineer 

Average Salary: SGD 115,742 per year

Responsibilities:

• Design and Development: Electrical engineers must design and develop all sorts of electrical systems and equipment. They are responsible for evaluating and understanding how these systems will work best and designing them accordingly. 

• Testing: It is not surprising that testing electrical solutions is an important part of the electrical engineer’s job. The right skills are needed to test circuits, motors, and power generators. 

• Safety Compliance: Every electrical engineer must ensure that systems operate with the utmost efficiency under different conditions. More importantly, these high-salary engineering jobs require them to evaluate all the safety specs and ensure they meet the highest industry standards. 

Industry: Power generation, electronics, and telecommunication   

8. Biomedical Engineer 

Average Salary: SGD 107,575 per year 

Responsibilities:

• Design: Every engineer needs design skills, and biomedical engineers are no exception. These experts will design medical devices and equipment like diagnostic machines or prosthetics. 

• Collaboration: Even biomedical engineers must collaborate with health professionals to get a first-hand idea of how they can improve things. This collaboration plays a very important role in enhancing patient care and creating solutions that help all stakeholders.      

• Research: There is no better alternative to constant research in the field of biomedical engineering, one of the highest-paying engineering jobs. They must research medical and biological technologies to remain updated at all times.      

Industry: Medical device manufacturing, healthcare, and research sectors  

9. Civil Engineer 

Average Salary: SGD 99,614 per year

Responsibilities:

• Construction Design: Civil engineers need to design almost every aspect of a construction project right from scratch. They will also oversee all the projects, such as the construction of roads, buildings, and bridges.   

• Site Survey: Another important part of a civil engineer’s job is thoroughly surveying the construction site. This is important for determining flaws in the structure’s structural integrity for better safety and durability.

• Collaboration: These highest-paid engineers need to collaborate with other stakeholders working on the construction project. This includes architects, government bodies, and even construction teams working on the site. 

Industry: Urban planning, construction, and infrastructure development 

10. Data Engineer

Average Salary: SGD 120,000 to SGD 170,000 per year   

Responsibilities: 

• Building and Designing: Data engineers are involved in many data processing procedures requiring proper data pipelines to work. They need to build these pipelines from scratch to support data processing on a larger scale.    

• Data Integrity: Data is essential in today’s world, and these engineers ensure proper data integrity. They will optimise the entire data architecture and address security vulnerabilities to ensure uncompromised integrity.

• Collaboration: Data engineers are among the highest-paying engineering jobs, but they alone cannot leverage the full potential of this much information. This is why collaboration with data scientists and analysts becomes very important for effective data use.      

Industry: Tech companies, IT, data-driven sectors and financial institutions   

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11. Environmental Engineer

Average Salary: SGD 103,199 per year 

Responsibilities: 

• System Design: Addressing pollution is a major necessity for environmental engineers, and this will not be possible without the right system in place. These designs should help enhance sustainability in a world where climate change’s effects are becoming more evident by the day.   

• Compliance: Another important aspect that requires the expertise of environmental engineers is ensuring compliance. These highest-paid engineers must be up to date with all government regulations to ensure uncompromised compliance. 

• Research and Development: With climate change making things more challenging by the day, research becomes very important. Environmental engineers must conduct in-depth research and develop better and more useful technologies for waste management.     

Industry: Environment agencies, government departments, energy and consultation sector. 

12. Marine Engineer  

Average Salary: SGD 109,579 per year  

Responsibilities:

• Maintenance and Design: Ships and submarines rely on regular maintenance, and this task falls under the marine engineers’ job description. They will take care of every detail related to the design and maintenance of every ship, submarine and marine vessel.’

• Monitoring: Another important responsibility of these engineers, who hold one of the highest-paying engineering jobs, is monitoring the functioning of every ship component. They will even check the HVAC system regularly to ensure it functions properly.         

• Collaboration with Stakeholders: Marine engineers must collaborate with other stakeholders since they cannot do everything themselves. This means working hand in hand with marine professionals and naval architects to get the job done.   

Industry: Defence, shipping, offshore engineers and the maritime sector 

13. Industrial Engineer 

Average Salary: SGD 104,470 per year  

Responsibilities:

• Integration and Design: Industrial engineers must design highly efficient systems that deliver better results. These top-paying engineering jobs require them to help integrate machines, workers, and materials for favourable output.  

• Streamlining Processes: Reducing waste and enhancing productivity are important goals, and an industrial engineer can help achieve these goals. They can help determine inefficiencies and leverage proper measures to reduce wastage while boosting productivity.

• Quality Control: An industrial engineer’s final responsibility is to take the right quality control measures for a favourable outcome. This means they must be familiar with all the industry’s highest quality standards and use them to deliver quality.      

Industry: Logistics, manufacturing and supply chain management  

14. Mining Engineer

Average Salary: SGD 113,025 per year 

Responsibilities:

• Devising Proper Extraction Methods: Mining engineers must design the right extraction strategies to extract resources and minerals. This means they cannot compromise on safety or efficiency to achieve the right outcomes.      

• Operations Management: The mining engineer manages all mining operations for seamless extraction. These highest-paying engineering jobs require them to adhere to all the safety protocols to meet requirements. 

• Collaboration: Mining engineers must collaborate with other engineers to create the most effective extraction plans. They must also work with geologists to ensure effective extraction without compromising safety. 

Industry: Construction, energy and mining sectors.  

15. Materials Engineer

Average Salary: SGD 121,211 per year  

Responsibilities:

• Testing and Development: The primary responsibility of a materials engineer is to develop and test different materials. They will evaluate the unique aspects of a given project and use the right material for the best outcome.   

• Material Selection: These engineers must choose the right material for a given purpose. In some cases, they might need a light or heavier material, and they need to evaluate different aspects and choose accordingly.     

• Analysis: Material analysis is an important part of the most-paid engineering job descriptions. They need to analyse all materials, understand their characteristics, and use them accordingly.    

Industry: Ceramic engineering, metallurgy, and biomedical industry  

16. Safety Engineer 

Average Salary: SGD 112,066 per year 

Responsibilities:

• Risk Assessment: Safety engineers are among the highest-paid engineers, and they must conduct regular risk assessments to determine potential risk hazards. They will then need to create strategies to mitigate the effect of those factors on daily operations.   

• Safety Training: Creating and delivering safety programs is an important part of a safety engineer’s job description. These programs must educate employees about safe work procedures and practices.    

• Safety Audits: Conducting safety audits is another important responsibility of a safety engineer. These experts must regularly assess if everything complies with the highest safety standards and even determine new areas of improvement.       

Industry: Defence, manufacturing, health, and construction  

17. Agriculture Engineer

Average Salary: SGD 96,872 per year

Responsibilities:

• Process Optimisation: Agriculture engineers must continually look for ways to improve and enhance the efficiency of existing processes. This means finding new and better ways to enhance farming operations and save more resources.   

• Research and Analysis: An agriculture engineer must experiment to find new and better farming tactics. This helps enhance the soil’s health, find new ways to grow crops and understand the impact of different farming tactics.    

• Resource Management: As one of the most-paid engineering jobs, agriculture engineers must manage all resources as effectively as possible. They often need to devise new and better ways to minimise wastage and save resources. 

Industry: Agro and food, agriculture machinery, and government bodies.       

18. System Engineer 

Average Salary: SGD 126,456 per year

Responsibilities:

• System Management: Every system engineer needs to manage every system and ensure it serves its purpose. They will also install and configure different systems to ensure everything runs properly.     

• Monitoring and Testing: These top-paying engineering jobs require engineers to constantly monitor and test different systems to ensure unmatched performance. These experts also determine bottlenecks, find solutions, and deploy the necessary fixes.     

• Support: Offering desktop support is an important part of a system engineer’s responsibilities. They have the right skills to address technical issues people might face while using these systems.  

Industry: Logistics, IT, manufacturing, and automotive.   

19. Automotive Engineer  

Average Salary: SGD 113,399 per year 

Responsibilities:

• Design and Development: The primary role of an automotive engineer is to design and 

develop different car components. They will analyse unique aspects of the project and offer designs that best meet those needs.     

• Safety Assurance: Safety is an important priority in the automotive industry, and engineers play an important role. These experts, who have one of the highest-paying engineering jobs, must analyse different aspects of the project and ensure they meet all the relevant safety standards.    

• Data Analysis: Automotive engineers must also analyse data and extract useful insights. This helps them deliver proper optimisation strategies to reduce inefficiencies and boost productivity.   

Industry: Automotive, fuel companies, and tyre manufacturing.    

20. Construction Engineer 

Average Salary: SGD 101,207 per year  

Responsibilities: 

• Project Design and Planning: Planning and designing a construction project is one of the most important job roles of construction engineers. They analyse the project’s requirements and develop the right strategy for successful construction.   

• Resource Management: Proper resource management is a must for every construction project, and these engineers greatly help with this. They will oversee everything from materials procurement to labour management to ensure everything aligns with the project’s needs.    

• Construction Supervision: Another important role of these highest-paying engineering jobs is overseeing every aspect of the construction process. These experts will monitor progress, manage labour, and ensure everything goes as planned.    

Industry: Railways, government bodies, and design firms.   

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Factors That Influence Salary in Engineering Jobs

While you might find the best-paying engineering jobs, it is worth acknowledging that many factors influence the salary here. So, let’s check out some of these factors:   

• Level of Experience: As with every other job in the market, experience plays an important role in influencing an engineer’s salary. The more experienced they are, the better their salary will be. 

• Geographical Location: Another important influencing factor is geographical location. The region and the cost of living in that region can have a notable influence on the compensation for the highest-paying engineering jobs. 

• Certifications and Education Level: It is no secret that education levels and certifications play an important role in determining an engineer’s salary. Engineers with more certifications, advanced degrees, and licenses are likelier to get better salaries than others.         

• Specialisation: With so many high-salary engineering jobs, your skills and expertise can get you a better salary. There will always be some industries that offer better packages than others.   

• Market Demand: Market demand plays an important role in determining an engineer’s salary. For instance, experts in the energy or technology sectors tend to get better salaries than others.  

Conclusion 

Computer hardware, software, aerospace, nuclear, petroleum and other industries offer the best top-paying engineering jobs. Apart from that, there are jobs like marine engineers and environmental engineers that get decent-paying jobs.     

The good thing is that engineers with the highest-paying engineering jobs just need a little focus on continuous learning and skill development to advance further in their careers. 

Thankfully, these days, there is no shortage of convenient avenues to learn new skills and remain up-to-date with the latest industry standards. This goes a long way in ensuring that aspirants become one of the highest-paid engineers. They must explore these high-paying fields and see which best suits their interests aptitudes, as it will help them make an informed choice and build a successful career.  

FAQs on Highest Paying Engineering Jobs in Singapore

Q1: What are the most-paid engineering jobs?

A1: Petroleum engineers, aerospace engineers, software engineers, and nuclear engineers are some of the many top-paying engineering jobs. 

Q2: Which engineering job is in high demand?

A2: Mechanical engineering, nuclear engineering, software engineering, chemical engineering, and electrical engineering are some of the highest-paying engineering jobs and are in great demand today.      

Q3: Is automotive engineering a well-paying job?

A3: Yes, automotive engineering is one of the best-paying engineering jobs you can find in almost any country.   

Q4: What is the average salary of an aerospace engineer in Singapore?  

A4: An aerospace engineer in Singapore can earn more than SGD 70,000 annually. 

Q5: Is it worth becoming an environmental engineer?

A5: Yes, it is worth becoming an environment engineer since it is one of the highest-paying engineering jobs in the market.