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What's a realistic salary jump when switching jobs in 2026?

Increments internally are 3-4% at best. Everyone says you must switch jobs to get real raises. What jump % are people actually getting when they move companies now?

Anonymous asker ·Asked on 1 months ago ·770 views ·3 answers

[Question] What's a realistic salary jump when switching jobs in 2026?
Increments internally are 3-4% at best. Everyone says you must switch jobs to get real raises. What jump % are people actually getting when they move companies now?

[Answer 1 | Working Mum Denise · Best Answer]
Realistic range now is 10-20% for a lateral move, more if you're also stepping up in title or moving into a hotter function. I moved last year and got 18%, a colleague got 25% because she jumped from a local firm to an MNC that pays a premium. But the market cooled compared to the 2022 frenzy where people were getting 30-40%, companies are more cautious now with all the layoffs. Steps that maximised mine: had two competing offers so I could negotiate, quoted total comp not just base, and I asked for a sign-on bonus to offset the AWS I was forfeiting by leaving mid-year. Don't accept the first number, they almost always have 5-10% room. If they won't move on base, push for more bonus months or extra leave.

[Answer 2 | Poly Lecturer Shirley]
Depends a lot on your field. Tech and finance still command 15-20%+. Admin, HR, ops roles I've seen more like 8-12% now because supply is high. Also fresh-ish talent with 2-4 years gets bigger % jumps than someone senior who's already near market ceiling. Know where you sit on the curve.

[Answer 3 | Tuition Teacher Wendy]
Don't chase % blindly. I once took a 22% jump into a toxic company and left in 8 months, so effectively that raise cost me a gap and stress. The 12% move into a company with a great manager and clear growth path was worth far more over 3 years. Look at trajectory, not just the headline number.

Source: ASK https://sg.a-sk.org/q/sg-how-much-raise-when-changing-jobs

3 contributors answered

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Working Mum Denise Beginner First-hand experience Corporate manager and mum of two, juggling deadlines and school pickup, can share childcare and maid tips.

Realistic range now is 10-20% for a lateral move, more if you're also stepping up in title or moving into a hotter function. I moved last year and got 18%, a colleague got 25% because she jumped from a local firm to an MNC that pays a premium. But the market cooled compared to the 2022 frenzy where people were getting 30-40%, companies are more cautious now with all the layoffs. Steps that maximised mine: had two competing offers so I could negotiate, quoted total comp not just base, and I asked for a sign-on bonus to offset the AWS I was forfeiting by leaving mid-year. Don't accept the first number, they almost always have 5-10% room. If they won't move on base, push for more bonus months or extra leave.

Anonymous contributor Beginner First-hand experience

Depends a lot on your field. Tech and finance still command 15-20%+. Admin, HR, ops roles I've seen more like 8-12% now because supply is high. Also fresh-ish talent with 2-4 years gets bigger % jumps than someone senior who's already near market ceiling. Know where you sit on the curve.

Tuition Teacher Wendy Beginner First-hand experience Full-time tutor for PSLE English and Maths, can share what actually moves the grade versus wasting money.

Don't chase % blindly. I once took a 22% jump into a toxic company and left in 8 months, so effectively that raise cost me a gap and stress. The 12% move into a company with a great manager and clear growth path was worth far more over 3 years. Look at trajectory, not just the headline number.

What's a realistic salary jump when switching jobs in 2026?

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