Is Your Boss Paying You Enough? Calculate Your Work Hours

Ask anyone the question above and chances are, most people will feel they should be earning more. In the quest of building your career, you may hear advice such as taking on more tasks beyond your usual responsibilities to gain more visibility in the hopes of earning a promotion.

That said, at some point you may start to ask yourself: "Am I getting paid enough for my efforts?

To help fresh grads get a better grasp on how employment and salary negotiations work, we at JobStreet have taken it upon ourselves to create an easy step-by-step guide to figuring out whether you're getting paid your due.

Also read: Freelancers, How Much is Your Every Work Hour Worth?

Here's JobStreet's Easy Hours Calculator:

1. Calculate hours worked in one month.

The Ministry of Manpower sets the maximum number of hours per week to 44 hours for each employee. If you multiply 44 by 52 (the number of weeks per year) and divide that result by 12, you'll get your average hours worked per month. You can substitute 44 if your weekly hours differ.

Example:

44 (maximum hours per week) x 52 (weeks per year) = 2,288 (maximum work hours per year)

2. Divide hours per year to hours per month.

Now divide the numbers you work per year to per month.

Example:

2,288 (maximum work hours per year) / 12 (months per year) = 190.6 (maximum work hours per month)

3. Divide your monthly salary by monthly hours worked.

The estimated salary of a regular Singaporean differs as the average monthly salary in mid-2020 was $5,214, while the median gross salary in 2020 was $4,534. In this exercise, we'll use the median gross salary as our sample salary.

Example:

$4,534 (salary per month) / 190.6 (work hours per month) = $23.78 (wage per hour)

Congratulations, you've successfully computed your work's value per hour! Note that in Singapore, salaries are usually computed on a monthly basis. Knowing your work value per hour simply provides you with some perspective on how you can initiate that conversation for a pay raise with your superior.

There's more where that came from. Check out all of JobStreet's best salary-related articles and advice under the JobStreet website's Career Resources section. Update your profile and resume on the platform where employers and recruiters are actively looking to enhance their talent pool.

At JobStreet, we believe in bringing you #JobsThatMatter. As a Career Partner, we are committed to helping all jobseekers find passion and purpose in every career choice. And as the number 1 Talent Partner in Asia, we connect employers with the right candidates who truly make a positive and lasting impact on the organisation.

Discover Jobs That Matter. Visit JobStreet today.

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