Markets
Is Singapore a good place to work as a quant?
KnowQuant research deskUpdated 1 September 2026Method 2026.1
Short answer
Singapore ranks #4 of 17 in our quant hiring index, rated very strong for opportunity, with a quant researcher median of S$522k.
Singapore has absorbed a significant share of regional quant headcount over the past decade, helped by regulatory stability and a tax position that many candidates weigh in the comparison. The market is strongest in systematic trading, commodities and macro, with a growing crypto and digital-asset segment. Headline packages need to be compared after tax rather than at face value against London. Rates and reliefs change, so use current official guidance rather than a rule of thumb, and treat this as context rather than tax advice.
Demand concentrates in systematic trading, commodities, macro, quant research. The employers our desk tracks in the market are optiver, imc, jump, millennium, de-shaw, running systematic trading, commodities, macro, market making.
Right to work: The Employment Pass is the usual route and its thresholds have been raised over time. Check the current official Singapore guidance and confirm with the employer that the specific role would be sponsored.
Go deeper
Cite these figures
KnowQuant Quant Compensation Benchmark, Q3 2026 edition, method 2026.1. https://www.know-quant.com/answers/is-singapore-a-good-place-to-work-as-a-quant
Free to quote and republish with attribution and a link to the source page, under our terms. Method 2026.1, last reviewed 1 September 2026. The methodology sets out how each band is built and what it excludes.
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Methodology
Figures are expressed as annual total compensation (base salary plus expected performance bonus) in the reference market's local currency, converted from a US dollar base. They describe typical market ranges rather than any individual offer, and exclude sign-on payments, deferred equity and carried interest. Portfolio-manager figures reflect formulaic profit-share arrangements and are therefore far more dispersed than any other role.
KnowQuantIndex 2026.1 · Updated September 2026
Modelled bands describe the market, not an individual offer. Where an employer states pay, the stated figure is used and labelled as such.