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KnowQuant research deskUpdated 1 September 2026Method 2026.1
New York or Singapore?
On US dollar equivalent total compensation, New York pays about 22% more than Singapore across the quant disciplines we benchmark. New York ranks 1st in our hiring index and Singapore 4th. New York skews to statistical arbitrage, Singapore to systematic trading. Headline pay is only part of the picture: tax, cost of living and visa access change the net outcome materially between these two.
| Measure | New York | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Country | United States | Singapore |
| Hiring index rank | #1 of 17 | #4 of 17 |
| Opportunity | Exceptional | Very strong |
| Currency | USD | SGD |
| Pay index vs New York | 100% | 82% |
| Where demand sits | Quant research, systematic trading, quant dev, ML, data | Systematic trading, commodities, macro, quant research |
| Dominant strategies | Statistical arbitrage, Systematic macro, ML-driven alpha, Multi-strategy | Systematic trading, Commodities, Macro, Market making |
| Employers on the desk | jane-street, citadel, two-sigma, de-shaw, millennium, point72, hrt | optiver, imc, jump, millennium, de-shaw |
| Visa and right to work | H-1B, O-1 and L-1 are the routes usually discussed for these roles, and many firms also recruit juniors through campus pipelines. Eligibility and timing depend on the route and the employer, so check the current official US guidance and ask the employer which route it would use. | 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. |
Modelled reference estimate of annual total compensation, shown in each market's own currency with the US dollar equivalent in brackets. Positive gap means New York pays more.
| Market | New York | Singapore | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quant Researcher | $475k | S$522k ($390k) | +22% |
| Quant Trader | $450k | S$494k ($369k) | +22% |
| Quant Developer | $340k | S$374k ($279k) | +22% |
| Quant Analyst | $230k | S$253k ($189k) | +22% |
| HFT / Low-Latency Engineer | $385k | S$423k ($316k) | +22% |
| Systematic Portfolio Manager | $1.3m | S$1.4m ($1.0m) | +22% |
| Software Engineer | $305k | S$335k ($250k) | +22% |
| Machine Learning Engineer | $390k | S$429k ($320k) | +22% |
| Data Engineer | $285k | S$313k ($234k) | +22% |
| Data Scientist | $245k | S$269k ($201k) | +22% |
| Site Reliability Engineer | $280k | S$308k ($230k) | +22% |
| Network and Infrastructure Engineer | $250k | S$275k ($205k) | +22% |
| Security Engineer | $275k | S$302k ($226k) | +22% |
| Trading Operations Analyst | $175k | S$192k ($144k) | +22% |
| Risk Manager | $240k | S$264k ($197k) | +22% |
| Compliance Officer | $205k | S$225k ($168k) | +22% |
| Fund Finance and Accounting | $200k | S$220k ($164k) | +22% |
| Technical Recruiter | $185k | S$203k ($152k) | +22% |
Direct answers with the figure, the date and the caveat, generated from the same tables above.
New York, by roughly 22% on US dollar equivalent total compensation across the disciplines we benchmark. A quant researcher modelled reference estimate is $475k in New York against S$522k in Singapore. Figures are base plus expected bonus, before tax.
New York ranks higher in our hiring index (#1 against #4), based on live classified vacancy volume, employer breadth and role seniority mix. New York is rated exceptional for opportunity, Singapore very strong.
The deepest quant talent market in the world, and the reference point for global compensation. The trade against Singapore is about 22% more headline pay, offset by h-1b, o-1 and l-1 are the routes usually discussed for these roles, and many firms also recruit juniors through campus pipelines. eligibility and timing depend on the route and the employer, so check the current official us guidance and ask the employer which route it would use. Compare the tax and cost position before treating the gross gap as real.
de-shaw, millennium run desks in both markets, so an internal transfer is a realistic route. New York additionally carries jane-street, citadel, two-sigma, point72, hrt.
New York: New York concentrates multi-strategy hedge funds, systematic managers and the research arms of the largest proprietary trading firms. Hiring skews toward quantitative research, machine learning and data engineering rather than pure latency work, which sits more heavily in Chicago and Amsterdam. We use New York as the reference point for our own pay index, because firms we track commonly quote other cities relative to it. That is our modelling basis rather than a measured global ranking. Singapore: 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.
Yes, with attribution and a link. Method 2026.1, last reviewed September 2026. KnowQuant Quant Compensation Benchmark, Q3 2026 edition, method 2026.1. https://www.know-quant.com/markets/compare/new-york-vs-singapore
KnowQuant Quant Compensation Benchmark, Q3 2026 edition, method 2026.1. https://www.know-quant.com/markets/compare/new-york-vs-singapore
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.
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.
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