Higher pay, tech upskilling draw younger and more Singaporeans to lift industry

Singapore’s lift and escalator industry is becoming younger and better paid, with the median age of local workers falling from 46 to 40 in just two years from 2023.

- Krist Boo Senior Business Correspondent

Median wages also rose by an average of 14 per cent in 2024 and 10 per cent in 2025 across all job levels, including technicians, troubleshooters and supervisors.

This has resulted in a 7 per cent increase in Singaporeans working in the industry since 2023.

The figures signal the revival of a sector that has suffered years of manpower shortage due to perceptions of low pay, long work hours, and being high-risk and low-skilled.

About 1,300 Singaporeans are working in the sector, which industry players say has many work pass holders.

Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat, speaking at an inaugural awards event for the industry on Nov 26, cited the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) as a factor for the turnaround.

Under the scheme introduced in 2022 for Singaporean workers, an assistant lift and escalator specialist could earn a minimum of $2,525 in basic monthly wage, while a principal lift and escalator specialist could earn at least $3,590.