Working in cleaning in Singapore: how to start

The kinds of jobs

• Office and commercial sites: offices, schools, hospitals, clinics and condominiums. Includes general, indoor, outdoor, restroom and healthcare cleaners.
• F&B: hawker centres, food courts and restaurants. Includes table-top cleaners, dishwashers and refuse collectors.
• Conservancy: town councils and public cleansing.
• Up the ladder: multi-skilled cleaner or machine operator, supervisor, and in conservancy, mechanical and truck drivers.
• No police licence is needed. You start with on-the-job training and short WSQ courses.

Minimum salaries under the Progressive Wage Model

The PWM covers Singapore Citizens and PRs employed as cleaners by licensed cleaning businesses, or by in-house employers in firms that hire foreign workers. MOM’s minimum basic monthly wages for full-time outsourced cleaners (35 to 44 hours a week), from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027:

• Office and commercial: General or Indoor Cleaner $2,080; Outdoor, Healthcare or Restroom Cleaner $2,495; Multi-skilled Cleaner or Machine Operator $2,700; Supervisor $2,870.
• F&B: General Cleaner $2,080; Table-top Cleaner $2,180; Dishwasher, Restroom Cleaner or Refuse Collector $2,495; Multi-skilled Cleaner or Machine Operator $2,700; Supervisor $2,870.
• Conservancy: General or Restroom Cleaner $2,495; Multi-skilled Cleaner, Machine Operator or Refuse Collector $2,700; Supervisor or Mechanical Driver (Class 3) $2,870; Truck Driver (Class 4/5) $3,040.
• Part-time: the minimum is pro-rated. In-house cleaners have their own table on the same MOM page.
• Employers must also give a PWM Bonus of at least 2 weeks of basic monthly salary a year to eligible cleaners.
• Wages under the Progressive Wage Model are revised every year: check MOM’s page for the latest. MOM’s Progressive Wage Portal lets you check your salary details.

The training you need

• Outsourced cleaners: 1 Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) module and 1 core WSQ module, from the approved list.
• In-house cleaners: any 1 WSQ course, or 1 in-house training programme.
• From 1 July 2027 this goes up to 3 modules for most cleaners and 4 for multi-skilled cleaners, supervisors and drivers.
• NEA’s training rules for licensed cleaning businesses apply to full-time, part-time and casual cleaners. Your employer usually arranges the courses: ask when you start.

Check the employer is licensed

Businesses offering general cleaning must hold an NEA Cleaning Business Licence, and must meet the PWM to get or renew it. NEA publishes a list of licensed cleaning businesses at go.gov.sg/nea-list-of-lcbs. If a company is not on it, ask why before you start. Home cleaning is one of the kinds of work that does not need the licence.

Hours, part-time work and moving up

• Ask which shift, which days and which site before you accept, and whether early mornings, nights or weekends are involved.
• Part-time cleaners who are Citizens or PRs are covered by the PWM too, with the minimum pro-rated.
• Cleaning is using more robots and machines. SWDA’s job map for the sector expects cleaners to move towards troubleshooting and customer service, and new roles in operating AI machines and robots. The Machine Operator level on the ladder is a step towards this.
• Higher levels need more WSQ modules, so ask your supervisor what you need for the next step up.

Watch-outs

• Never pay anyone to get a cleaning job, a uniform or a course place.
• Get your salary, hours and job level in writing, and keep your payslips.
• If your basic salary looks below the PWM for your level, check the Progressive Wage Portal first, then raise it with your employer, your union or MOM.