Ordinary Wages & Cap
Happy 2024 everyone! Everyone knows 2024 has a staggering change in CPF and the government has done that to help businesses to adapt. It is strange though that the last post about CPF had a bit of viewership. Perhaps the interest in CPF has really changed over the years.
Last Sep 2023, the salary cap (OW) was increased to SGD 6,300, and from 2024, there will be an increase to SGD 6,800. What that means is that more of the money that you earn goes into your CPF aka retirement account every month. Your employers will also have to contribute more to your CPF. I can’t say if that is a good or bad thing.
I guess we are touching on a sensitive part of everyone’s life. Your Salary. Salary are always a sensitive part of most people’s discussions. However, these are all hard truths that we have to come to terms with. Some people do have that special negotiation skill to make more while doing the same thing. We just have to work more productively.
Sidetracking a little, everyone is a salesperson to themselves so don’t say that you don’t do sales. When you go for a job interview, you are selling yourself for the package that you think you are worth. You will need to justify your costs to the hiring manager.
Back on track again, today we are focusing on the monies that go to your CPF. Regarding the monies on CPF, please note the statement on the CPF website that states that:
(a) The CPF Ordinary Wage (OW) ceiling limits the amount of OW that attracts CPF contributions in a calendar month for all employees. The OW ceiling will be raised from $6,000 to $8,000 by 2026, with the first increase to take place on 1 September 2023. The increase will take place in four steps to allow employers and employees to adjust to the changes.
This means that the changes are made to let business manage their cashflow instead of a bang…a 2k addition to employers’ contribution and less take-home pay for the employee (Since 2023 costs, inflation, and goods have all increased)
(b) There will be no change to the CPF annual salary ceiling of $102,000, which sets the maximum amount of CPF contributions payable for all salaries received in the year, inclusive of both Ordinary Wages and Additional Wages.
This actually means that people who have more resources than the rest will not be able to game the CPF. This is pretty fair in my opinion since this is a tool to help Singaporeans whether they have little or a lot more resources. However, the truth is also that when you have more, there’s more that you can do that others can’t. The only takeaway is that the rich get richer but only at a cap.
(c) There will be no changes to the Additional Wage ceiling and CPF Annual Limit, where they will remain at [$102,000 – Total Ordinary Wage subject to CPF for the year] and $37,740 respectively.
Same points as (b) above. There’s that cap that restricts more from getting more if you know what I mean.
I’m quite sure everyone is aware of this but probably left that somewhere. I’m just bringing it back since the changes took effect this year. I took this off the CPF website where the Salary OW cap process will happen.

Just a disclaimer that everyone’s situation is different here so it is important to stay in the know so that you can plan your finances in advance. As the saying goes, if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail:
- This is something one cannot control. Employee or Employer. We can only embrace the change.
- Let’s look at it positively. This will compound interests for many and help build or supplement the CPF retirement nest.
- My thoughts are that this actually does hurt business owners a little more. Over time, these staff costs will indirectly translate into services, items, goods, and whatever is sold to consumers or businesses.
In my next CPF series, I will share or talk about CPF programs and how to help your parents or elders who do not believe in CPF (Or rather too complicated to understand) You just don’t reject free money.
Disclaimer
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