COMPASS C5 Skills Bonus: Shortage Occupation List 2026
The full list of 29 shortage occupations across seven sectors, how C5 points are calculated, and what to check before you apply.
What is the Shortage Occupation List?
The Shortage Occupation List (SOL) is the list of occupations where Singapore has a shortage of skilled workers. MOM publishes it, and it is used in COMPASS to award the C5 skills bonus for Employment Pass applications.
- MOM can add or remove occupations once a year, and reviews the whole list every three years.
- The list applies to new and renewal Employment Pass applications from 1 January 2026.
- The candidate must perform the key job duties of the occupation, not just hold a similar job title.
The list is published by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). The sections below set out the occupations and how they apply.
How the C5 points work
C5 can add up to 20 points toward the 40-point pass mark. The points depend on whether the job is on the SOL, and on how much of your company's PMET workforce shares the candidate's nationality.
| Situation | 积分 |
|---|---|
| Job on the SOL, and the candidate's nationality is less than one-third of your company's PMETs | Up to 20 |
| Job on the SOL, and the candidate's nationality is one-third or more of your company's PMETs | 10 |
| Job not on the SOL | 0 |
The nationality share is checked against your PMETs. You can use the Workforce Insights tool on the myMOM Portal to check it.
Our team reviews the skills bonus for each case, so a COMPASS result that includes C5 is confirmed after that review.
2026 Shortage Occupation List by sector
Select a sector to see its occupations. Search by occupation name, job title, or supporting agency.
29 of 29 occupations shown
Agritech
Show or hide occupations
| S/N | Shortage occupation | Example eligible job titles | Supporting agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alternative protein food application scientist | Alternative protein food application scientist | 教育局 |
| 2 | Novel food biotechnologist | Novel food biotechnologist | 教育局 |
金融服务
Show or hide occupations
| S/N | Shortage occupation | Example eligible job titles | Supporting agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Financial or investment adviser (ultra-high, high net worth, family office and philanthropy) | Investment advisor (ultra-high/high net worth/family office/philanthropy); Relationship manager (ultra-high/high net worth/family office/philanthropy) | MAS |
Green economy
Show or hide occupations
| S/N | Shortage occupation | Example eligible job titles | Supporting agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Carbon project or programme manager | Carbon programme manager; Carbon project originator; Carbon project manager | 教育局 |
| 5 | Carbon standards and methodology analyst | Carbon rating analyst; Carbon standards and methodology developer | 教育局 |
| 6 | Carbon trader | Carbon trader | EnterpriseSG |
| 7 | Carbon verification and audit specialist | Carbon auditor; Carbon verification and audit specialist | 教育局 |
医疗保健
Show or hide occupations
| S/N | Shortage occupation | Example eligible job titles | Supporting agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Clinical psychologist | Clinical psychologist | MOH |
| 9 | Diagnostic radiographer | Diagnostic radiographer; Magnetic resonance imaging technologist; Mammographer; Medical diagnostic radiographer; Radiologic technologist | MOH |
| 10 | Occupational therapist | Ergotherapist; Occupational therapist (including manager and researcher roles) | MOH |
| 11 | Physiotherapist | Aquatic physiotherapist; Clinical physiotherapist; Physical therapist; Physiotherapist (including manager and researcher roles) | MOH |
| 12 | Registered nurse | Assistant director of nursing; Assistant nurse clinician; Chief nurse; Clinic nurse; Clinical nurse; Deputy director of nursing; Director of nursing | MOH |
| 13 | Podiatrist | Podiatrist | MOH |
| 14 | Medical social worker | Psychiatric social worker; Healthcare social worker | MOH |
Infocomm technology
Show or hide occupations
| S/N | Shortage occupation | Example eligible job titles | Supporting agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Artificial intelligence (AI) scientist or engineer | AI engineer | IMDA |
| 16 | Applications or systems programmer | Analyst programmer; Applications programmer; Computer programmer; Multimedia programmer; Systems programmer | IMDA |
| 17 | Cloud specialist | Cloud architect; Cloud engineer; Cloud operations engineer; Cloud specialist | IMDA |
| 18 | Cybersecurity architect | Cybersecurity architect; Cybersecurity engineer; ICT security architect; ICT security engineer; Information systems security developer | IMDA |
| 19 | Data scientist | Chief data scientist; Data engineer; Data scientist; Head of data analytics | IMDA |
| 20 | Digital forensics specialist | Computer forensics expert; Computer forensics investigator; Cyber forensics expert; Cyber forensics investigation specialist | IMDA |
| 21 | Penetration testing specialist | Ethical hacker; Exploitation analyst; ICT security tester; Network security tester; Penetration testing specialist; Security penetration tester | IMDA |
| 22 | Software and applications manager (technical lead or supervisor) | Application development manager; Head of applications development; Software and applications manager; Software development manager | IMDA |
| 23 | Software developer | Applications developer; Blockchain architect; Blockchain developer; Blockchain engineer; Computer software engineer; Cryptography architect | IMDA |
| 24 | Web and mobile applications developer | Mobile applications developer; Web developer | IMDA |
Maritime
Show or hide occupations
| S/N | Shortage occupation | Example eligible job titles | Supporting agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Marine superintendent | Marine superintendent (deck) | MPA |
| 26 | Marine technical superintendent | Marine/vessel manager; Marine superintendent (engineer); Technical superintendent (marine) | MPA |
Semi-conductor
Show or hide occupations
| S/N | Shortage occupation | Example eligible job titles | Supporting agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | Semi-conductor engineer | Semi-conductor engineer; Integrated circuit designer; Microchip engineer | 教育局 |
| 28 | Instrumentation engineer | Integrated circuit engineer | 教育局 |
| 29 | Process engineer | Process engineer; Process technology engineer; Process engineer (electronic) | 教育局 |
How to use this list in your application
- Check the job duties. The candidate must be performing the key job duties of the occupation. Compare the role with the duties on MOM's SOL Employer Guide (PDF).
- Select the matching occupation. Choose one of the eligible job titles in the Employment Pass application. It should match the job advertisement on MyCareersFuture, unless your company is exempt from that requirement.
- Meet the extra requirements. Some occupations need a relevant qualification, work experience in listed job titles, or proof of registration.
- Ask the supporting agency. Each occupation lists a supporting agency in the table above for questions about its requirements.
For the full Employment Pass criteria, including salary, qualifications, and company requirements, read our Singapore Employment Pass guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does C5 apply to every candidate?
No. C5 applies only when the candidate's job is on the Shortage Occupation List and the candidate performs the job duties of that occupation.
Can the skills bonus make up for a low salary?
No. Salary must meet the minimum qualifying salary first. C5 adds points only after that.
How often does the list change?
MOM can add or remove occupations once a year and reviews the whole list every three years. The current list applies to new and renewal applications from 1 January 2026.
Who decides whether the skills bonus applies?
Our team reviews the skills bonus for each case. The final decision on any Employment Pass application is made by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
Related guides and tools
- Singapore Employment Pass guide: the full criteria and how COMPASS applies
- COMPASS calculator: estimate your points in about two minutes
Last reviewed against MOM's COMPASS C5 SOL Employer Guide (released November 2025). This page is general information and does not guarantee Employment Pass approval. The Shortage Occupation List is set by the Ministry of Manpower and may change. The final decision is made by MOM.
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