Looking at our education journey in Singapore, many of us would have grown up with parents or relatives invariably comparing academic performance and exam results. We may have been compared to siblings, cousins, classmates or even the neighbour’s kids.
At its heart, the comparison was very likely not meant to put us down, but quite the opposite – they wanted the best for us. Getting good scores increases our chances of getting into good schools, getting into good-paying jobs and ultimately settling into a comfortable life.
However, this never-ending comparison can also be very unhealthy for children – as we may be good at different things. Besides lower morale and perhaps even developing resentment, it may also put the mental health of children at risk.
Embracing a career in a creative field should be equal to someone else who goes into engineering, computing or medicine. Working in blue-collared roles and with our hands should not be seen as a lower-status job.
Of course, grades alone would not be the sole determinant of how far we go in our careers and lives. Unfortunately, change will only come with time and of course salary.
This brings us to the next point – when we enter the workforce, we ourselves may start obsessing over how much we are paid compared to the average, compared to our friends and compared to our colleagues. This can be an equally unhealthy way of looking at our salary.
Here are some reasons why comparing your salary to the average salary in Singapore is quite similar to how parents may compare grades.
Read Also: What’s The Median Salary In Singapore (At Every Age, Gender, Education and Race)
#1 50% Of People Will Never Be Able To Match Up To The Average
Benchmarking success to the average salary is always going to leave some people feeling poor. This is simply a function of how statistics work. 50% of people will always be earning below the median and 50% of people will be earning above the median salary.
This means regardless of how successful Singapore may be at elevating salaries, 50% of workers will always be earning less than the median salary in Singapore – which happens to be $4,550 (excluding Employer CPF) in 2023. This is not because such workers aren’t smart enough, working hard enough or good enough. It’s simply how the median salary in constructed.
Another 50% of workers will also be earning more than the median salary mark. This does not mean that they are smarter, more hard-working or better. They too can strive to do better.
#2 Fixating On Grades (Or Salary) Kills Creativity And Excellence
Parents who only compare grades are telling their children that English, Maths, Science, Mother Tongue (and other subjects at different levels) define their worth.
Similarly, employees who fixate on pay think that it defines who they are.
In both instances, that is not the full truth.
By fixating on grades, students will become less likely to take risks or pursue interests that do not serve the goal of getting a better grade.
Looking at the real world, there are many career opportunities outside those that require the best grades (i.e. medicine, legal, banking, IT and others) that can offer a lucrative and fulfilling career. For example, a career as a YouTuber, an Athlete, a Video Gamer or a Business Owner can be equally fulfilling and even more lucrative.
By only looking to earn a higher salary from Day 1, employees will be keenly aware of the money they are going to forego to pursue their dreams or even start a business.
#3 Comparing Can Actually Limit Your Potential
Just because a child happens to score better than their siblings, cousins or neighbours’ kids does not mean they are unable to do better. Not fixating on grades does not mean ignoring them. There may be scope for parents to encourage their children to do even better. Some kids are great at maths – so push them to do their best – while others may be good at things beyond academics – and we need to push them in that direction too.
As a worker, just because we are earning more than our colleagues does not mean we should take it easier at work. If it is in our ability, we can always strive to do better.
Similarly, even if we are already earning more than the median salary, it doesn’t mean “we have made it”. Our career path can be even more lucrative than simply earning above the median salary.
#4 Grades (Or Salary) Is Not The End-Goal
Comparing grades can lead to the unhealthy obsession to capture every mark possible on an exam paper. That’s not really the point of education. Scoring well and getting into the best schools in Singapore will not necessarily make you the most literate person.
Your education should prepare you to excel in the workforce. Even better if you are able to excel in a field you are truly passionate about.
Similarly, earning every dollar more can become an unhealthy obsession for employees. Unfortunately, that’s not really the point of building a fulfilling career. You may be able to leave your current employer for $100 raise elsewhere. But will you really be happier, work on projects that are more fulfilling, have better colleagues
Being a doctor, lawyer, investment banker or computer engineer may pay well, but they may not be professions that we have an interest in or that is best suited to our abilities. We may not enjoy the stressful work environment, the long working hours or maybe we simply have other passions we rather build a career in or turn into business opportunities.
At the end of the day, we should be building a career we enjoy rather than chasing every single dollar possible.
#5 There’s No End To Comparisons
Finally, there’s no end to comparisons. There will always be a bigger “dog” – or someone scoring a better grade or earning a higher salary.
Even if we earn more than the median salary, we can look at the median salary earned by age. Those in the peak of our earning years, between the age of 40 to 44, have a median salary of $7,098.
We can also compare our salaries by education: the median salary of degree holders is higher again $8,190.
And, we can also compare by the careers we are in. For example, an in-house legal counsel who earns $9,000 a month will actually be earning less than the median salary of in-house legal counsels in 2023 – according to statistics from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
An unhealthy obsession with earning more or scoring higher, without an end goal or meaningful goal, can feel empty even after we achieve it. Which may lead to looking at the next comparison and the next one after that to beat.
More Money Is Always Better – But Money Alone Is Not The End Goal
It’s also important to note that we should not completely ignore comparisons and benchmarks. An understanding of where we stand can be an important piece of information. This gives us a good picture of striving for better.
There’s a thin line between “striving for better” and “obsessing over grades/salary”. We are not here to define this line. Rather, every individual is different and will have different definitions – and aspirations. Just remember that a little stress provides good encouragement, too much stress may inhibit growth.
As an employee living in an expensive city like Singapore, having more money will always make our lives easier. However, we need to think about what we want to achieve in our career rather than fixate on how much we are getting paid. Choosing the career path we want can make us happier, and when we’re happier in our work, we have a good chance of excelling and earning more.
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