Young people in Singapore are increasingly favoring careers as elevator technicians.

The Singaporean elevator and escalator industry is witnessing a distinct rejuvenation in its workforce structure: the median age of the local workforce has dropped sharply from 46 to 40 in just two years, since 2023.

Along with rejuvenation, the median wage in the industry has also increased significantly: an average of 14% in 2024 and 10% in 2025, applying to all job groups – from maintenance technicians and troubleshooting technicians to supervisory positions. Thanks to this, the number of Singaporeans joining the industry has increased by 7% since 2023.

*The median age/wage is the middle value when all data is arranged in order from lowest to highest.

These positive shifts mark the recovery of an industry that had suffered a long-term labor shortage due to being perceived as low-income, long-hour, high-risk work requiring significant technical and professional skills. Currently, Singapore's elevator and escalator industry has about 1,300 local workers, alongside a significant workforce of licensed foreign workers.

Progressive Wage Model (PWM) - The Main Driver of Change

Speaking at the Singapore Lift and Escalator Sector Appreciation Ceremony on November 26, 2025, Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat affirmed that the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) is the key factor helping to revitalize the nation's elevator industry.

He stated: “The improvement in wages, along with an emphasis on training and continuous professional development, has repositioned the industry to become a more attractive career choice. All elevator and escalator maintenance companies must adopt the PWM as a condition for registration with the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), ensuring fair wages appropriate to the competency of each level.”

Implemented since 2022, the Progressive Wage Model applies specifically to Singaporean workers with minimum wages based on job tiers: Assistant Lift and Escalator Specialist with a minimum wage of SGD 2,525/month (over VND 51.3 million/month); Principal Specialist with a minimum wage of SGD 3,590/month (over VND 73 million/month).

Responsibilities and benefits are clearly outlined under the Progressive Wage Model (PWM).

Meanwhile, a 2016 survey showed that the starting salary for an elevator technician was only SGD 1,300 - 1,600/month (VND 20.2 - 24.9 million/month), with a large portion of income coming from overtime work – which was both unstable and accounted for nearly half of total income. Compared to bus drivers who had a starting salary of SGD 1,950/month (over VND 30.2 million), elevator technicians at that time clearly had very low incomes.

The Progressive Wage Model not only requires businesses to adopt and ensure fair wages and competency standards for operation registration but also outlines a clear career development and advancement roadmap, helping technicians progress to supervisory or high-level technical expert positions.

Singapore currently has about 79,000 elevators and 7,900 escalators in operation – requiring a large maintenance workforce that is well-trained and adaptable to new technologies.

Technology is Redefining the Elevator Technician Profession

The elevator and escalator industry in Singapore is strongly promoting the application of technology to enhance system reliability. Currently, over 1,500 elevators are monitored remotely via Remote Monitoring & Diagnostics systems, allowing for predictive maintenance and shifting from a monthly to a quarterly maintenance model – a significant step forward in productivity and resource optimization.

According to Mr. Melvin Yong – Assistant Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress and Chairman of the Tripartite Cluster for Lift and Escalator Industry, this change not only improves operational efficiency but also redefines the nature of the elevator technician profession. From a job often associated with the "4D" image – dirty, dangerous, difficult, and demanding – this profession is transforming into a field with clear career paths, high skill requirements, and sustainable development opportunities.

Potential training courses for each level of the Progressive Wage Model

“As elevator and escalator systems increasingly apply high technology, we need experts possessing commensurate skills, with a solid technical foundation to maintain safe and efficient operations. Therefore, the Progressive Wage Model, combined with training programs and technology application, plays a key role. When workers upgrade their skills according to this model's standards, they take on higher responsibilities, receive better wages, and provide safer, more reliable services to the community,” shared the Chairman of the Singapore Tripartite Cluster for Lift and Escalator Industry.

Hot, cramped, and risky work environments, coupled with disproportionate wages, once made the Singapore elevator industry less attractive to job seekers

Emphasizing the silent role of the technical workforce, Mr. Melvin Yong shared: “For many years, the work of elevator and escalator technicians was almost invisible, even though they carried a huge responsibility: supporting the elderly in moving around, helping parents take strollers up to apartments, and ensuring business operations run smoothly between floors.”

From a capacity development perspective, Singapore's Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said that the technician workforce is now equipped with and using many advanced technologies such as remote monitoring and fault diagnosis systems, along with AI-integrated technical assistants.

Minister Chee Hong Tat affirmed: “As infrastructure ages and new technologies constantly emerge, the elevator and escalator industry must proactively innovate to increase resilience, improve productivity, and elevate the profession.”

Career Stories: Skills, Discipline, and Promotion Opportunities

At the Singapore Lift and Escalator Sector Appreciation Ceremony, 15 supervisors and technical specialists were awarded commemorative medals for their safety achievements, leadership capabilities, technical skills, ability to apply technology, and spirit of continuous learning.

Individuals honored in the Supervisory Specialist category under the Progressive Wage Model.

Technology Combined with Expertise

Starting as an apprentice 25 years ago, Mr. Ganesh Prasad Vasudevan, 48, a troubleshooting specialist at KONE, is a prime example of a technician applying new technology. He said his salary has been adjusted twice in three years thanks to the Progressive Wage Model.

Ganesh Prasad Vasudevan, 48, a troubleshooting specialist at KONE.

Ganesh Prasad Vasudevan shared: “AI systems and remote monitoring are very useful and easy to use. Before arriving at the scene, we can monitor and diagnose right on our phones. If any sensor or component is broken, we prepare it to bring along and replace. This significantly reduces downtime.”

Thanks to applying technology, his work efficiency has increased noticeably: system safety and reliability increased by 20%, incidents decreased by 20%, and the first-time fix rate increased by 30%.

The use of cloud computing and AI-assisted diagnostics shows that the technician team following the Progressive Wage Model is increasingly adapting well to the industry's modern and complex technological systems.

Excellence Through Clear Career Advancement Paths

Another individual honored was Mr. Muhammad Zulkarnaen, 40, a Senior Specialist at Hitachi Elevator Asia. Eighteen years ago, he switched from being a motorbike mechanic to entering the elevator field. In his early years in the profession, he frequently had to work overtime to compensate and improve his income.

Muhammad Zulkarnaen, 40, a Senior Specialist at Hitachi Elevator Asia.

Now a father of three, he perceives his current income as more accurately reflecting the value of skills and expertise the profession demands. He was honored not only for his absolute safety record but also for his role in leading and training a team of 16 maintenance technicians. Encountering an intermittent fault due to an electromagnetic brake solenoid, he directly guided the team to handle it, turning the situation into a practical training opportunity.

“I have a responsibility to pass on knowledge to them, so they can handle the work themselves in the future without my presence. That is an opportunity for me to teach them – this is good for them and also good for myself,” said Mr. Muhammad Zulkarnaen.

Sharing about the profession, Mr. Muhammad Zulkarnaen said: “This is a job that requires skills, just like being a car mechanic – not everyone can diagnose the problem correctly.”

“Our profession is the same: not everyone can handle elevator or escalator incidents. Therefore, the salary must be attractive enough to attract and retain workers. This job requires both physical strength and creates great mental pressure,” Muhammad Zulkarnaen shared.

Teo Soon Peng, 36, a Senior Lift and Escalator Specialist at Mitsubishi Elevator (Singapore).

Similarly, Teo Soon Peng, 36, a Senior Lift and Escalator Specialist at Mitsubishi Elevator (Singapore), demonstrated superior diagnostic skills when stabilizing the operation of 20 elevators at Suntec City by tracing an issue to the building's power source. He also contributed to enhancing occupational safety by implementing self-retracting lifeline measures and work platforms in the shaft.

Thanks to the Progressive Wage Model emphasizing continuous learning, workers like Mr. Teo have the opportunity to pursue advanced certifications even while working full-time.

Currently, he is studying for a Vertical Transportation Diploma – a pathway supported by the competency-based advancement system of the Progressive Wage Model, developed with the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).

When asked about his motivation to study more despite a busy job, Mr. Teo shared very clearly about the requirement to always progress: “The world is changing day by day, with digitization, AI, and many new technologies. I have to continuously upgrade my skills. I cannot be left behind. I need to always move forward.”

With improved income, clear career paths, and strong support from modern technology, Singapore's elevator and escalator industry is gradually building a younger, more professional, and more sustainable workforce after years of facing labor shortages.

This is also proof that policy reform and technology investment can comprehensively change the image of a specific technical profession, which has long been undervalued in terms of expertise and value.

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