'She can buy 2 Rolex watches every month': Hong Kong YouTuber shocked by salaries of people working in Singapore

Ever wondered about how much people living in Singapore earn?

Hong Kong YouTuber Torres Pit is curious too. 

In a video uploaded on Jan 3, he shared that he found out Singapore had overtaken Hong Kong to be Asia's financial hub, likely referring to a report by The Straits Times. 

"It's very difficult news for a Hong Kong boy like me to swallow," he said.

Torres wanted to find out for himself if, in his own words, "Singaporeans are actually that capable".

To do so, he went around Singapore's central business district (CBD) to ask people what they do for a living, as well as their monthly salaries. 

From $8,000 to a whopping $20k a month 

One woman he interviewed shared that she had just left her job - which was a regional role in consumer goods - and currently has no income. 

However, she did reveal that previously, she was drawing a salary of $20,000 a month. 

Torres asked her if she thought $20,000 was a "very good salary" for a Singaporean. 

To that, she said yes, but also pointed out that she had 18 years of corporate experience to show for it. 

"My peers who are around my age are also making around the same salary," she added. 

She also pointed out that the "standard of living is high in Singapore", with expenses like rent to consider. 

So, why did she quit her high-paying job? 

The woman shared that it was all for "purpose". 

"Do you want to die with peace, or do you want to die with money that you can't use?" she wisely said. 

After she left, an impressed Torres remarked: "That girl makes $20,000 a month, she can buy two Rolex watches every month. So rich!" 

Another woman, who works in the artificial intelligence technology sector, shared that she earned about $8,000 every month. 

The Chinese national also revealed that though she was from China, she studied in Singapore and decided to work here too.

"I feel [Singapore] has more balance in terms of working at the beginning of your career," she explained. 

"And now I kind of like the lifestyle here, so I decided to stay." 

Torres also managed to interview an Angolan who works at the Angolan Embassy in Singapore. 

She shared that her work involves handling economic relationships between Angola, Singapore and 16 other countries in Asia. 

And her salary? €4,000 (S$5,800) a month. 

She also revealed that if she were to do something similar back in Angola, she would earn only about €2,000 a month. 

Others were unwilling to disclose their income

While there were people who were all right with telling Torres how much they earned, there were many who were unwilling to disclose their salary. 

This was even so when Torres offered them money for it. 

When he offered $50 and $100 to one man, the man rejected him and said: "My girlfriend doesn't even know my salary." 

In fact, he didn't even want to tell Torres what he did for a living. 

Another man, who revealed that he was a digital technology director in the financial industry, told Torres that one's "salary is confidential". 

However, he did hint that he earns within the range of $10,000 to $20,000 a month. 

When Torres asked how long it would take for a person to get to his position, he wisely said: "Work hard is one thing, you must work smart." 

Another man Torres interviewed shared that he worked at the Singapore Exchange as a product manager. 

The only clues he could give about his salary was that it was above $5,000, "above the median wage" and a "comfortable" amount.  

When Torres asked the man how much he could see himself making in five years, the man said "the sky is the limit". 

Torres also spoke to a Dutch man who said that he had worked in Singapore for more than 16 years. 

The man also shared that he was working at Amazon. 

"[I] install the products and satellite stations for our company," he explained. 

With such an impressive job, one would understandably be curious to know how much the man earned. 

But his lips were tightly sealed, and he wasn't even willing to give Torres a range to guess from. 

However, he did give some advice for those looking to earn more money. 

"Don't work hard, work smart." 

Netizens chime in

In the comments, several users shared their interesting take on Torres' interview. 

One netizen pointed that if one's only goal is to get a high salary, one needs to choose the "right industry". 

Another also gave some feedback and shared that Torres should also consider doing interviews in the non-CBD areas, where there are other workers who do not command as high a salary. 

One viewer also shared something humbling — that graduates from universities in Vietnam can "only admire" the high salary ranges in Singapore. 

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ALSO READ: Some people share how much salary they think is needed to live comfortably in Singapore

melissateo@asiaone.com