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All confusables

Basic wage / Monthly gross wage

Different meanings

For MOM's Progressive Wage Model, monthly gross wage can include basic wages plus specified variable components. Bonuses, employer CPF contributions and other excluded items do not count towards this measure.

Basic wage

Use when

You mean the employee's basic wage before adding the variable components that may count towards a PWM monthly gross wage requirement.

Example

“The employer raised the employee's basic wage to meet more of the PWM requirement.”

Monthly gross wage

Use when

You mean the MOM Progressive Wage Model measure that may include basic wages and specified variable components such as allowances, commissions and productivity incentive payments.

Example

“The PWM requirement is assessed against the employee's monthly gross wage.”

Quick check

assuming monthly gross wage means basic wage only, counting bonuses towards the PWM monthly gross wage, including employer CPF contributions in the PWM monthly gross wage

Usage note

This distinction is specific to the Progressive Wage Model context.

Source checked 2026-08-15 (opens in a new tab)