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Image of career: Hawker

Hawker

Overview

Hawkers sell food and beverages in hawker centres and food courts.

Description

  • Prepare, cook, and serve food to order.
  • Manage finances including budgeting, tracking expenses, pricing, and ensuring profit.
  • Implement efficient cooking techniques to minimise waste and operating costs.
  • Prepare and stock ingredients.
  • Establish good relationships with suppliers.

Entry requirements

  • No formal education is required. Find a cuisine you want to specialise in and perfect your recipes. Culinary training may also help you understand cooking techniques kitchen management.

Salary

$2,300 – 3,100

/mo

Salary ranges are estimated based on public information found on Singaporean job portals, including MyCareersFuture, MySkillsFuture. Updated as of 2026.

Trivia

The National Environment Agency and SkillsFuture created the Hawker Development Programme to help aspiring hawkers learn essential skills. The same year, Singapore's hawker culture made UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020.

What to expect

If you choose to start a hawker business, business costs will include bidding for a stall, buying ingredients and equipment, and paying for utilities and cleaning.

Soft
skills

Service Orientation

Able to provide excellent customer service.

Resource Management

Able to maximise use of ingredients and equipment to reduce waste.

Decision Making

Ability to make decisions in a fast-paced environment.

Food Safety Knowledge

Possess expert understanding of food handling and hygiene practices.

Cooking Expertise

Skilled in preparing various dishes well and quickly.

Finance Management

Familiar with budgeting, pricing, and managing finances.

Hard
skills

Faye, Hawker
"My personal motto is to be reliable. To be here for my staff, my customers every day without fail."

Faye, Hawker

Our Grandfather Story

Frequently asked questions

HDB and NEA manage most centres, but private companies like Koufu and Kopitiam own some too. For example, Kopitiam owns the famous Lau Pa Sat market.

NEA holds monthly bidding exercises for available stalls. Check NEA’s website for listings of hawker stalls and their previous bidding prices.

It depends on the stall’s size, location, and demand. Before you buy a stall, you should do your research and consult local authorities or business professionals.

They have to ensure that their prices are competitive, their ingredients are fresh, and their food and customer service is good.

They promote it through signage, special deals, social media, and word-of-mouth recommendations.