A Director salary typically range from: 8-14k, depending on years of experiences. (some high flyer who became director in his mid 30s would earn abt 8-9k, someone in the 40s would be 10k +. 14k - hard to achieve - for old birds who have been in that position for 10 yrs ++)

Dy Director (DD) salary typically range from: 5-10k, depending on years of experiences. (typical high flyer who became Dy director in his early-mid30s would earn abt 6-7k, someone in the 40s would be 8k +. 10k - hard to achieve for DD rank. for old birds who have been in that position for long time)

Asst Director (AD) salary typically range from: 3.5-8k, depending on years of experiences. (high flyer who became Asst director in his late 20s to early 30s would earn abt 4-6k, someone in the mid 30s would be 6k-7k). Typically do not have AD age beyond 40. they either get promoted or have already left for somewhere else.

private sector
 

sounds a little low, given that it's quite tough to reach director level. thought it would be like 20k at least.

i'm in upper (not top) management at an mnc, and already making 16k at age 35..

Hmm... I wonder why people still don't understand this.. This is risk free rate, obviously you expect return to be lower right. A director in his early 40s in the civil service who earns 15k, ie ard 250k/yr or more earns this rate for the next 20-25 years risk free, unless he does something funny. I doubt MNCs guarantee that kind of stability. The 16k u earn factors in the spread meant to cover the probability of your company defaulting on you when you are in the late 40s.

Because Directors in civil service are nowhere near to what is normally known as senior management in MNC. At best you can classify them as mid level manager.

Even if they transfer to any GLC, they are only about M3 - M4 grade.

That's pretty good. Including bonus, how much do you make a year?

In singapore, risk-free rate aka gov yield is lower than inflation rate, i.e in long term, you are screwed as you are a depreciating asset.
MNC does have a risk premium but you hedge it with transferrablility and diversification of skills set. Coupled with wide industry contacts, a optimal risk-ajusted return can be easily achieved.
One can easily structure their risk-return profile by taking taking quasi gov role e.g. Becoming a MP, sitting in a GLC board, etc

Sometimes taking no risk is actually risker than taking calculated risk.
Time for you to hit the books and relearn the subtle naunces of CAPM theory, instead of just implying out the default probability via CDS pricing model

Haha, well you are speaking to a trained financial engineer so peddle your stuff somewhere else. I'm sure you like to think that your risks can be hedged away easily but seriously, there's no one MNCs like to axe more than an overpaid executive in his mid 40s, bearing in mind the widening gates and increasing pool of well educated grads/post-grads that will flood the markets here in the next 10-20 years. Sure, one can always fight to stay afloat, but default risk is greater than ever before, and will continue to increase. I seriously doubt contacts are the best bets in such cases. By 40s, you are too old and expensive to be rehired without a substantive paycut. Remember then, that while you are treading water, govt directors are leading easier lives without worry till retirement.

Govt risk free rate below inflation rate? are you sure? You seriously need to check your facts first. I hope this is not the kind of research you do in office otherwise you will get sacked. The annual increments in govt service for senior officers are definitely in excess of inflation, putting aside bonuses and promotional increments. And even that is an irrelevant point that you had brought up. Salaries don't grow perpetually and we are comparing steady states, ie assuming 2 persons maxing out at directorship. By then, their annual packages would have stabilised at a certain level (i.e. minimal growth) hence we are just comparing 2 bonds, one paying an annual coupon of 300k, the other im not sure, 500k? However the former is a treasury, 0 chance of default. We all love our junk bonds, but people still keep lots of treasuries for good reasons.

You also talk as though becoming an MP or sitting on a GLC board is easily within reach. Don't want to burst your bubble but pls don't get ahead of yourself. Certainly someone who expresses himself like you isn't exactly MP calibre. We all expect MPs to speak with humility don't we.

my boss last time 17-18 years exp in GLC, only getting M2 in jan 2008, only getting 6.9-7k by this july!!

QFT, I do agree the annual increment in CS in really good. From the forum,
A can get 10-12% increment
B can get 8-10% increment
C can get 5-8% increment

Then my advice is to look for a new job fast. My general rule of thumb is - if ur boss' station in life doesn't appear to be something worthwhile to aspire towards, quickly find another job while u r still young.