She earns 3 to 4 times her husband’s pay – and he’s all right with it

thwives ST20230608_202368698324 Ong Wee Jin /

Ms Lim Mui Khim, 45;
Mr Terrence Tan, 49

This is a story about women who earn more than their husbands. We are analysing the Census data from 2000 to 2020 to get the proportion of married couples here where the wife earns more than her husband. Ms Lim Mui Khim, 45, earns three to four times her husband's salary. She is a financial services director who earns a 6-figure annual package, while Mr Terrence Tan, 49, works part-time as a chief technology officer. The couple has two teenage daughters.

Ms Lim Mui Khim and her husband Terrence Tan pool their incomes into a joint bank account, which they use to pay household bills.

ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN

Theresa Tan

SINGAPORE – Financial services director Lim Mui Khim, 45, earns three to four times her husband’s salary, but he is not bothered by the pay gap between them.

“It doesn’t bother me. My identity and self-worth does not come from my work and income,” said Mr Terrence Tan, 49, a part-time chief technology officer.

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Gender issues

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Income inequality