Haidilao Manager Reveals S$10,000 Monthly Salary in Viral Interview as Company Calls Figure “An Exception”

By
Loh Huey Xin
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A trainee manager named Ronghui from the Haidilao hotpot restaurant at Plaza Singapura has gained attention online after revealing his monthly salary of about S$10,000 in an interview with content creator Xavier Chen.

@aze.sg 新加坡海底捞最帅店长，月入$10000新币工作日常@Haidilao Plaza Singapura ♬ 原声 – 阿泽Xavier

The interview, which offered a glimpse into the daily life of Haidilao staff, went viral primarily because of the salary disclosure at the beginning of the video.

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Six Years of Service Leads to Substantial Compensation Package

Ronghui, who originally hails from Fujian, China, moved to Singapore 20 years ago and became a citizen.

He has worked at Haidilao for nearly six years, which led to his promotion to his current managerial position.

In the viral video, Ronghui explained that while Singapore doesn’t have a strong tipping culture compared to other countries, employees at Haidilao receive tips occasionally, which they get to keep entirely.

He shared that the largest tip he ever received was S$1,000.

His daily responsibilities include overseeing both staff and customers, greeting patrons with a smile, and making sure they are comfortably seated.

However, the job comes with its challenges.

Ronghui recalled a particularly difficult request when a customer asked him to remove all the seeds from a dragon fruit—a task he attempted despite the fruit containing hundreds of tiny edible seeds.

“I tried my best to do it,” he laughed.

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He also shared some heartwarming moments from his career, such as when customers surprised him with a cake on his birthday after learning about the date from other staff members.

Company Clarifies Salary is Not Representative of Average Income

In response to queries about the salary claim, a Haidilao spokesperson stated that the figure mentioned in the video was an “exception” rather than the norm.

The company clarified that the salary was influenced by a “special combination of factors, including store location, specialized role, and extensive working hours.”

They added that their salary structure was designed to reflect these variables, and this particular case “should not be seen as representative of the average income.”

The claim sparked debate among netizens, with some expressing skepticism about the figure.

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Critics pointed out that management trainees typically earn around S$3,000 per month, citing Glassdoor estimates that place the upper end of a management trainee’s base pay at approximately S$36,000 annually.

However, other commenters defended the claim, suggesting that S$10,000 seemed reasonable given Ronghui’s six years of experience.

Some also speculated that the high salary could be attributed to the restaurant’s revenue and the alleged generosity of the management.

Despite the controversy, Haidilao affirmed they were “committed to offering competitive compensation and growth opportunities, recognizing that dedication and hard work can lead to remarkable achievements.”

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Loh Huey Xin