Singapore IT Salary Report

January 2007

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The content of this report is based on information provided by respondents to an online survey. Information provided is for general informational purposes. CNET Networks Asia Pacific Pte Ltd does not guarantee the correctness or completeness of the data. Reproduction or disclosure in whole or in part to other parties, by any means whatsoever, shall be made only upon prior written permission of CNET Networks Asia Pacific Pte Ltd.

Table of Contents
1 2 3 4 5 INTRODUCTION RESPONDENT PROFILE KEY FINDINGS - IT SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE KEY FINDINGS - PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS KEY FINDINGS - SALARY ANALYSIS Annual Salary by Job Function Annual Salary by Years of Experience Annual Salary by Company Size Annual Salary by Industry Annual Salary by Job Function and Years of Experience Annual Salary by Job Function and Company Size Annual Salary by Job Function and Industry 6 7 KEY FINDINGS - REGIONAL INSIGHTS APPENDIX Job Function Categorization Industry Categorization 3 4 5 6 7 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 9

List of Tables and Charts

Figure 1: Respondent Profile by Education Level Figure 2: Respondent Profile by Employment Status Figure 3: Respondent Profile by Industry Figure 4: Respondent Profile by Company Size Figure 5: Respondent Profile by Job Function Figure 6: Respondent Profile by Years of Experience Figure 7: Type of Experience by Job Function Figure 8: Top 15 Professional Certifications - Singapore Figure 9: Average Annual Salary by Job Function Figure 10: Average Annual Salary by Years of Experience Figure 11: Average Annual Salary by Company Size Figure 12: Average Annual Salary by Industry Figure 13: Average Annual Salary by Job Function and Years of Experience Figure 14: Average Annual Salary by Job Function and Company Size Figure 15: Singapore Average Annual Salary by Job Function and Industry Figure 16: Top 5 Professional Certifications All Countries Figure 17: Overall Average Annual Salary by Country 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 6 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 9 9

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Introduction

IT is still a good career choice. But what and where are the higher-paying jobs, and are IT professionals in Asia paid their worth? This ZDNet Asia IT Salary Benchmark 2006 report provides an overview of salary data for several IT positions, including IT Management, Project Development and Systems Development. It also highlights the most popular technical skills and professional certifications. This report is based on an extensive survey conducted on the Internet between Aug. 25 and Nov. 6, 2006, using several methods to invite survey participants, including online advertisements on CNET Networks and partner sites, e-mail invitation, text links from ZDNet Asia TechGuides and Newsletters, DHTML pop-up on ZDNet Asia, and search engine marketing. The survey drew 5,090 respondents from key industry sectors such as Government, Healthcare, IT, Services, Telecommunications, Legal and Finance. This 9-page report focuses on Singapore and shows that IT Management positions are at the upper end of the pay scale. Project development ranked second. As expected, experience does count. The number of years of experience impacts salaries across the board. Similarly, company size, as measured by number of employees, also has an impact on salary levels, with larger companies generally paying more. In the breakdown by industry, there appears to be no distinct pattern of salary variation, although respondents from the Legal and Finance sector command the highest average annual salaries. However, it is important to note that experience and job function can affect the compensation package, too. The objective of the ZDNet Asia IT Salary Benchmark Survey is to compile an extensive and up-to-date set of salary data, for which the results will be published annually. In addition, the data collected will also be used to build an Interactive Salary Benchmark Wizard for respondents to compare salary levels against their peers. The survey targets IT professionals from seven countries: Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. On behalf of the ZDNet Asia team, I hope you find this report useful.

Isabelle Chan Senior Editor ZDNet Asia

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Respondent Profile

The total number of complete responses received from Singapore was 1,792. Figure 1: Respondent Profile by Education Level Figure 4: Respondent Profile by Company Size

Figure 2: Respondent Profile by Employment Status

Figure 5: Respondent Profile by Job Function

Figure 3: Respondent Profile by Industry

Figure 6: Respondent Profile by Years of Experience

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006 Copyright 2007 CNET Networks Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. All rights reserved

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Key Findings - IT Skills and Experience

IT skill sets differ considerably by job junction.

Figure 7: Type of Experience by Job Function

% of Respondents with Related Work Experience IT Management Project Development 69% 35% 35% 32% 35% 22% 25% 31% 14% 35% 12% 17% 48% 39% 26% 19% 502 2,480 System Development 90% 35% 24% 20% 23% 10% 7% 15% 4% 40% 6% 14% 28% 57% 25% 12% 433 1,777 Other IT Professionals 25% 63% 60% 58% 58% 31% 30% 30% 24% 23% 22% 22% 20% 16% 12% 9% 603 3,042 Overall 58% 48% 44% 42% 43% 25% 27% 29% 19% 34% 16% 19% 33% 35% 20% 13% 1,792 9,072

Application Development 63% Desktops/Software 63% Operating Systems 57% Servers/Networking 63% System Administration 60% IT Security 44% Infrastructure Management 61% IT Outsourcing 42% Data Center 40% Database Management 46% Storage 27% Telco/Wireless/Mobile 20% Enterprise Applications 45% Web Development 31% Web Services 17% Quality Assurance Testing 13% Total Respondents (N) 254 Total Mentions 1,773 Note: Cells with >40% proportion shaded yellow.

As expected, majority of respondents in System Development have Application Development and Web Development experience. As part of the job requirement, respondents in IT Management roles have a broader range of experience, including Application Development, Desktops/Software, Infrastructure Management, Operating Systems, and System Administration. Other IT Professionals indicated that their expertise focused largely on IT support and administration related areas such as Desktops/Software, Operating Systems, Servers/Networking, and System Administration.

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006 Copyright 2007 CNET Networks Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. All rights reserved

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4 Key Findings - Professional Certifications

Forty-four percent of the 1,792 respondents in Singapore hold at least one professional certification. Microsoft dominates the Top 5 Professional Certifications with Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and Microsoft Certified System Administrator (MCSA).
Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Professional Certification Singapore Frequency 148 135 117 101 86 76 57 49 44 42 42 40 39 33 31 31 % of Respondents With At Least 1 Certification 19.0% 17.3% 15.0% 12.9% 11.0% 9.7% 7.3% 6.3% 5.6% 5.4% 5.4% 5.1% 5.0% 4.2% 4.0% 4.0% 1792 781

Figure 8: Top 15 Professional Certifications - Singapore

Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) Project Management (PMP) Microsoft Certified System Administrator (MCSA) Sun Certified Programmer for Java 2 IBM certification SAP Certified Application/Technical Consultant Sun Solaris Certification Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) HP certification 12 Lotus Professional Certification 13 Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) 14 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) 15 Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) Oracle Database Administrator certifications Total Respondents Total Respondents With At Least 1 Certification

Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) is the most popular professional certification. Out of the 781 respondents who hold a professional certification, 19 percent are MCP-certified. Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) is the second most popular certification after Microsoft's MCP. The vendor-neutral Project Management (PMP) certification is also among the most popular. Thirteen percent of respondents with certifications hold PMP certification.

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006 Copyright 2007 CNET Networks Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. All rights reserved

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Key Findings - Salary Analysis

Annual Salary by Job Function

IT professionals in Singapore are paid well, if the IT Salary survey results are anything to go by. Overall, the average annual salary in Singapore is S$64,943 (US$41,601), the second highest after Hong Kong among the seven countries surveyed. As expected, IT Management are among the highest paid. The average annual salary for such positions is S$95,487 (US$61,167), compared with Project Development where the average annual salary is S$75,021 (US$48,056). At the lower end of the pay scale is Systems Development, where the average annual salary is S$51,363 (US$32,902).
Country Local Currency Job Function Systems Development 51,363 322 Other IT Professionals 52,031 482 OVERALL

Figure 9: Average Annual Salary by Job Function

IT Project Management Development Average Annual Salary by Job Function (Local Currency) Singapore SGD 95,487 75,021 Number of Respondents Singapore 210 415

64,943 1429

Annual Salary by Years of Experience

The number of years of experience also impacts salaries. The average annual salary of respondents with more than 10 years' experience is S$100,362 (US$64,289), 55 percent higher than the overall country average of S$64,943 (US$41,601).
Years of Experience More than 10 Years 100,362 302

Figure 10: Average Annual Salary by Years of Experience

Country Less than 5 Years 5-10 Years Average Annual Salary by Years of Experience (Local Currency) Singapore SGD 39,468 63,171 Number of Respondents Singapore 367 760 Local Currency OVERALL 64,943 1429

The average annual salary for respondents with less than five years' work experience is S$39,468 (US$25,282), compared with the average of S$63,171 (US$40,465) for those with between five and 10 years' experience.

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Annual Salary by Company Size

Company size, as measured by number of employees, also has an impact on salary levels. Respondents working in companies with fewer than 99 employees earn an average of S$58,171 (US$37,263) while their counterparts in larger companies earn more. The average annual salary for those working in companies with between 100 and 999 employees is S$65,381 (US$41,881), compared with the average annual salary of S$70,242 (US$44,995) in companies with 1,000 or more employees.
Country Local Currency Company Size 1-99 Employees 1000 & Above Employees 70,242 472 OVERALL

Figure 11: Average Annual Salary by Company Size

100-999 Employees Average Annual Salary by Company Size (Local Currency) Singapore SGD 58,171 65,381 Number of Respondents Singapore 380 554
Note: A small number of respondents (42) did not specify company size

64,943 1429

Annual Salary by Industry

In the analysis of salaries by industry, there appears to be no distinct pattern of salary variation, although respondents from the Legal and Finance sector command the highest average annual salaries. However, it should be noted that different experience and job function mix can affect salary levels as well.
Country Local Currency Industry IT, Web & Telecom (ITWT) Government, Education and Health (GEH) Legal and Finance (LF) Media, Marketing & Sales (nonIT) (MMS) Mfg, Services and Others (non-IT) (MSO) 64,417 149 OVERALL

Figure 12: Average Annual Salary by Industry

Average Annual Salary by Industry (Local Currency) Singapore SGD 62,104 67,450 Number of Respondents Singapore 835 211
Note: A small number of respondents (10) did not specify industry

77,714 171

60,881 62

64,943 1429

Annual Salary by Job Function and Years of Experience

The average annual salaries of respondents with more than 10 years' experience are substantially higher than the respective job function averages by 20 percent in IT Management, 47 percent in Project Development, 67 percent in Systems Development, and 44 percent among the other IT professionals.
Years of Experience Job Function Average Annual Salary (SGD) IT Management Project Development Systems Development Other IT Professionals OVERALL Number of Respondents TOTAL Less than 5 Years 40,171 45,144 39,347 36,432 39,468 367 5-10 Years 79,058 72,439 54,900 53,802 63,171 760 More than 10 Years 114,964 110,286 85,882 75,048 100,362 302 OVERALL

Figure 13: Average Annual Salary by Job Function and Years of Experience

95,487 75,021 51,363 52,031 64,943 1429

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Annual Salary by Job Function and Company Size

Respondents working in larger companies also had higher average salaries across each job function. Respondents from companies with 1,000 or more employees have average annual salaries that are between 6 percent (Systems Development) and 15 percent (Other IT Professionals) higher than their respective overall job function averages.
Company Size Job Function 1-99 Employees 83,685 64,934 46,991 44,640 58,171 380 100-999 Employees 101,690 73,757 52,022 50,758 65,381 554 1000 & Above Employees 101,941 81,903 54,443 59,595 70,242 472 OVERALL Average Annual Salary (SGD) IT Management Project Development Systems Development Other IT Professionals OVERALL Number of Respondents TOTAL

Figure 14: Average Annual Salary by Job Function and Company Size

95,487 75,021 51,363 52,031 64,943 1429

Note: A small number of respondents (23) in Singapore did not specify company size

Annual Salary by Job Function and Industry

In the case of Singapore, a further observation is that the Legal and Finance sector pays comparatively better than other industry groups. The salary premium over the respective job function averages ranges from 15 percent for IT Management, 16 percent for Systems Development, 17 percent for Other IT Professionals, to 22 percent for Project Development.
Industry IT, Web & Telecom (ITWT) Average Annual Salary (SGD) IT Management 97,815 Project Development 71,016 Systems 48,415 Development Other IT 50,857 Professionals OVERALL 62,104 Number of Respondents TOTAL 835 Job Function Government, Education & Health (GEH) 94,837 76,962 58,541 53,964 67,450 211 Legal and Finance (LF) 109,700 91,235 59,471 60,696 77,714 171 Media, Marketing & Sales (MMS) 73,428 91,775 50,377 46,254 60,881 62 Mfg, Services and Others (non-IT) (MSO) 91,752 81,764 49,978 48,649 64,417 149 OVERALL

Figure 15: Singapore Average Annual Salary by Job Function and Industry

95,487 75,021 51,363 52,031 64,943 1429

Note: A small number of respondents (1) in Singapore did not specify industry

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Key Findings - Regional Insights

The type of IT work experience differs substantially across the seven countries surveyed. Application Development is the most-often-cited area of expertise in five countries: Hong Kong, India, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Servers/Networking is the most popular (48 percent) in Indonesia while Operating Systems tops (52.9 percent) Malaysia's IT skills list.

Across all countries, Hong Kong (47 percent) and Singapore (44 percent) have the highest proportion of respondents who hold at least one professional certification. Philippines has the lowest proportion of respondents (26 percent) who hold at least one professional certification, followed by Indonesia (34 percent).

Overall, the No. 1 IT professional certification across the countries surveyed is the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), followed by Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE).
Rank 1 2 3 4 5 Professional Certification All Countries Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) Project Management (PMP) Sun Certified Programmer for Java 2 Frequency 397 395 272 213 185 % of Respondents With At Least 1 Certification 19.9% 19.8% 13.6% 10.7% 9.3%

Figure 16: Top 5 Professional Certifications All Countries

The overall average annual salary is highest in Hong Kong at HK$404,144 (US$51,964), followed by Singapore at S$64,943 (US$41,601). Surprisingly, Thailand is in third place with an average annual salary of THB 994,203 (US$27,044). However, the correspondent base of 83 is also smallest in Thailand, therefore some caution is advised when interpreting results.
Country Hong Kong India Indonesia Malaysia Philippines Singapore Thailand Local Currency HKD INR IDR MYR PHP SGD THB Average Annual Salary (Local Currency) 404,144 662,310 102,379,052 61,278 536,241 64,943 994,203 Average Annual Salary (USD) 51,964 14,702 11,231 16,696 10,730 41,601 27,044 N 115 1,231 281 365 312 1429 83

Figure 17: Overall Average Annual Salary by Country

Note: USD equivalents are presented, using the prevailing exchange rates from www.oanda.com as at 1 November 2006

Expectedly, the IT Management group command the highest average annual salaries in all countries. The average annual salary for this group over country salary averages range from a low of 43 percent in Indonesia and Thailand, to a high of 94 percent in India. In the remaining countries, the respective salary premiums over their country averages are as follows: Hong Kong (86 percent), Philippines (82 percent), Malaysia (51 percent), and Singapore (47 percent).

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Appendix ppendix

Job Function Categorization

Job Function Group IT Management Project Development Systems Development Job Function Executive IS/IT Management (CIO/CTO) IT Department Manager Development Project Management IT Consultant Software/Applications Development Systems Programmer/Development Web/Multimedia Developer Telecommunications System Administration Networking/LAN Administration eBusiness Administration Database Administration Technical/PC Support Other IS/IT or Technology Function Hardware Design/Engineering

Other IT Professionals

Industry Categorization
Industry Group IT, Web & Telecom (ITWT) Industry Service Provider (Data, Web Hosting, ISP) Application Service Provider Manufacturer (Tech Related) Retailer (Tech Related) Distributor/Wholesaler (Tech Related) Software Development Web Development VAR/VAD/System Integrator Business Services/Consulting (Tech Related) Telecommunication Service Provider Graphic Design Other Tech Related Industry Education Government-Local/State/Federal/Military Healthcare Research and Development Transportation/Utilities Banking/Accounting/Financial Insurance/Real Estate/Legal Business Services/Consulting (Non-tech) Media/Entertainment/Publishing/Advertising/PR Retailer/Distributor/Wholesaler (Non-tech) Aerospace/Travel Engineering/Architecture/Construction Manufacturer (Non-tech) Other Industry Not applicable

Government, Education and Health (GEH)

Legal and Finance (LF)

Media, Marketing and Sales (non-IT) (MMS) Manufacturing, Services and Others (non-IT) (MSO)

NA

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About activeTechPros
activeTechPros (www.activetechpros.com) is an IT salary site for IT professionals to benchmark their salaries against their peers.

About ZDNet Asia

ZDNet Asia (www.zdnetasia.com) is a comprehensive online resource for enterprise and SMB technology decision-makers in Asia, featuring 400 fresh pieces of original content per month from our Asia and global editorial teams, including tech news and insight with regional perspectives, and over 60,000 whitepapers, case studies and webcasts in our IT library.

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