IT Salary Report SG

Singapore
IT Salary Report
January 2007
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Copyright 2007 CNET Networks Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. All rights reserved
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
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
7
7
8
8
8
9
9
KEY FINDINGS - REGIONAL INSIGHTS
APPENDIX
Job Function Categorization

Industry Categorization
9
9
List of Tables and Charts

4
4
4
4
4
4
5
6
7
7
8
8
8
9
9
9
9
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
Singapore IT Salary Report 2006

Page 2
of 12
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

Page 3
of 12
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

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

Page 5
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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).
Figure 8: Top 15 Professional Certifications - Singapore

Rank
Professional Certification Singapore
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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
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
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.

Page 6
of 12
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).
Figure 9: Average Annual Salary by Job Function

Country
Local
Currency
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
Systems
Development
Other IT
Professionals
OVERALL
51,363
52,031
64,943
322
482
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).
Figure 10: Average Annual Salary by Years of Experience

Country
Local
Currency
Years of Experience
Less than 5 Years

5-10 Years
Average Annual Salary by Years of Experience (Local Currency)
Singapore
SGD
39,468
63,171
Singapore
367
760
More than 10 Years
OVERALL
100,362
64,943
302
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.

Page 7
of 12
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.
Figure 11: Average Annual Salary by Company Size

Country
Local
Currency
Company Size
1-99 Employees
100-999
Employees
Average Annual Salary by Company Size (Local Currency)
Singapore
SGD
58,171
65,381
Singapore
380
554
1000 & Above

Employees
OVERALL
70,242
64,943
472
1429
Note: A small number of respondents (42) did not specify company size
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.
Figure 12: Average Annual Salary by Industry

Country
Local
Currency
Industry
IT, Web
&
Telecom
(ITWT)
Government,
Education and Health
(GEH)
Average Annual Salary by Industry (Local Currency)

Singapore
SGD
62,104
67,450
Singapore
835
211
Legal
and
Finance
(LF)
Media,
Marketing &
Sales (nonIT) (MMS)
Mfg,
Services
and Others
(non-IT)
(MSO)
77,714
60,881
64,417
64,943
171
62
149
1429
OVERALL
Note: A small number of respondents (10) did not specify industry
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.
Figure 13: Average Annual Salary by Job Function and Years of Experience
Years of Experience
Job Function
Average Annual Salary (SGD)
IT Management
Project Development
Systems Development
Other IT Professionals
OVERALL
TOTAL
OVERALL
Less than 5 Years
5-10 Years
More than 10 Years
40,171
45,144
39,347
36,432
39,468
79,058
72,439
54,900
53,802
63,171
114,964
110,286
85,882
75,048
100,362
95,487
75,021
51,363
52,031
64,943
367
760
302
1429

Page 8
of 12
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.
Figure 14: Average Annual Salary by Job Function and Company Size
Company Size
Job Function
1-99 Employees

IT Management
Project Development
Systems Development
OVERALL
TOTAL
OVERALL
100-999 Employees
1000 & Above Employees
83,685
64,934
46,991
44,640
58,171
101,690
73,757
52,022
50,758
65,381
101,941
81,903
54,443
59,595
70,242
95,487
75,021
51,363
52,031
64,943
380
554
472
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.
Figure 15: Singapore Average Annual Salary by Job Function and Industry
Industry
IT, Web &
Telecom
(ITWT)
IT Management
97,815
Project Development
71,016
Systems
48,415
Development
Other IT
50,857
Professionals
OVERALL
62,104
TOTAL
835
Job Function
Government,
Education &
Health (GEH)
Legal and
Finance
(LF)
Media,
Marketing &
Sales (MMS)
Mfg, Services
and Others
(non-IT) (MSO)
OVERALL
94,837
76,962
58,541
109,700
91,235
59,471
73,428
91,775
50,377
91,752
81,764
49,978
95,487
75,021
51,363
53,964
60,696
46,254
48,649
52,031
67,450
77,714
60,881
64,417
64,943
211
171
62
149
1429
Note: A small number of respondents (1) in Singapore did not specify industry

Page 9
of 12
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).
Figure 16: Top 5 Professional Certifications All Countries

Rank
1
2
3
4
5
Professional Certification All Countries
Frequency
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)
Project Management (PMP)
Sun Certified Programmer for Java 2
397
395
272
213
185
% of Respondents With
At Least 1 Certification
19.9%
19.8%
13.6%
10.7%
9.3%
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.
Figure 17: Overall Average Annual Salary by Country

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
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).

Page 10
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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
Industry Categorization
Industry Group
IT, Web & Telecom (ITWT)
Government, Education and Health (GEH)
Legal and Finance (LF)
Media, Marketing and Sales (non-IT) (MMS)

Manufacturing, Services and Others (non-IT)
(MSO)
NA
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

Page 11
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Contact Information
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Singapore

KEY FINDINGS - IT SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

KEY FINDINGS - PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS

KEY FINDINGS - SALARY ANALYSIS

Annual Salary by Job Function

KEY FINDINGS - REGIONAL INSIGHTS

Job Function Categorization

List of Tables and Charts

Figure 1: Respondent Profile by Education Level

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006

Figure 4: Respondent Profile by Company Size

Figure 2: Respondent Profile by Employment

Figure 5: Respondent Profile by Job Function

Figure 3: Respondent Profile by Industry

Figure 6: Respondent Profile by Years of

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006

Key Findings - IT Skills and Experience

Figure 7: Type of Experience by Job Function

As expected, majority of respondents in System Development have Application Development and

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006

4 Key Findings - Professional

Figure 8: Top 15 Professional Certifications - Singapore

Professional Certification Singapore

Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006

Key Findings - Salary Analysis

Annual Salary by Job Function

Figure 9: Average Annual Salary by Job Function

Annual Salary by Years of Experience

Figure 10: Average Annual Salary by Years of Experience

Less than 5 Years

More than 10 Years

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006

Annual Salary by Company Size

Figure 11: Average Annual Salary by Company Size

1000 & Above

Annual Salary by Industry

Figure 12: Average Annual Salary by Industry

Average Annual Salary by Industry (Local Currency)

Note: A small number of respondents (10) did not specify industry

Annual Salary by Job Function and Years of Experience

Less than 5 Years

More than 10 Years

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006

Annual Salary by Job Function and Company Size

Average Annual Salary (SGD)

1000 & Above Employees

Annual Salary by Job Function and Industry

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006

Key Findings - Regional Insights

Figure 16: Top 5 Professional Certifications All Countries

Professional Certification All Countries

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

Figure 17: Overall Average Annual Salary by Country

Average Annual Salary

Average Annual Salary

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006

Job Function Categorization

Government, Education and Health (GEH)

Legal and Finance (LF)

Media, Marketing and Sales (non-IT) (MMS)

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006

About CNET Networks Asia Pacific