The digital job market in Singapore is looking extremely positive as we continue towards 2019. What is noticeable is that the demand in Singapore is increasingly commercialised and requires hybrid talent.

For example, if you are a marketer, you should be able to monetize your work with revenue as the business outcome. If you are a Project Manager, you must have enough sensibilities to front clients and manage stakeholders’ expectation without going through a “suit”.

[To view our most recent Salary Survey for Singapore, 2019 please click here:]

Technology

Development roles remain a challenge; there is a trend of creating and moving Technical teams to neighbouring countries such as Vietnam to keep costs manageable. Other areas of Technology such as Cyber Security, Information Security are trending in this market as employers gain awareness of data management and the gaps within existing processes. While the high level of demand remains, salaries have not gone up as businesses continue to manage digital transformation costs through business-wide reorganisation.

Creative and Design

The creative and design industry remains strong across Asia and is highly demanding. As media strategies continue to integrate between offline and online, the demand for multiple skill-sets and capabilities puts a strain on Creatives who may focus on one or two mediums. Freelancing remains an option but with a limited pool of people, the best are booked 3  to 6 months in advance, challenging Creative Directors on their manpower planning.  UI design continues to be a focus as demand for digital products continues to rise.

A nice website or mobile app is no longer enough to thrill customers or clients, so businesses are quickly moving into multi-platform marketing and display offering individuals a bespoke user-oriented design.

ASEAN continues to drive growth in mobile first consumption which led to a steady demand in Social Media related skillset such as Content, Social Strategy, etc. While Facebook remains the key platform of choice, there is an increasing demand for engagement and business outcomes through data, analytics and strategy. Having a million fans or followers no longer suffice when a business is seeking growth and trying to future proof the next three to five years of their business.

Singapore Job Market in 2019

Singapore’s talent short market will continue into 2019 with shorter business cycles across industries. New positions which marry multiple skill-sets will continue to rise which requires candidates to be more entrepreneurial, outspoken and continue with their skill upgrading. This will inevitably lead to fierce competition for candidates who will want to demand strong salaries and packages.

However, Singapore is ripe with digital opportunities to be seized and we look forward to seeing how the year unfolds.

We talk to our clients and candidates daily and know that any salary listed on a job spec or on our benchmark is negotiable as there are several variables to consider. Moving into 2019, we will continue to assist both candidates and clients to navigate the demands of Digital Transformation within the ASEAN markets as it remains a key growth region for most businesses.

The Singapore market is tripled tiered; there are positions/projects focused on Singapore, Regional and Global markets.

Cogs work with consulting firms, MNC and SMEs of all shapes and sizes, as well as software companies and digital agencies.  Each environment has different pay structures, with some offer lower base but enhanced benefits and bonuses.

Singaporean companies focused on the Singapore market tend to have much lower pay scales than Global or Regional firms.   Below we are quoting a range for regional and global business.

If you are an employer looking at this data and want more accurate salary bandings for your company please reach out to the Singapore team at contact@cogsagency.com.