Singapore

IT Salary Report

January 2007

activeTechPros is brought to you in partnership with ZDNet Asia - a property of CNET Networks Asia Pacific Pte Ltd.
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 3

2 RESPONDENT PROFILE 4

3 KEY FINDINGS - IT SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE 5

4 KEY FINDINGS - PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS 6

5 KEY FINDINGS - SALARY ANALYSIS 7

Annual Salary by Job Function 7
Annual Salary by Years of Experience 7
Annual Salary by Company Size 8
Annual Salary by Industry 8
Annual Salary by Job Function and Years of Experience 8
Annual Salary by Job Function and Company Size 9
Annual Salary by Job Function and Industry 9

6 KEY FINDINGS - REGIONAL INSIGHTS 9

7 APPENDIX 9
Job Function Categorization 9
Industry Categorization 9

List of Tables and Charts

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

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006 Page 2

Copyright ©2007 CNET Networks Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. All rights reserved of 12
1 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

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006 Page 3

Copyright ©2007 CNET Networks Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. All rights reserved of 12
2 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 Figure 5: Respondent Profile by Job Function

Status

Figure 3: Respondent Profile by Industry Figure 6: Respondent Profile by Years of

Experience

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006 Page 4

Copyright ©2007 CNET Networks Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. All rights reserved of 12
3 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 IT Project System Other IT
Overall
Related Work Experience Management Development Development Professionals
Application Development 63% 69% 90% 25% 58%
Desktops/Software 63% 35% 35% 63% 48%
Operating Systems 57% 35% 24% 60% 44%
Servers/Networking 63% 32% 20% 58% 42%
System Administration 60% 35% 23% 58% 43%
IT Security 44% 22% 10% 31% 25%
Infrastructure Management 61% 25% 7% 30% 27%
IT Outsourcing 42% 31% 15% 30% 29%
Data Center 40% 14% 4% 24% 19%
Database Management 46% 35% 40% 23% 34%
Storage 27% 12% 6% 22% 16%
Telco/Wireless/Mobile 20% 17% 14% 22% 19%
Enterprise Applications 45% 48% 28% 20% 33%
Web Development 31% 39% 57% 16% 35%
Web Services 17% 26% 25% 12% 20%
Quality Assurance Testing 13% 19% 12% 9% 13%
Total Respondents (N) 254 502 433 603 1,792
Total Mentions 1,773 2,480 1,777 3,042 9,072
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 Page 5

Copyright ©2007 CNET Networks Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. All rights reserved of 12
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 Frequency % of Respondents With
At Least 1 Certification
1 Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) 148 19.0%
2 Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) 135 17.3%
3 Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) 117 15.0%
4 Project Management (PMP) 101 12.9%
5 Microsoft Certified System Administrator (MCSA) 86 11.0%
6 Sun Certified Programmer for Java 2 76 9.7%
7 IBM certification 57 7.3%
8 SAP Certified Application/Technical Consultant 49 6.3%
9 Sun Solaris Certification 44 5.6%
10 Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) 42 5.4%
HP certification 42 5.4%
12 Lotus Professional Certification 40 5.1%
13 Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) 39 5.0%
14 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) 33 4.2%
15 Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) 31 4.0%
Oracle Database Administrator certifications 31 4.0%
Total Respondents 1792
Total Respondents With At Least 1 Certification 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.

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006 Page 6

Copyright ©2007 CNET Networks Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. All rights reserved of 12
5 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 Job Function
Currency
IT Project Systems Other IT OVERALL
Management Development Development Professionals
Average Annual Salary by Job Function (Local Currency)
Singapore SGD 95,487 75,021 51,363 52,031 64,943
Number of Respondents
Singapore 210 415 322 482 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

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

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006 Page 7

Copyright ©2007 CNET Networks Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. All rights reserved 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 Company Size
Currency OVERALL
1-99 Employees 100-999 1000 & Above
Employees Employees
Average Annual Salary by Company Size (Local Currency)
Singapore SGD 58,171 65,381 70,242 64,943
Number of Respondents
Singapore 380 554 472 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 Industry
Currency
IT, Web Government, Legal Media, Mfg,
& Education and Health and Marketing & Services OVERALL
Telecom (GEH) Finance Sales (non- and Others
(ITWT) (LF) IT) (MMS) (non-IT)
(MSO)
Average Annual Salary by Industry (Local Currency)
Singapore SGD 62,104 67,450 77,714 60,881 64,417 64,943
Number of Respondents
Singapore 835 211 171 62 149 1429
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 OVERALL
Less than 5 Years 5-10 Years More than 10 Years
Average Annual Salary (SGD)
IT Management 40,171 79,058 114,964 95,487
Project Development 45,144 72,439 110,286 75,021
Systems Development 39,347 54,900 85,882 51,363
Other IT Professionals 36,432 53,802 75,048 52,031
OVERALL 39,468 63,171 100,362 64,943
Number of Respondents
TOTAL 367 760 302 1429

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006 Page 8

Copyright ©2007 CNET Networks Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. All rights reserved 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 OVERALL
1-99 Employees 100-999 Employees 1000 & Above Employees
Average Annual Salary (SGD)
IT Management 83,685 101,690 101,941 95,487
Project Development 64,934 73,757 81,903 75,021
Systems Development 46,991 52,022 54,443 51,363
Other IT Professionals 44,640 50,758 59,595 52,031
OVERALL 58,171 65,381 70,242 64,943
Number of Respondents
TOTAL 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
Job Function IT, Web & Government, Legal and Media, Mfg, Services OVERALL
Telecom Education & Finance Marketing & and Others
(ITWT) Health (GEH) (LF) Sales (MMS) (non-IT) (MSO)
Average Annual Salary (SGD)
IT Management 97,815 94,837 109,700 73,428 91,752 95,487
Project Development 71,016 76,962 91,235 91,775 81,764 75,021
Systems 48,415 58,541 59,471 50,377 49,978 51,363
Development
Other IT 50,857 53,964 60,696 46,254 48,649 52,031
Professionals
OVERALL 62,104 67,450 77,714 60,881 64,417 64,943
Number of Respondents
TOTAL 835 211 171 62 149 1429
Note: A small number of respondents (1) in Singapore did not specify industry

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006 Page 9

Copyright ©2007 CNET Networks Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. All rights reserved of 12
6 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 Professional Certification – All Countries Frequency % of Respondents With
At Least 1 Certification
1 Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) 397 19.9%
2 Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) 395 19.8%
3 Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) 272 13.6%
4 Project Management (PMP) 213 10.7%
5 Sun Certified Programmer for Java 2 185 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 Local Average Annual Salary Average Annual Salary N
Currency (Local Currency) (USD)
Hong Kong HKD 404,144 51,964 115
India INR 662,310 14,702 1,231
Indonesia IDR 102,379,052 11,231 281
Malaysia MYR 61,278 16,696 365
Philippines PHP 536,241 10,730 312
Singapore SGD 64,943 41,601 1429
Thailand THB 994,203 27,044 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).

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006 Page 10

Copyright ©2007 CNET Networks Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. All rights reserved of 12
7 Appendix
ppendix

Job Function Categorization

Job Function Group Job Function

IT Management Executive IS/IT Management (CIO/CTO)
IT Department Manager
Project Development Development Project Management
IT Consultant
Systems Development Software/Applications Development
Systems Programmer/Development
Web/Multimedia Developer
Other IT Professionals 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 Industry

IT, Web & Telecom (ITWT) 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
Government, Education and Health (GEH) Education
Government-Local/State/Federal/Military
Healthcare
Research and Development
Transportation/Utilities
Legal and Finance (LF) Banking/Accounting/Financial
Insurance/Real Estate/Legal
Business Services/Consulting (Non-tech)
Media, Marketing and Sales (non-IT) (MMS) Media/Entertainment/Publishing/Advertising/PR
Retailer/Distributor/Wholesaler (Non-tech)
Manufacturing, Services and Others (non-IT) Aerospace/Travel
(MSO) Engineering/Architecture/Construction
Manufacturer (Non-tech)
Other Industry
NA Not applicable

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006 Page 11

Copyright ©2007 CNET Networks Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. All rights reserved of 12
Contact Information
CNET Networks Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
8 Shenton Way, #15-02
Temasek Tower
Singapore 068811
Tel: (65) 6227 5755
Fax: (65) 6224 5755
Email: marketing-sg@cnet.com

About CNET Networks Asia Pacific

A subsidiary of CNET Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ; CNET), CNET Networks Asia Pacific currently operates
CNET Asia, ZDNet Asia, businessMOBILE Asia and CNET Direct.

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.

Singapore IT Salary Report 2006 Page 12

Copyright ©2007 CNET Networks Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. All rights reserved of 12