Demand for technology jobs in Singapore grew by 20 percent in the past 12 months, as per the Salary Benchmark 2019 report released recently by recruiting firm Michael Page.

In particular, the report noted high demand in Singapore for specialized ecommerce, digital marketing, and data science talent, but pointed out to a shortage of supply.

The highest-paid roles in the technology sector included chief technology officer, with an average monthly salary of $22,000, followed by the IT director or head of IT security at $18,000.

Meanwhile, in the digital sector, an ecommerce director receives an average of $23,000 a month and a digital marketing director, $18,000. An employee specializing in user experience Web analytics, including SEO or SEM (search engine marketing), took home about $9,600 a month, the report said.

The report added, “The need for niche skills and the evolving technology landscape is seeing a huge transformation. In line with this, the expectations of salary increase when switching jobs in similar industries are about 12 percent to 20 percent for technology talent, and 10 percent to 15 percent for digital talent.”

The research showed that 29 percent of Singapore professionals would switch jobs to develop new skills, while 60 percent of job seekers felt positive about the employment market.

Michael Page Singapore Associate Director of technology practice Shinjika Shukla stated, “In a market where roles in technology and digital can be hard to fill, employers need to invest in excellent workplace training and development. This is a spur to attracting great candidates - and helps you retain them as well.”

Shukla added that candidates seek evidence that a company is committed to their development and will value their projects. Technology can be boom-bust, so job seekers place a premium on the stability and long-term viability of the firm. They expect clear details on the exposure to new technologies - some might even entertain a pay cut for exposure that boosts their market value.

As digital transformation is the ongoing focus of the island nation, it is hardly a surprise that the demand for tech jobs is growing rapidly. However, the skills shortage is going to be a big challenge as pointed out by the report as well as by consulting firm Robert Half’s international annual workplace survey 2019 which revealed that 84 percent Singaporean managers predict that finding skilled and qualified professionals in Singapore will be a major challenge in the next five years.