Latest news with #salaryexpectations
Independent Singapore
30-06-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Singaporean asks if fresh tech grads are ‘cooked' in terms of salary expectations
SINGAPORE: A local Reddit user expressed concern over the salary expectations of fresh tech graduates this year, saying that they seem to be somewhat low. In a post on r/askSingapore over the weekend, u/Grand-Net3191 asked if tech fresh grads are 'cooked,' adding that they've been searching for tech market salary posts but haven't seen any in a while. 'Since the 2025 batch has recently graduated, I was wondering about the job market across the grad cohort. I heard that the tech market has been oversaturated and that companies are not hiring junior roles,' the post author wrote. They added that the people who've graduated from a computer science course have been getting offers with salaries in the S$4000 to S$4,500 range 'even for cybersec roles @ Big 4 accounting,' which they called 'considerably below median for CS.' In December 2024, the global job search platform Indeed reported that the average base salary of a computer scientist in Singapore is S $8,786. Meanwhile, the personal finance blog Dollars & Sense reported on Jun 25 that the median starting salary of a computer science graduate from Nanyang Technological University is S$5,500. Those who graduate from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) may expect to earn S$4,900 a month, while the median starting salary for those from the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) is between S$4,900 and S$5,000. A number of commenters on u/Grand-Net3191's post wrote that the year that a person graduates can affect their salary. 'Sometimes it just comes down to being born at the right year, graduating at the right time,' was the top comment. 'Those who graduated during 2008 lagged behind their peers who graduated a year before or after them by a significant margin,' chimed in another. 'Yup. People who graduated about five years ago are the sweetest spot around. They started with a high pay, had a good number of jobs available, and could gather enough experience to beat out these huge waves of people now,' wrote one. Another argued that 2022 was the best year since that was when TikTok took off. 'As much as I would like to say it comes down to one's ability and merit, I'm afraid this is very true, the graduating year absolutely plays a part,' a Reddit user weighed in. As to whether tech grads are 'cooked,' this is what commenters had to say: 'I work in a local bank here. All of our dev and testing have already been offshored to PH/IND liao… Standard Chartered also recently moved 80 SG jobs to IND. Cooked!' 'VERY cooked. I work in a Fin MNC, and our junior roles are cut to the bone. My peers in other firms see the same issue. Every new opening we have for junior roles is flooded with apps from both freshers and experienced professionals. There are openings, but more towards experienced professionals (staff eng and up). Doesn't help that GENAI and India/China/Vietnam offshoring is removing the need to hire so many junior engineers in SG now,' another wrote. One gave this bit of advice: 'Pure tech is cooked. Find a role that lies between technology and business. That way, you get exposed to aspects of both ends of the spectrum.' /TISG Read also: NUS Computer Science grad yet to land job despite sending hundreds of applications
Independent Singapore
09-05-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Fresh grads chasing $10K salaries? Singaporean asks: 'Isn't that unrealistic?'
SINGAPORE: A young local Reddit user took to the platform to ask others in their age bracket what their ideal salary range is, and whether those who ask for at least $10,000 a month are unrealistic, given the realities of today's job market. In a Wednesday (May 7) post on r/askSingapore, u/TotoWinner wrote that they wanted other Reddit users to weigh in on something that's been on their mind of late. They wrote that they have several friends who are about to graduate but have already gotten jobs in the tech, law, and finance sectors. The starting salaries they will be receiving range from $8,000 to $11,000 per month, which the post author understands due to the industries where they will work. ' But still, those numbers are crazy to me as a fresh grad,' they wrote, adding that what was surprising for them was hearing from a friend who casually said she would only take a job offer with a salary of at least $10,000 monthly. ' I was like… huh? That's a pretty bold stance to take, considering how competitive the job market is right now,' the post author added. They acknowledged Singapore's high living costs, including pricey housing, and the understanding that 'a lot of young people wouldn't mind earning high fast.' ' But I can't help but feel that some expectations are getting a bit unrealistic. Personally, I think you can live decently and frugally on much less, especially when just starting out. Yet it seems like more and more grads are dead set on hitting high 4 or 5 figures right out of uni,' the post author added. The post has received a lot of attention from Reddit users, who tended to agree with u/TotoWinner. 'If your friend is in an in-demand major, has stellar grades, an impressive CV, and past internship experience, I don't see why they cannot expect a higher salary range, even if it's 10k. If they don't have these, then they are delusional, but I doubt that's the case,' wrote one. A commenter who said they graduated from the National University of Singapore with honours from an engineering-related course said their starting salary had been $3,800 monthly, which rose to $4,500 in their next job. They are now on track to earn between $5,000 and $6,000. 'So just saying, y'all can't expect a 'job ASAP + high pay + work-life balance' unless you've got a really niche or indispensable skillset. Manage your expectations,' they added. Some graduates from arts-related courses chimed in to say that they received substantially less. ' From an arts course, can't relate. My first salary was 2.9k,' wrote one. Another wrote, 'Realistic figure is in the high $3k – $5k with some deviation. This is outside the high finance, tech, and law. For comparison, in finance back office roles, you are looking around the $4k range.' One Reddit user, however, wrote, 'Can't blame your friend who expects more than 10k if she's one of those internship grinders tho. They're the usual people who bump out seven internships during uni to aim for the high paying IB/S&T/Quant jobs. 'A lot of my batch mates are in the same boat and are extending uni just so they get another application cycle for internships with full-time conversion with these high finance firms.' /TISG Read also: Salary for fresh graduates higher in 2024, but fewer were employed 6 months after finishing uni
