Legit points brought up which is actually helpful rather than just bashing about how everything is fake.

Full stack web developer, Agile environment
C#, nodejs
What kind of project/field, i prefer not to reveal but they are public facing not internal.
I actually do not have any official certs. Had external coaches providing training but weirdly doesn't give an official certification.

Well my title was just software developer despite promotions as it's goes by job grading rather than title and the next 2 are pretty generic like associate and software engineer. Thus prefer to simply say developer.

Title doesn't really tell much in my opinion, there are companies that have senior developer at 2 years experiences, team lead at 3-4 years. While others companies have seniors at 5 years and leads probably at 6-8 years.

Unless you are talking about title like CTO/principle software engineer/solution architect etc. which has a certain standing which might make sense as it does show a certain amount of achievement

Saw this in another forum:

I am 33 years old and earn around S$ 500k a year (in total compensation) through my job. I manage a small (less than 10 person) software engineering team for a FAANG co in Singapore.
I post my career story here not to brag, but to offer a data point for what is possible to achieve through persistence and some luck.
Some background: I am self taught in computer science - I never had a single course in formal CS while in university. I am an immigrant here (I come from a poor south asian country).
I came to Singapore to work after finishing my university studies in engineering. I was an average student throughout school - I never won any awards for academic prowess (or any awards for that matter). I did not qualify for any of the better known universities in my country, and graduated from a very average school.
- Years 1-6:
Worked for one of the local research institutes (think of Astar) as a research associate. The work was hard and there were many late nights, but here is where I "grew up" as an engineer. Sometime in year 4/5, I decided to teach myself CS and software engineering. I even crashed Prof. Ben Leong's lectures once.
My salary was a measly S$ 30k a year! At first I was happy and proud for landing a job like this after school (I was finishing university in my home country, and landing a job in Singapore was an exceptional achievement for me). But as the years went by, I grew sad and frustrated at my pay, and decided to pivot to a software engineering career even though I had earned a Masters degree in engineering from one of the local universities along the way.
- Year 7:
Finally left my research job! Did some startup experiments that all failed. Average pay: S$ 150k a year (though I didn't work the full year).
At one point, a startup I was working for fired me and as a direct consequence of that I lost rights to live in Singapore. I had to move back to my country in a hurry, and hunting for jobs from there was exceptionally hard.
- Years 8 - 10:
I finally land a corporate job and start making some real money! It was a software engineering role at an international finance firm (think of something like Nomura / AIG / Prudential). Salary: S$ 200k - 240k.
- Year 11:
Landed a tech-lead type of role at another finance firm. I was responsible for leading small (5 - 10) teams of engineers on the technical parts of a product. Salary: S$ 300k - 330k.
- Year 12:
I land my current gig at a big tech co. I have formal management responsibilities for my team, and am responsible for both the people on my team + the tech produced by our team. All-in total compensation is somewhere between S$ 500k - 550k, depending on how bonuses payout and how the company's stock performs.
Along the way, I interviewed with and rejected (and got rejected by) many, many different firms. Here is a sampling of companies that I turned down (there are many more which turned *me* down as well):
- Other local research institutes.
- "hot" local startups, such as Gojek, Grab etc.
- International finance firms, such as Prudential, Nomura, etc.
- Local finance firms, such as DBS, UOB, etc.
- Local non-tech companies, such as Singtel, Sembcorp, etc.
It was an emotional roller coaster to interview with so many different companies, and even more so to turn down job offers given that I didn't have such abundant employment prospects in the first few years of my career. But along the way, I got really good at prospecting, interviewing, negotiating and evaluating opportunities.
On a side note, many of the local companies have proved to be absolutely terrible to negotiate with - they tend to be extremely fixated on my previous salary and almost always try to lowball by framing their offer as a percentage of current pay.
I am happy to answer questions or offer my perspective on carving a career for yourself in a follow-up post. Feel free to post on the comments. You can also email me with career questions on [email protected] (this is a temp throwaway email address).
For Prof. Ben Leong and Jordan Dea Mattson: thank you so much for interacting with the community here and for your valuable advise. What factors / skills will prove critical in getting to the next level of the corporate ladder and compensation? Do you have any advise I must consider while I try to grow my career?
Thank you for reading!
-
#83938: s://.nuswhispers.com/confession/83938

b i g f l e x

What does an IT developer do? Pardon my lack of knowledge, but dont com sci grad earn at least 5-6K starting salary these days?

dont bluff

i'm quite surprised this person only earns 50k annually at 30.
Some things that might affect it.
1. Having a degree
2. Job role. Different roles are paid different. helpdesk/it support are usually paid way lower. More technical roles like it developers as like programming websites/applications/backend etc. are paid more.
3. personal skills, in IT it isn't just about years of experience. It's about actual skills you have. Just because you have 10 years of experience doesn't mean you surely will be highly paid. Someone who has 3 years but has better skills that you can easily hold a better salary.

On starting salary..

My personal view on current benchmark of current fresh grad should be around 58-60k annual, around 4+k at a 14 month package (conservative)

58-60k -ish should not be difficult if you have decent skills and take up a hands on technical role in IT.

5-6k are more for the people who managed snatch a position at a better tier company.

Below 4k are usually the bad tier companies, you can easily find a better salary if you have decent skills/ or just look for a better company

You all are delusional u know that? Employment pass is only 3.6k . this year they only increase to 3.9k ... meaning company still can hire foreigners vietnamese, phillipines, indian developer at 3.9k.

its with this reasoning my company only pay me 4k ... to them fresh grad is still only 2.8 to 3k pay range... i get only 0.5 months cause company not doing well.

so end up 50k what is so difficult to understand.

Guidelines for EP are 3.6k (now 3.9k) but rarely any gets their EP if their pay is just meeting the bare requirement of it. I got this info from by my previous HR, based on nationality the actual min salary is way higher then the stated amount.


What are your qualifications and what experience do you have right now?
Like said what role are you performing right now?


Delusional or not you decide, I've applied as a fresh grad previously and also based on the current new fresh grad hired at my company.

Sales in Ins
NOA : 173k
Age: 28 (4 years exp)

not bad. you are in the 80th percentile i guess.
i am mid 30s 130+k, in a SB

We are a retired couple with $500k cash. Our condominium unit is paid up. The cash will last us for ten years. When we reach 65, we will get $4k pm from CPF Life. We will retire in place in our condominium.

We estimated that we will need only $3k pm after 65 as we will cook our own meals.
We don’t drive and we do our simple household chores ourselves.
We can save $1k pm.

We have achieved the Singapore dream because we own a condo, drove a car before,
have cash for retirement. We are simple people, live in a modest condominium and
lead a simple retirement. We don’t need to work so hard until 65 years old. We are
happy to retire at 55.

Late-30s here, working in Ministry... annual package is around 180k assuming no mid & EOY bonuses... sad to say I've hit my ceiling and the next promotion won't be around the corner, and it's going to be my last one. Our runway is typically short and steep, but I am not complaining and is grateful instead.

Congratulations. Wish you the best and enjoy your retirement.

Unlike you, many are chasing after the insatiable greed for money until they die at their wordesk. They just give themselves silly excuse like scare not enough monies to push themselves nearer the graves. Let them be. For you, know what is needed n more importantly, when to quit the rat race n smell the roses is all the matter!! Good luck!!

in other news, i had chicken rice for lunch today.

Agreed, and congrats with your returement plan.

Imo, its not how much we made but how much we can live contenedly.

If you have income (passive) which can meet ur living expenses and insurances, your savings for rainy days and assets to pass down to next gen. This is a successful planning already.

Use those "earned" time and use it for your passion wo worries is a great achievement already.

Thank you. We are enjoying our retirement. It is indeed a wonderful feeling to be financial independent. We know of people who died in their 60s. We don't want to retire at 65 as we may not even reach 65. If we do die at 65, at least we have enjoyed 10 years of retirement.

We are confident of our finances. In fact, we are prepared to sell our condominium unit if we have to and downgrade to a HDB flat. We are humble, down to earth people. Life is short. You only live once on this earth. We have worked so hard all our lives. Now it is time to relax and enjoy whatever years is left. There is no need to leave behind so much wealth for our children. They will have to work hard to achieve their own dreams. Just give them a good education.

We came from humble background. What we have achieved is beyond our wildest dream. To own a condo is a big achievement in Singapore. If you own a condo which is fully paid, you have made it in life. Only about 20% people in Singapore lives in private property.

Early 30s in a specialized track around 120k++ depending on bonuses working in a stat board, glad to have chosen civil service because even in these unnerving times I have a stable job and no retrenchment, have friends who earn much more than me, but I have learnt to be contented with what I have

31 this year, in uniformed civil service for 8 years since 2012. Diploma holder taking on a sponsored degree. 70k in 2019 with shitty year end bonus of 0.1

Salaries
 

In-house finance/business roles.

Salaries are “all-in” and approximate


Year 1: $70K
Year 2: $90K
Year 3: $100K
Year 4: $130K
Year 5: $130K
Year 6: $200K

Mid-30s, working at a bank. $265,000 salary, $60,000 target bonus. Ivy League degree. Single, no kids.

What is your role in the bank?

gayyyyyyyyy

32yr old, cyber security analyst performing digital forensics and malware reverse engineering.
Working in fortune 500 coy in Singapore.
160k/annum, bonus around 11.5k, with the usual base + 13th month.

Wife 35yr old, head of a dept or branch in ministry. Not sure really, but her title is head. Some mx role, she's doing 120k/annum

I second this.

When I first knew my wife, she was already pursuing her masters and I was just an O levels holder. After NS, I continued with the uniform group for a good 7 years as I was obviously a lost soul who didnt know what to do in life. But I knew that I got to get my education, so I did my diploma in accounting but couldn't see myself doing accounting in the future. Wasted 2 years. Thereafter I did my diploma and degree focusing on IT, as it was a hot role. She supported me throughout, not financially but morale support and that was what kept me going. She would take the train to MDIS during my break at night, to have dinner together and asked about my lesson. Though I was 100% sure she know nuts about the technical terms I explained to her. Honestly I would I dropped out and wasted 20k if not for her.

After uniform group and my degree, I got to join one of the big 4s as a consultant, and now I'm in one of US MNC. Both of us are still young, in our mid 30s now and we are doing a combined of 280k/annum, with one infant child.

I am still considering pursing my masters or PhD after my boy has grows slightly older, but yes, I am able to hold meaningful debate with her especially when her background is on psychology. I always let her win in the debate due to her good command of the English language, but I'm living a very happy life. Hopefully we can move onto a private property, either condo or landed, after our 4 room HDB has reach MOP in a year's time.

My wife has always been my pillar of support and I 120% agree with the statement, behind every successful man is a strong woman.

I am a simple 52 yo male. A salaried worker. A nobody. I plan to retire at age 55. I am tired of working after working for so many years. YOLO. When I reach 55, I can withdraw $300k from my CPF OA. My home is paid up and I am debt free.

I plan to spend $1500 pm or $18k pa from age 55 to 65. In total I will spend $180k over 10 years. At age 65, I will receive $2000 pm from my CPF Life until I die. I have medical insurance which I bought many years ago.

My plans during retirement

1. Exercise
2. Catch up on sleep
3. Volunteering
4. Learning to cook
5. Participate in community activities
6. Swimming
7. Watching TV and movies
8. Surf the internet
9. Lots of reading
10. Budget travel
11. Meditating
12. New hobbies

Are there any more activities I can do during retirement?

Eating buffet

Excellent retirement plan. $1500 pm is more than enough to retire if your home is paid up. Cooking your own meals is cheap. If you want to eat at restaurant everyday, then you need more to retire, maybe like $20,000 pm. If your friends are also the same as you, then you don’t need much to retire. However if your circle of friends are in the upper class, then you need millions before you can retire because you need to stay in bungalow, drive big luxury car, employ 4 maids, etc. So simple man don’t need much to retire but upper class man needs millions to retire. Better be a simple man. Less headache and less worries. Lol.

28 male single in IT field. Base 14k per month. What are the best ways to grow money in the current economic climate?

A35 bonds. Less risky

in a SB, single 31 years old made 140k+ last year including CPF, many of my uni friends in sales,banking earning more but I learnt to be happy and contented with what I have knowing many are in much more unfortunate position. Working towards financial independence so i can retire early in mid to late 40s

Agree with this +1 we will be in prolonged depression so should stick with bonds, equities are quite overvalued.

Good for you. This life is short. No point working so hard and becoming greedy with wealth. We will all die one day and will not bring anything to the grave. Your cars, houses and money will not follow you to the grave. I see people working so hard and then they die in their 50s and 60s. Didn’t enjoy a single day of retirement. If you have enough to lead a simple life, then retire and enjoy your retirement. You will surely be happier and healthier. I retired in my late 40s after a high flying career and never looked back. I’m a lot happier. I have enough wealth to retire comfortably.

So lucky, I'm mentally prepared that I will have to take courses in table cleaning and cardboard picking when I'm 70 years old :(

good exercise for you

You need to factor in the fact that we're currently living in the era of great monetary inflation. by the time your bond matures u will be only left with a fraction of the value of your principal, due to the acceleration of monetary debasement as central banks pour in trillions of stimulus. To safeguard your wealth in the foreseeable future you need to invest substantially in gold and bitcoin as a portion of your portfolio.

what kind of IT field that will give u 14k at 28 yo ?

I'm an IT manager for a largest startup on earth, and i only hit 10k with all bonus included. what am i missing here

how old are you first??

i am 30 yo , and i've been hiring for the past 2-3 years , i never see any offer beyond 10k for anyone lower than 8 years experience . at most 10k for 1 or 2 foreigner.

that's why i'm wondering

Depressed
 

seeing all the salaries here make me depressed

27yo female
2.8 years working experience
3.7k per month, no bonus

What job and industry are you in? Qualifications?