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Tech Salaries Rebound in Singapore: What Your Developer Friends Aren't Telling You About Their Pay Cheques

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In a surprise turnaround that might have your software engineer friends silently smiling at their bank accounts, Singapore's tech sector is showing signs of salary recovery despite continued global uncertainty. NodeFlair's latest Tech Salary Report 2025, based on over 130,000 verified data points, reveals that software engineer salaries have bounced back with a 3.3% increase, reversing last year's 1.0% decline.

The Unexpected Recovery: Not All Tech Roles Created Equal

While tech layoffs dominated headlines throughout 2024, the salary landscape for Singapore's tech professionals tells a more nuanced story. Software engineers—who make up the largest proportion of tech professionals here—saw their compensation rebound, but the recovery isn't uniform across all tech specialisations.

"The tech sector continues to grapple with uncertainties amidst layoffs and the rise of AI," notes Ethan Ang, Founding Director of NodeFlair. "That said, it is heartening to see signs of recovery with Software Engineer salaries rising again, reversing the downward trend from last year."

AI Hype Not Translating to Fatter Pay Cheques (Yet)

Contrary to what you might expect with all the AI buzz, data-related roles actually saw salary dips of 1.2% to 2.4% this year. This reverses the impressive 11.3% growth these roles enjoyed in 2023.

The explanation? While AI investment is booming, many companies are simply implementing OpenAI's technology rather than building AI systems from scratch. This requires more traditional software engineers (who build applications using AI APIs) than specialised data scientists (who would otherwise develop custom AI algorithms).

A mid-level data scientist in Singapore now earns a median of S$9,500 monthly, down from the previous S$9,000, while data analysts saw median salaries drop to S$6,350 from S$6,450.

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Top Earners: Where the Real Money Is

For those eyeing the most lucrative positions, the 90th percentile figures reveal where the ceiling sits for Singapore's tech elite:

Highest-Paying Roles (90th Percentile, Senior Level):

  • Site Reliability Engineers: S$16,875 monthly (+13% from last year)
  • Product Managers: S$15,000 monthly (+7%)
  • Blockchain Engineers: S$19,000 monthly (+41%)
  • Data Scientists: S$16,000 monthly (+6%)
  • Software Engineers: S$11,750 monthly (+4%)

The eye-popping 41% jump for top blockchain engineers contradicts the overall trend in the blockchain sector, where mid-level salaries actually declined. This growing disparity signals a bifurcation in the market—while average blockchain professionals face salary pressure, elite talent is commanding premium compensation, often from companies based overseas hiring remote Singaporean talent.

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The Web3 Paradox: Only the Elite Are Winning

The most dramatic disparity appears in the blockchain/Web3 space. While top-tier blockchain engineers (90th percentile) saw their salaries skyrocket by up to 41%, those in the 30th to 70th percentiles experienced an overall decline.

NodeFlair attributes this to the shift toward remote work in the blockchain sector, with top Singaporean talent increasingly working for high-paying international companies while remaining based in Singapore.

A lead blockchain engineer in the 90th percentile now earns S$19,000 monthly—a staggering 41% increase from last year's S$13,500. This represents the highest year-over-year growth for any tech role in Singapore.

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Singapore vs. Regional Competitors

The report reveals Singapore maintains its substantial lead in tech compensation compared to other Southeast Asian countries. A senior software engineer in Singapore earns a median of S$8,250 monthly—significantly higher than counterparts in Vietnam (35.0M VND, approximately S$1,900), Indonesia (12.5M IDR, approximately S$1,060), or Malaysia (RM8,500, approximately S$2,500).

This compensation gap helps explain why Singapore continues to attract top tech talent from across the region, despite its higher cost of living.

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Cybersecurity Concerns: Biggest Salary Decline Despite Ongoing Threats

Perhaps most concerning for Singapore's digital security landscape is the 4.6% year-over-year decline in cybersecurity salaries—the steepest drop among all tech specialisations. This comes despite increasing cyber threats and Singapore's positioning as a financial and technological hub.

Senior cybersecurity engineers now earn a median of S$8,000 monthly, down from S$8,750 last year. This declining compensation could potentially impact Singapore's ability to attract and retain the security talent needed to protect its digital infrastructure.

What This Means for Singaporean Tech Workers

If you're in the tech industry or considering a career pivot, these figures offer several practical insights:

  1. Traditional software engineering remains resilient: Despite AI hype, solid software engineering skills continue to be highly valued and are showing salary recovery.

  2. Specialisation premiums vary: While the general tech market recovers, specialised roles show dramatically different trajectories. The highest growth is at the elite level in blockchain, while cybersecurity faces downward pressure.

  3. Location advantage persists: Singapore-based tech professionals continue to enjoy significantly higher compensation than regional peers, maintaining the city-state's position as Southeast Asia's premium tech hub.

  4. Remote opportunities expand the ceiling: The growing disparity in blockchain salaries demonstrates how remote work is creating new opportunities for top Singaporean talent to access international compensation while remaining locally based.

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Looking Ahead: Strategic Career Moves

For Singaporean tech professionals planning their next career move, the data suggests several strategic approaches:

  1. Aim for the elite tier: The growing gap between median and 90th percentile salaries indicates that investing in becoming truly exceptional in your field—particularly in high-demand areas like blockchain and site reliability engineering—can yield disproportionate returns.

  2. Consider remote opportunities: With more companies embracing remote work, Singaporean tech talent can potentially access higher international compensation without relocating.

  3. Don't chase hype alone: Despite AI being the hottest tech topic, specialised AI and data roles aren't necessarily seeing the salary growth you might expect. Focus on developing versatile skills that enable you to build applications leveraging AI rather than narrowly specialising in data science.

  4. Software engineering fundamentals matter: The recovery in software engineering salaries reinforces that strong foundational programming skills remain valuable regardless of technological trends.

As Singapore's tech landscape continues to evolve, staying informed about these compensation trends enables more strategic career planning. Whether you're negotiating your next salary or considering which skills to develop, understanding where the market values different roles provides a crucial edge in maximising your earning potential in Singapore's competitive tech ecosystem.

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