share on
HR & administration roles are expected to experience a 4-10% projected average salary increment, or 10-16% with a job change.
Singapore's economy leaped back in 2021 — a warm welcome from the 5.4% plunge in GDP in 2020. As a result of government support schemes and increasing business optimism, four quarters of strong positive growth in 2021 has helped Singapore recoup the economic losses in 2020, placing the city back on track.
As further shared in Links International’s 2022 Salary Guide, the study will provide insights on expected salary increments for 2022, identify the hottest job roles, and look at the trends in several functions across Singapore's businesses.
For a general overview, HR & administration roles in Singapore are expected to experience a 4-10% projected average salary increment, or 10-16% with a job change. Similarly, sales & marketing roles are expected to note a 3-8.5% increment.
It should be noted that the above increments are average expected increments for each function. Numbers can vary considerably depending on industry and role. As such, for more details per sector and function, read on below.
Human resources, administration & business
| Job title | Entry | Senior | Veteran |
| HR Director | $8,200 | $11,300 | $17,400 |
| Human resources business partner / HR manager | $7,000 | $8,700 | $12,300 |
| Talent acquisition/recruitment | $3,900 | $5,300 | $7,400 |
| Compensation & benefits/payroll | $3,600 | $5,700 | $7,800 |
| Learning & development/training | $4,400 | $6,100 | $8,600 |
| HR executive | $3,500 | $4,800 | $6,300 |
| Office manager | $5,300 | $7,400 | $10,400 |
| Executive assistant | $3,900 | $6,100 | $9,100 |
| Personal assistant | $4,900 | $7,000 | $10,100 |
| Administration | $3,500 | $5,000 | $7,400 |
| Secretary | $3,300 | $5,000 | $7,400 |
| Receptionist | $2,500 | $3,600 | $4,900 |
| Legal secretary | $4,300 | $5,500 | $7,000 |
| Company secretary | $5,700 | $7,000 | $9,100 |
| Customer service/ call centre | $2,900 | $3,500 | $4,500 |
Market outlook for 2022
HR will play central role in the recovery
- Undeniably, HR was an essential factor in helping companies tackle the challenges of the pandemic and are poised to be vital in the transition process. Moving forward, experienced HR professionals in strategic workforce planning, job redesigning, and talent development will be central for business and worker success.
- HR professionals are being encouraged to take up the Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) certification, and emerging roles such as People Strategist and Head of Talent Enablement are to be expected.
- Businesses will continue redesigning and streamlining their HR processes to improve efficiency. The need for experienced HR transformation experts will be in high demand.
Gradual recovery for admin roles
- Despite hiring activity picking up, the recovery of admin and business support roles is expected to be more gradual. Contract-based opportunities are expected to be common with more permanent roles on offer as the economy improves.
- Enterprises are prioritising positions seen as ‘essential’ or roles that help the business generate revenue. Any support positions will take a back seat before companies start filling them again.
Sales & marketing
| Job title | Entry | Senior | Veteran |
| Marketing director | $8,700 | $12,300 | $17,400 |
| Marketing Manager | $5,200 | $7,700 | $11,300 |
| Digital marketing director | $9,900 | $13,300 | $19,700 |
| Content marketing | $3,500 | $5,700 | $9,500 |
SEO/ SEM/ Social media/ CRM
| Specialist | $3,900 | $7,700 | $13,700 |
| Public relations | $3,500 | $6,900 | $13,300 |
| Art director/graphic design | $3,500 | $5,700 | $9,500 |
| Ecommerce | $4,100 | $7,300 | $13,300 |
Business development
| Manager | $4,300 | $7,300 | $13,300 |
| Account manager | $4,300 | $7,700 | $12,800 |
| Sales team lead | $7,300 | $11,300 | $13,300 |
| Channel manager | $4,300 | $7,700 | $15,400 |
| Commercial director (Sales & marketing) | $15,400 | $21,500 | $30,700 |
Market outlook for 2022
Emphasis on tech upskilling
- To overcome any potential issues of talent shortages in tech, there has been more emphasis on upskilling programmes. For example, the Singapore government partnered with Google for the Skills Ignition SG Programme to foster local tech talent by teaching them digital skills like cloud technology and digital marketing through vocational and on-the-job training.
Preparing for the tourism influx
- With the relaxation of travel restrictions, Singapore can expect an influx of international tourism. This will naturally come as a boost for businesses tied closely to tourism and drive the need for sales professionals.
- The local consumer market is expected to continue its recovery as the population receives its booster shots and the economy improves. As such, consumer confidence will be high and aim to reach pre-COVID levels.
Banking, finance & accounting
| Job title | Entry | Senior | Veteran |
| CFO | $21,600 | $28,800 | $35,900 |
| Financial controller | $12,100 | $14,700 | $17,300 |
| Finance manager | $8,600 | $10,400 | $12,100 |
| Senior accountant | $4,900 | $6,600 | $6.900 |
| Accountant | $3,500 | $5,300 | $6,100 |
| Assistant account | $2,500 | $3,500 | $3,800 |
| Financial analyst | $5,300 | $6,600 | $6,900 |
| Senior financial analyst | $6,600 | $7,200 | $7,800 |
| FP&A manager | $7,800 | $9,600 | $11.300 |
| Head of internal audit | $26,600 | $28,700 | $30,700 |
| Internal audit director | $14,200 | $19,900 | $25,900 |
| Internal audit manager | $8,000 | $9,500 | $12,100 |
| Senior internal auditor | $7,200 | $7,700 | $7,800 |
| Internal auditor | $6,100 | $6,600 | $6,900 |
| Payroll accountant | $3,500 | $4,300 | $5,300 |
| Payroll manager | $7,800 | $8,600 | $9,600 |
| Tax analyst | $4,300 | $5,700 | $6,900 |
Market outlook for 2022
Digital finance to play a big role
- Digital finance is expected to provide a major economic boost for ASEAN countries in the coming years. Temasek is forecasting that 70% of merchants in Southeast Asia that only accept cash today will likely take digital payments by 2025.
- Revenue from Southeast Asia’s digital financial services is expected to more than triple in the coming years and Singapore will be the lead innovator in the region’s financial tech.
Asia's financial hub
- Singapore is a premium location for financial and accounting firms. Business-friendly policies along with strong links to other financial hubs provide Singapore with a distinct advantage over other locations in the region. Being the preferred choice for global businesses, the demand for talent in banking, finance, and accounting will not slow down.
Information technology
| Job title | Entry | Senior | Veteran |
| Programmer | $3,600 | $4,100 | $4,400 |
| Analyst programmer | $4,600 | $5,100 | $5,600 |
| System analyst | $6,000 | $6,400 | $7,300 |
| Application manager | $8,400 | $9,800 | $11,500 |
| Application architect | $9,800 | $11,500 | $13,300 |
| Enterprise architect | $11,500 | $12,800 | $13,700 |
| System engineer | $4,000 | $5,000 | $5,800 |
| System admin | $4,200 | $4,800 | $5,500 |
| IT support | $3,600 | $4,300 | $5,100 |
| IT manager | $8,000 | $9,400 | $11,100 |
| Head of IT | $12,400 | $15,900 | $22,000 |
| CIO | $5,900 | $19,500 | $28,300 |
Market outlook for 2022
Excellent infrastructure to attract tech companies
- Per Links International's update, APAC lacks any real competitors in terms of attracting technology companies. As such, Singapore’s transparency, rule of law, tax incentives, and talent pool make it the ideal location for the business’ Asia operations HQ.
- Regional tech talent will find it hard to resist flocking to Singapore due to the opportunities and attractiveness of working in global tech enterprises.
Sourcing, supply chain & manufacturing
| Job title | Entry | Senior | Veteran |
| Supply chain planning/ analyst | $3,700 | $5,200 | $6,000 |
| Supply chain manager | $6,800 | $8,200 | $11,900 |
| Procurement manager | $6,800 | $9,400 | $11,900 |
| Sourcing / merchandising manager | $5,500 | $7,400 | $11,300 |
| Quality manager | $6,500 | $8,300 | $12,300 |
| Technical specialist | $4,600 | $5,900 | $7,000 |
| Technical manager | $6,400 | $7,400 | $11,300 |
| Engineering manager | $6,400 | $7,400 | $12,500 |
| Engineering director | $11,300 | $14,400 | $18,300 |
| Testing manager | $5,000 | $6,400 | $8,500 |
| Quality improvement manager | $7,100 | $9,400 | $11,000 |
| Designer | $3,300 | $5,600 | $6,400 |
| Design manager | $7,100 | $8,300 | $12,300 |
| Operation improvement manager | $6,400 | $8,500 | $12,300 |
| General manager | $16,900 | $21,500+ |
Market outlook for 2022
Manufacturing skills training
- Eight new programmes will be launched by the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology to prepare the country’s workforce for the future of the manufacturing sector. The programmes aim to equip individuals with skills sets to assess carbon footprint, improve energy management through analytics and develop action plans for better business sustainability.
Supply chain support for SMEs
- The government announced an S$18 mn Supply Chain 4.0 initiative to help integrate more technology to assist SMEs in future supply chain disruptions. It includes digital solutions and automation to improve efficiency and also forecast supply and demand ahead of time. Supply chain transformation specialist roles are becoming increasingly popular.
- Supply chains are still facing threats from new COVID-19 variants and could complicate border controls but the function will see improvement from the gradual reopening next year.
Photos / Links International
Follow us on Telegram and on Instagram @humanresourcesonline for all the latest HR and manpower news from around the region!
share on
