Graduate Employment Survey 2009 (published 2010)
April 7th, 2010
The latest graduate employment survey reports are out.
The 2009 batch of graduates from NUS, NTU and SMU were asked about their starting pay and whether they were employed on a permanent basis.
The highest starting salaries come from the 4-year Information Systems Management programme at Singapore Management University. Those who graduated from this course with at least a Cum Laude (“with honour”) got a median starting pay of $4,000. One quarter of them earn $4,600 and above. However, only 72.2% of them are employed on a full-time permanent basis.
The worst performing course is the NTU Art, Design & Media. A mere 61.7% of the graduates are permanently employed. Half of them earned $2,300 and less.
Here are the rankings:
Top Median Gross Monthly Salaries (in brackets are the 75th-percentile salaries)
- SMU Information Systems Management (4-yr programme) Cum Laude and above – $4,000 ($4,600)
- SMU Economics (4-yr programme) Cum Laude and above – $3,200 ($4,000)
- SMU Economics (4-yr programme) – $3,000 ($3,763)
- NUS Business Administration (Honours) – $3,000 ($3,600)
- SMU Business Management (4-yr programme) Cum Laude and above – $3,000 ($3,500)
- NUS Chemical Engineering – $3,000 ($3,500)
- NUS Industrial & Systems Engineering – $3,000 ($3,450)
- NUS Dental Surgery – $3,000 ($3,400)
- NTU Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering – $3,000 ($3,300)
- NTU Aerospace Engineering – $3,000 ($3,250)
- NTU Arts (with Education) – $3,000 ($3,200)
- NUS Information Systems – $2,975 ($3,250)
- NTU Physics & Applied Physics – $2,950 ($3,000)
- NUS Computer Engineering – $2,900 ($3,440)
- NTU Chemistry & Biological Chemistry – $2,900 ($3,300)
- NUS Computer Science – $2,900 ($3,290)
- NTU Computer Science – $2,900 ($3,250)
- NTU Science (with Education) – $2,900 ($3,200)
- NTU Computer Engineering – $2,900 ($3,200)
- NUS Mechanical Engineering – $2,900 ($3,200)
- NUS Science (Honours) – $2,900 ($3,200)
The Dumping Grounds by Starting Pay (Gross Monthly)
- NTU Art, Design & Media – $2,300 ($2,800)
- NTU Accountancy (3-yr direct Honours programme) – $2,400 ($2,500)
- NUS Business Administration (Accountancy) – $2,400 ($2,500)
- NUS Applied Science – $2,500 ($2,500)
- NUS Science – $2,500 ($2,600)
- NUS Arts – $2,500 ($2,600)
- NUS Business Administration (3-yr programme) – $2,500 ($2,700)
- SMU Social Sciences (4-yr programme) – $2,500 ($2,850)
- NTU Maritime Studies – $2,500 ($2,900)
- SMU Accountancy (4-yr programme) – $2,500 ($2,950)
- NUS Nursing – $2,550 ($2,700)
- NTU Environmental Engineering – $2,600 ($2,900)
- NTU Communication Studies – $2,600 ($2,900)
- NUS Real Estate – $2,600 ($3,000)
- NUS Applied Science (Honours) – $2,600 ($3,000)
- SMU Accountancy (4-yr programme) Cum Laude and above – $2,600 ($4,000)
Top Permanent Employment Rate (in brackets are the average salaries)
- NUS Nursing – 100.0% ($2,568)
- NTU Science (with Education) – 100.0% ($3,030)
- NTU Arts (with Education) – 100.0% ($3,109)
- NUS Dental Surgery – 100.0% ($3,176)
- NTU Chinese – 98.0% ($2,756)
- NUS Business Administration (Accountancy) – 97.1% ($2,448)
- SMU Accountancy (4-yr programme) Cum Laude and above – 96.8% ($3,586)
- NUS Computer Engineering – 95.7% ($2,890)
- SMU Accountancy (4-yr programme) – 95.3% ($3,073)
- NUS Applied Science (Honours) – 94.7% ($2,674)
- NTU Computer Science – 94.3% ($2,930)
- NUS Material Science and Engineering – 93.8% ($2,880)
- NUS Civil Engineering – 92.9% ($2,801)
- SMU Economics (4-yr programme) Cum Laude and above – 92.6% ($3,606)
- NUS Industrial & Systems Engineering – 92.5% ($3,099)
- NUS Business Administration (Honours) – 92.1% ($3,389)
- NUS Information Systems – 91.1% ($2,918)
- NTU Civil Engineering – 90.8% ($2,769)
- NTU Accountancy (3-yr direct Honours programme) – 90.0% ($2,529)
The Dumping Grounds by Employability
- NTU Art, Design & Media – 61.7% ($2,431)
- NUS Environmental Engineering – 63.2% ($2,667)
- NUS Communication and Media – 70.8% ($2,536)
- SMU Social Sciences (4-yr programme) – 72.0% ($2,613)
- SMU Information Systems Management (4-yr programme) Cum Laude and above – 72.2% ($3,754)
- SMU Social Sciences (4-yr programme) Cum Laude and above – 73.3% ($2,673)
- NTU Materials Engineering – 75.3% ($2,745)
- NUS Arts – 75.9% ($2,511)
- NTU Environmental Engineering – 76.3% ($2,777)
- NUS Science – 76.5% ($2,525)
- NUS Computing – 76.9% ($2,841)
- NUS Applied Science – 76.9% ($2,393)
- NTU Physics & Applied Physics – 77.8% ($2,900)
- NTU Communication Studies – 78.2% ($2,562)
- NTU Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering – 78.6% ($2,990)
- NTU Mechanical Engineering – 79.1% ($2,794)
See last year’s rankings.
Do you trust this year’s reports?
computer engineer Says:
April 8th, 2010 at 4:26 am
out of a sudden, SMU’s first batch of ‘information systems management’ are earning pretty high salary, despite lower percentage of employment. Still… wow… that figure would take the ‘normal’ people 3 years to normally increment up to 3.7-3.8k…
so… the established NTU/NUS computing schools are in deep sh*t of the need of upgrading so their students can talk and present better…
bank worker Says:
April 8th, 2010 at 8:51 am
why are so many ppl getting accounting qualification when its lowly paid and extremely long working hours..
graduate earnings « Abbhatatro's Blog Says:
April 8th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
[...] http://www.salary.sg/2010/graduate-... Archives Select Month April 2010 (8) March 2010 (25) February 2010 (24) January 2010 (33) [...]
media studies Says:
April 8th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
How can you call the other faculties “dumping grounds” ?!
ART is not ENGINEERING. AN APPLE is not an ORANGE. Says:
April 8th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
What a dumb and rude article..
I mean you could learn to make the best pancakes.. sell them at a dollar each to say 40% of the population that LIKES pancakes and BUYS pancakes.. and earn like a grand a month.. that wouldn’t make you the worst performing.. you’re just performing at how the market allows it to.. besides.. you make the best damn pancakes.. So that actually makes you the best damn performer in your field..
Then you could work at a desk and be OKAY or shit at what you do but earn alot more and be exposed to a bigger percentage of the population and make 3k a month.. but that’s the bottom line.. you may earn more and there’s more market in said country for that kinda skill.. but you’re just OKAY at what you do.. certainly does not make your college that shaped you the best damn performing college..
Typical Singaporean article. Numbers without background is enough to pass a sweeping statement.
And BTW.. judging from the crap ass style of writing and terminologies used, you can most certainly tell that the writer wasn’t from a ‘Top performing college” either..
the artist Says:
April 8th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
I find it personally demeaning to deem NTU School of Art, Design and Media (ADM) as worst-performing solely based on statistics of full-time employment.
As someone who knew a number of the first batch of graduates on a personal level, I can’t help but feel offended by choice of words of the writer (of this article) as “worst-performing”. A large number of these graduates made the choice not to be employed in order to start their own studios/businesses, gain artists residencies, work on commissioned projects, exhibitions etc. Much of such endeavors are unfortunately hard to fit into the demographics of such statistics. While I have nothing against the ways in which the survey was conducted, I found the way this article was written was extremely insensitive, especially to many of the creatives who are doing a lot more than just settle for a 9 to 5 office job.
nerd Says:
April 9th, 2010 at 12:06 am
no electical or electronics?
design student Says:
April 9th, 2010 at 12:24 am
“dumping ground” that is just the wrong choice of word. i guess the author has no consideration as to the terminologies used here.
we all know that the creative industry in Singapore is growing, it’s small, it’s young but personally i think it holds one of the most exciting and vibrant communities here. the author of this article obviously has no knowledge or understanding about the working path of artists and creatives. designers have full-time jobs, but sometimes we enjoy the freedom of doing freelance as well, we take our chances, we save money when we can, we can succeed, we can fail, but the spontaneity is just part of the nature of the creative industry.
it’s true that businessmen, engineers, science researchers, they work 9 to 5, they get their 9 to 5 monthly fixed pay, good for them.
but people in the creative business are tackling on completely different grounds.
you can fork out the tables and stats but are such comparisons even necessary? we couldn’t care less. call us worst paid, but most of us stay in it because we love what we do.
Kay Says:
April 9th, 2010 at 2:14 am
As a practising overseas journalist right now (I came from one of your so-called “dumping grounds” by the way), I must say your choice of vocabulary is extremely offensive to people like us who ultimately are trying to serve the public too.
Artists, journalists, scientists, mathematicians, teachers, whatever… We are all playing similarly important roles in society. Common sense tells us that we cannot function with the exclusion of any.
Instead, I would suggest that you may perhaps want to appreciate all these aspects of society you call “dumping grounds”. I chose my own path. I wasn’t dumped there. And without people like me toiling for you, would you have any newspaper or TV content? Without artists being willing to work hard for the art they believe in, what kind of uncreative and dull world would you live in?
We all have our different beliefs and choose to go on different paths in lives, and while industries such as IT and science seem to gain more material benefits, perhaps people like me tend to lean towards our passion more as it makes us happier to lead our lives in a way which gives us maximum satisfaction. Why dismiss people like me and my talented friends in the creative business as being “dumped”, which gives the connotation like we are rubbish?
Perhaps you are right in one thing though: the SG government should take a look at these figures and try to take steps to appreciate their creative businesses more with the rise of such businesses overseas. Soft skills such as creativity are largely inborn and cannot be learnt and should be treasured, and these are premiums which need matching pay.
Maybe when they adjust the salaries, people like you will finally stop looking down on us as poor and unwanted, because honestly I do think our skills are worth more than any hard skill you can learn through rote. It’s just that it may perhaps take time to start to appreciate these skills and pay matching premiums for them, but so what? I am willing to work for the low pay still because I love my job. Higher pay would be a reward and a bonus and a well-deserved acknowledgment, but not a prerequisite, unlike many other industries.
computer engineer Says:
April 9th, 2010 at 2:34 am
I agree with Kay. Indeed, admin should be more sensitive to the graduates, as after all, fresh graduates are on the process of become ‘professionals’ in their own respective fields. We should respect their career choices, and thus, their education leading up to choosing their paths.
As salary.sg has become quite a popular website for students, aspiring graduates and professionals alike, using such words serves only as an unwelcoming sign of insensitivity.
dumper Says:
April 9th, 2010 at 9:19 am
i came from a traditional “dumping ground” faculty and here’s my view.
it’s very common for people – students, teachers, parents – to label certain faculties as “dumping grounds” without knowing what they are talking about. for example, the bio life science supporters used to think their courses are the best in the world. well now we know for a fact life science grads aren’t much better than test tube washers, though it isn’t reflected in the above lists.
controversial as it may be, fairly or unfairly, the “dumping ground” label has always been used. the above lists just used it with little more “substantive” evidence – NOT that i agree with them.
a parting shot – many of my fellow dumping ground graduates are earning a lot more than those from the more popular faculties, and enjoying their work too.
Nameless Artist Says:
April 9th, 2010 at 10:24 am
It is infuriating to know that there are such misunderstanding in our society about the purpose of art. It is not a means of money making.
The stand-offish article is not entirely the fault of the writer since he is one of the many that is educated to be an upstanding role model that is practical. He judge results based on meritocratic values since money is perceived as a means of grading social status.
It is also upsetting to understand that end of the day, art/ creative culture is only taken as ways and means to gain access to the economical aspect of it instead of looking at things from the fact that art is there to nurture and cultivate. Facts and figures are statistically over-rated.
ITE Says:
April 9th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
What’s worse than being labeled “It’s The End”? I was from ITE and everyone around me looked down on me.
Well, now I’m making 200k a year managing IT infrastructure. Being labeled ITE spurred me on.
So it’s not a bad thing entirely to be in a “dumping ground” course. Who knows it will spur you on to greater heights. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Hahaha Says:
April 9th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
How come the economics people can earn so much? What type of jobs do they normally go into?
curious Says:
April 9th, 2010 at 11:07 pm
how come there aint data for doctors and lawyers?
sgdr Says:
April 10th, 2010 at 12:33 am
dont want to upset the other undergraduates
Starting pay for lawyers 5K
Houseman 7.6K
curious Says:
April 10th, 2010 at 8:58 am
Damn
I should have applied for medicine and law
Their starting pay is crazy
tell the truth Says:
April 10th, 2010 at 10:35 am
no statistics for lawyers and doctors because they do not get employment straight after school. these statistics are based on graduates who find employment straight after graduation, naturally doctors and lawyers not included.
doctors: have to go for housemanship before they are employed as workers.
lawyers: have to go through 1 year training contract + bar exam where they are only paid $2000 and $200 per month respectively. after that then they get their $4.5/month starting pay if they pass.
telllies Says:
April 10th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
tell the truth: your entire post is wrong on every count. rename yourself clueless!
lol Says:
April 10th, 2010 at 7:25 pm
those who complained are from the dumping grounds?
Cityhunter66 Says:
April 10th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/s...
I found this article very meaningful…user lol might want to read it.
tell the truth Says:
April 11th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
tell lies: how am i wrong? im not certain about the doctors part but i know for sure about the law route which i am taking right now.
6 months training contract (the best firms pay a $2000 honorarium)
+ 6 months taking the bar exam ($200 allowance) before you become a full fledged lawyer. how to include into the stats like that?
telllies Says:
April 11th, 2010 at 11:30 pm
Then you should know its $500 for the allowance and $5k+ for the best firms right now.
houseman Says:
April 12th, 2010 at 1:12 am
houseman salary 3k plus
banker Says:
April 12th, 2010 at 2:44 am
to tell the truth and telllies,
you guys can stop arguing.
Third-Year student interns’ highest earners (repeat: INTERNS) are those in some investment banks, who are paid up to 9k SGD per month, in Singapore office. (meaning, in a 10-WEEK summer internship program, they pocket approx. 22500 SGD)
Period.
lala doctor Says:
April 12th, 2010 at 9:01 am
houseman salary 7.6k? dream on la. 2.69k only.
sgdr Says:
April 12th, 2010 at 9:56 am
dont forget yr school fee is subsidised by MOH
so 2.69 + 5K = 7.69K
Highest starting pay among all undergraduates
This is not including call money so u can get even more if u do more calls
wanted to be dr Says:
April 12th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
wow, 2.69k!! why are doctors paid so low?
another dr Says:
April 12th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
@wanted to be dr.
You wanna be a doctor just because of $$$ issue?
Oh well… here goes another of those impudent doctor-wanna-be.
Anyway, if u wanna talk about pay, let’s talk:
If you know how to read graphs, you will realise that doctors’ pay’s graphical gradient (rate of increasing) is quite steep compared to other professions. Thus, considering the area under the curve, let’s say within 8-10 years, doctors will have earned quite decent amount of money within the same timeframe.
telllies Says:
April 12th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
banker: enjoying your time in the office on sunday?
banker Says:
April 12th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Oh.. hello Telllies,
Nope. Just got back from a club that night.
By the way, for interns, it’s strictly Mon-Fri, with exceptions of some meetings over dinner/drinks with clients/colleagues over the weekend.
telllies Says:
April 12th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
banker: i might just be a double degree student that interned at both law firms and bb banks eh? If that were the case..I would know you were lying..particularly about the “strictly Mon-Fri” part. Absolute lies as you should know if you are what you claim.
banker Says:
April 12th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
whatever u say, man…
I believe you’re in the 6-year business&law course by SMU… but even if you’re not, it doesn’t matter to me ^^
Coz ultimately, these few interns are still penultimate year students who are ‘new’ to business. They won’t enjoy the bonuses, but they still enjoy the ultra high pay (as I said, 9K approx each month. Go find out for yourself. Hint: Private Wealth Management) by certain bank(s).
Whatever u say doesn’t change the fact above, seriously
telllies Says:
April 12th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
banker: its actually closer to 8k (or 5k US if you like). Yea, but the lifestyle is terrible. Money is good, but saying its a Mon-Fri job, I don’t know how you do that with a straight face.
banker Says:
April 12th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
Telllies, you’re misunderstanding something.
I am NOT an intern. I am talking about the interns’ role and pay because that was my statement made right from start (I was emphasizing on the word ‘intern’ coz this article is related to fresh grads, whose starting pay tend to correspond with interns’ pay and vice versa in banks).
Thus, I did say it’s Mon-Fri FOR INTERNS. I did not mean to say it with ‘straight face’, but rather, stating the fact that it’s just a matter of clients’ trust on the interns. If you have assets of, say, 12Mil SGD, would you let an intern handle even 1% of that? I guess not.
Thus, interns do not clock so long working hours on on ‘real’ stuff, but they do spend a lot of time studying to learn. I respect that. But according to their contracts, it only says minimum 40 hours per week.
One more thing, Telllies, don’t think that what you ‘already know’ is all ‘there is to know’. We, interviewers, hate that attitude.
wanted to be dr Says:
April 12th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
yeah i guess i expected after 5 years of studying one of the toughest courses a doctor should get paid more than a taxi-driver or IR croupier.
really one of the most noble professions – suffer to relieve other people’s suffering.
elitism in the education system? « the rumination of a pseudo rocker. Says:
April 12th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
[...] studying what i’m studying because i have a passion for it. and reading farhan’s link here about graduate employment survey pay scales, i honestly cant be damned that my course is considered [...]
angry comms undregrad Says:
April 13th, 2010 at 12:47 am
how is it fair to name it dumping ground. what kind of un-objective person writes that?? and anyway, it’s just the nature of media/advertising jobs to pay a ridiculously low salary (for communications degrees), average being 1.8-2.2k for an entry level AE/copywriter/art director in an advertising firm. such careers do not pay attention to your degree, everyone has to start at the same place. who are you to make value judgments on the degrees.
lala doctor Says:
April 13th, 2010 at 1:37 am
it’s rather interesting that sgdr counts the legendary tuition fee grant as part of the salary. (don’t even know how u come to 5k a month)
Every undergraduate in Singapore is receiving tuition fee grant, hence the subsequent bond. if thats the case, then everyone’s salary will have to be revised upwards too.
anyway, take home for a local houseman is 2.69k-CPF+ (SGD110-150)xsleepless nights (usually around 4-6)
and as ‘another dr’ says, the gradient for salary increment is steep as doctors progress along the stages of career, so it’s not all bleak. but the hours put in by doctors in their work can easily rival any of the busiest professions
hospdr Says:
April 13th, 2010 at 1:43 am
Doctors are heavily subsidised by MOH and thus they cant be paid too much.
The foreign docs are poor things since they are not subsidised by MOH.
We should pay foreign drs more to attract them to Singapore or public hospitals will relocate to our neighbouring countries!
freedr Says:
April 13th, 2010 at 1:48 am
Hi
I just broke bond and I paid $5000 per month of bond left which is about $120K for 2 yrs of bond so the $5000 is real!
Dont compare salaries since we r privileged to be chosen to be drs and most of us are in it not for the money since we are all rich in the first place to get into medicine.
80% of us live in landed property compared to 20% of our patients so we should work for passion and not for money!
People who work for money are slave to money.
Now it is time for me to work in WHO and volunteer my medical skills for the needy in 3rd world countries!
another dr Says:
April 13th, 2010 at 3:26 am
Wow! Go for it, freedr.
I respect your choice of using the skills for the most needy. I’m one of those 20% though. I live in HDB flats and am taking full grant. So, I won’t be financially free like you for quite a few years ahead.
Cheers!
auditor Says:
April 13th, 2010 at 8:59 am
Impossible that NTU accountancy only having 90% of students being employed. It is always near 100% if not 100%.
creative stats Says:
April 13th, 2010 at 10:57 am
computer engineer said: “out of a sudden, SMU’s first batch of ‘information systems management’ are earning pretty high salary, despite lower percentage of employment. Still… wow… that figure would take the ‘normal’ people 3 years to normally increment up to 3.7-3.8k… so… the established NTU/NUS computing schools are in deep sh*t of the need of upgrading so their students can talk and present better…”
(1) This is not SMU’s first batch of ISM grads.
(2) ISM grads have a perm employment rate of slightly above 70% – sorry for being harsh, but that’s pathetic for a technical degree.
(3) You can see more comparison and analysis of ISM versus other courses here:
http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/s...
ordinary dr Says:
April 13th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
freedr:
Congrats on being able to break your bond. Go forth and help WHO – I feel it’s a gd way to spend your years. However pls remember those among your colleagues who are not so fortunate. The common folk like me and anotherdr HAVE to watch our spending and salaries; 120k is a HUGE sum for someone like us.
sgdr:
the fact that you include the 5k into the monthly salary indicates you know as much about this topic as an Eskimo talking abt desert mirages. Plus, you think night calls are a fantastic way to earn money? dude, WAKE UP.
You are NOT a doctor. You dont even truly know anyone who is. Dont pretend to be one, spout rubbish and make the real drs reading this site choke. Thanks
errr Says:
April 13th, 2010 at 10:49 pm
The article sounds like… a pile of balls. Btw, how are the statistics collated? sound dubious to me man.
graduating student Says:
April 14th, 2010 at 3:35 am
to errr
It’s collected from students who have graduated within SIX months upon graduation (most students graduate in may/june, thus the survey is done in dec/jan and compiled & released in early April).
Meaning, the latest release this April 2010 was the survey of students who graduated and entered work force in 2009 (one of the worst years). Thus, you can observe an overall decrease in mean values compared to year 2009 release (graduates in 2008), as the economy was on the process of recovering.
However, it’s up to the students who replied the survey whether they’re honest about it.
Thus, the survey result simply serves as a benchmark of how fresh graduates would expect to earn in most companies. Of course, the pay varies from industry to industry.
Cheers.
PS: I’m hoping I would get about 10-20% higher than the current release’s mean (2009 was a bad year to start working!), as that would correspond with 2008′s mean value inclusive of inflation adjustments.
The Observer Says:
April 14th, 2010 at 10:40 am
This is why Singapore can’t continue to develop itself culturally without all those people from the ‘dumping grounds’. Do you even know anyone from the arts or media sector? If not, I suggest you do a more thorough research and put the dictionary to a better use for your choice of words in the future.
erm Says:
April 14th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
seriously, if you cld say that ntu comm studies is dumping ground, you really dont know what you’re saying.
pissed Says:
April 14th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Wow! I’m amazed to say the least. What credible website would publish such a rude and biased article?
The choice of words here makes me worry about the writer’s self-concept.. it can’t be too comforting for the ego to be thinking of yourself so lowly right? Because if the writer is not in the Communications dumping ground, where should he be dumped?
baseball Says:
April 14th, 2010 at 5:50 pm
Dont be Pissed….
Singapore students are practical…They make practical choices which is about money…And hence anything that does not pay is not good…Also this website is about how to earn more n how to be in careers which pay better…its objective is to optimize wealth and not generate culture, knowledge, etc. it is sad but the truth…in general, for the majority its only the money that counts…the means justify the end..
face it Says:
April 14th, 2010 at 10:15 pm
let’s face it. if you gotta work for money, it has to be about money, more or less, like it or not.
suppose you are passionate about art. you can do art on your own for a living, like what a sculptor friend of mine is doing. but whether you can survive and survive well in a pressure cooker society like ours is a big question. you not only have to think about your own survival, you have to consider those around you too, unless you are a hermit or are born with a silver spoon.
anyway, to each his own.
question investment bank operations Says:
April 16th, 2010 at 6:13 am
banker: would you happen to know what the base salary for singapore (full time) graduates joining back office divisions such as operations is?
ib ops Says:
April 16th, 2010 at 10:11 pm
question ib ops:
fresh grad salary for ib ops is typically 3-5k/mo for euro/us banks. internship allowance is 1-1.2k/mo
Tata Says:
April 16th, 2010 at 11:44 pm
Local graduates aka farmers are indeed deluded. Its so evident everywhere that anyone who enrol in these dumpster local universities say its the biggest mistake of their lives that it’s a sad joke whenever you see deluded freaks online hiding behind their nicknames putting on a brave front. lawyer or doctor, they are all a bunch of frogs in the well losers we laugh at all the time. Because a farmer is a farmer, no matter what he studies and tries so hard to be.
banker Says:
April 17th, 2010 at 2:03 am
hmm.. from what I’ve heard,
The allowance for operations interns varies from 1k (just like ib ops has mentioned) up to about 2.5k.
However, for technology interns, it can range from 1k- 4.5k, depending on the bank in which they’re offered internship at.
Top interns are those in front office, such as private banking/private wealth management, and I.B. (rare cases, particularly exceptional interns)
Cheers.
banker Says:
April 17th, 2010 at 2:04 am
ps: referring to SGD currency
Tataareyou Says:
April 18th, 2010 at 2:08 am
tiffanymiffy from cc and the fella on brightsparks? All of you post and write in the same way!
Ano Says:
April 18th, 2010 at 3:50 am
@Banker, I had 1o years exp., got offer of 102K in IT, is it good, I am relocating to singapore, have no idea about this place, Appreciate your reply.
Thanks
Ano Says:
April 18th, 2010 at 3:51 am
Its bank IT,
banker Says:
April 18th, 2010 at 11:17 am
Dear Ano,
Have you checked the average salaries of different banks on glassdoor.com?
For 10 years’ experience, 102K is slightly on the low side. I’d rather believe you should be worth at least 10K per month, meaning around 120K per annum.
However, if you have not had direct experience in banking IT before, then as a programmer with 10 years’ worth of experience, anything above 100K is pretty well-deserved.
Considering Singapore has one of the world’s lowest tax rates (possibly world’s second lowest after Hongkong, considering only developed financial marketplaces), you would have no trouble saving up quite a large sum in a few years.
Tiffanymiffy Says:
April 18th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
from cozycot is the girl on brightsparks and the various different posters here insulting local grads. I have a suspicion she’s also the intellectual snob though the website is gone. She graduated from an australian university and worked in a bank formerly.
Poor but surviving Says:
April 19th, 2010 at 9:53 am
IT in banks sure make big bucks. But I think the hours are long.
depends Says:
April 19th, 2010 at 11:10 am
depends on the culture. most of my friends don’t work long hours. i heard american banks are more demanding.
solo Says:
April 20th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
After accountancy, you can take up courses for compliance & auditing. I do not believe ppl who take accountancy really wants to work in this line forever.
akbn Says:
April 23rd, 2010 at 7:53 am
any info about architecture students? given that most do a post grad after b arch. but still any stats?
haha Says:
April 29th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Local unis are only seen as desirable by people in poly and the mediocre mass in JC.
The only people who think its prestigious (deluded) are the same people who have something to do with it, because they were cursed with it and have it on their CVs.
If it was so good, we won’t have so many students from top JC who were rejected by the scholarships and telling everyone else openly that they would just go on as many exchanges as possible” and “do their master’s overseas.
hoho Says:
April 29th, 2010 at 10:10 pm
And Tiffanymiffy, i have no idea the things or places you’re talking about.
But one thing’s for sure. You’re one super deluded local grad to think that few people or only one party, Singaporean or otherwise, know about how $hitty local schools. no different from Reject with a capital R.
Love what you do Says:
May 27th, 2010 at 10:35 am
Actually, if you look at the base report, the median salaries are quite reasonable across all of the faculties, and there is nothing really shocking represented in the survey. I hired a fresh graduate at 2200 5 years ago, the starting salary now is 2300 – 2400. You will agree that this is hardly surprising. If you look at the survey broadly, and at all of the median salaries, they mostly fall between 2400 – 2800. The fact that a lot of the median salaries in the SMU survey is lower than the mean tells me that 1) that the data may not be sufficient 2) that there are salaries that skew the survey. I would presume that the variance is due to differences in industries, and one thing is quite clear, SMU must have done something right to equip their graduates with the ability to market themselves better than their peers.
Social science and arts have always drawn a slightly lower starting, whereas the IT, science side have always drawn a higher salary. That is inpart due to the nature of the course, and chemical sciences for example require specific knowledge and thus commands a industry premium.
What I object to in this instance is the use of the words “dumping ground” coined for the faculties with the 25th percentile salaries. That is not only unfair and offensive, it reeks of ‘moneyism’ that education is measured only by money. Most of my best managers are from these so called “dumping grounds”, and starting high does not equate to ending well. Technical jobs tend to stagnate after a few years, once the individual is unable to step out of being a technical expert and transform him or herself into a people manager, and at the end of the end of the day, not everyone is suited to lead teams, and not everyone wants to.
Lastly, this is a purely sensationalist way of reporting, almost similar to the tabloids, where only the juicy part of the report (ie, the outliers 75% percentile) is reported. You will find that most people fall into the middle, and graduates going to the workforce will have more or less similar salary packages, benefits aside.
I have hire interns from SMU before, and I do feel that they communicate better, have a sense of entrepreneurial spirit, and they tend to know what they wish to achieve in the next 5 years.
A positive way to reads this report is to then ask, what are the skills sets employers wants in the next 5 years, do our graduates have it, and do they have the right attitude and mindset. Do HR people prefer to hire these young graduates or Gen X staff are a surer bet? What we don’t want is to have everyone go into the “money making faculties” just for the perception that they will make more money. There are enough people who are in the wrong jobs simply because their parents wanted them to be in those professions, and enough disengaged employees who don’t love what they do.
My suggestion? I graduated from Arts and Social Sciences. Love what you do, study what interests you, the value of education is far more than whether your salary is higher or lower than your friends, and at the end of the day, whether or not you feel fulfilled has little to do with your gross salary.
doc_in_30s Says:
May 29th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
A little maths for those who really want to know how much doctors earn:
MEdical school fees are subsidised, but still we had to pay ~ $15k per academic year (now it is more) out of our own pocket. Therefore total school fees out of own pocket = 5 x $15k = $75k. Most of us are from average income families and need to take loans from banks.
Junior doctors – starting pay $2200. Night calls (around 6 – 10 sleepless nights a month) – $100-150 per night call. Part of pay also goes to pay back the tuition fee loan.
Now i am around a decade post-graduation. My pay is $7.6k. I know nuts about investment so i have no other source of income. I stay in HDB and take bus to work. Good thing is, I have finished my tuition fee loan.
Most of my doctor friends are thrifty down-to-earth people.
Of course a small percentage of doctors come from rich families and do not have problems with tuition fees and may already be given cars and condo before they graduated…
doc_in_30s Says:
May 29th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
also, many of us choose to specialise. postgrad courses and exams all cost a few thousand dollars.
in other words, for the amount of money and time we have spent, medicine in public sector does not pay well at all. It’s just annoying that many people still think we are filthy rich.
sgpatient Says:
May 29th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
Hey doc_in_30s
what u say is at odds with the situation in Singapore.
Look at the salaries below
top salaries in 2009
1.Specialised surgeon – $27,977
2.Managing director – $26,444
3.Personal banker – $20,238
4.Commodities futures broker – $19,098
5.General manager – $18,068
It is a known fact that civil servants are pegged to the private sector and the only reason why drs leave public hospitals is they want to earn more doing less
Which is why private specialists have little queue and public specialists got such a long queue.
We should admit more rich students in NUS and Duke so the poor docs will stop exploiting their patients to become rich.
huh? Says:
May 29th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
“We should admit more rich students in NUS and Duke so the poor docs will stop exploiting their patients to become rich.”
sgpatient: I don’t understand this part (quoted above). Can you elaborate?
doc_in_30s: you have may sympathy. I don’t think your pay in public hospitals is even close to that of a teacher of same age ( see: http://forums.salary.sg/income-jobs... ).
That said, I believe all doctors in public hospitals have the potential to earn much more (easily a few times more). Specialists can start their private practice. Non-specialists have it harder but with business sense and some luck, their GP clinics can also do well in estates where competition is low. My nice GP doctor sees about 70-100 walk-ins each day. If his net profit per patient (after all costs and expenses) is just $10 per patient, he easily makes more than than $20k each month.
doc_in_30s Says:
May 30th, 2010 at 12:45 am
it is amazing how different people think.
Let us remember that doctors are also humans – we also fall sick, we also have emotions, we hope to have better homes for our families, we want to save up for our children’s education etc etc
Despite all these, most doctors (judging from my circle) truly want to do good for their patients, and most do not exploit patients to become rich.
Well, perhaps there is indeed some sense in what sgpatient said ‘admit more rich students to med sch’. The poorer ones might as well do more financially rewarding careers instead of being accused of exploiting patients. So does sgpatient think that doctors from rich families make better doctors simply because they do not exploit patients? What an interesting way of thinking…
huh? – yes many junior doctors who go out to be GPs end up earning much more than those who continue to stay and specialize in public hospitals. Yes, GPs do earn more than hospital specialists.
Doubtful Says:
May 30th, 2010 at 9:46 am
doc_in_30s: Yes it’s interesting how different people think. U mentioned that “Most of us are from average income families and need to take loans from banks” but most med grads came from RJC, HCJC, VJCs etc and i would like to think that more of them come from rich rather than “average income” families. Like u said, they owned cars and condos before they grad..
U didn’t mention how much MOs make doing locum during NS. Also like what huh? and yourself mentioned, GPs can make quite a lot of money. (i suppose 10k/mth not a problem given how much u guys already make for locums..) Finally, docs who stay in hospitals, gain experience and specialise eventually will make more than the GPs..that’s why we see salaries like:
1.Specialised surgeon – $27,977
So docs pay are not as bad as u claim la..if u compare to what most people are drawing..
sgpatient: It is not the poor docs’ fault for medical fees. Admitting more rich ppl to med sch will not solve the prob since hospitals are not gg to charge u any lesser just becos there are more rich docs ard?
If one has no money to pay, no hospitals will treat u for free. Regardless of rich or poor docs. This is reality in Sg.
Doubtful Says:
May 30th, 2010 at 9:49 am
I mean u may make less now compared to some GPs, but after u specialise and move to private hospitals, it’s a different story.
richdoc Says:
May 30th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
I dont agree with what doc in 30 say.
Most of my classmates are from rich and middle income family so obviously the decision to raise tuition fees help to filter out those poor students who is trying to climb the social ladder by becoming a doc.
I do admit that some of my classmates including myself has no idea what is like to be poor and am guilty of giving the best medication like augmentin and klacid even though the poor patients cant afford it.
But we sure dont exploit our patients!
Maybe those poor doctors from the lower income do to climb the social ladder.
We should really filter out these poor and greedy medical students and prevent them from spoiling the reputation of doctors in Singapore.
doc_in_30s Says:
May 30th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
again may i remind everyone that we should not generalise.
1. i certainly hope rjc/vjc/hcjc take in smart students, not rich ones.
2. not all students from rich families are smart.
3. not all students from poor families are poor.
4. doctors from poor families are mostly ‘normal’ and morally upright doctors who are not greedy and do not exploit people.
5. of course there are doctors from rich families who are greedy, not so morally upright, and may exploit the patients or the poor
6. of course the definition of rich and poor is a matter of relativity. there are also families who are very rich and teach their sons and daughters to be kind and humble people.
lets pray for more intelligent, wise, sensible, honest and kind humans, whether they are doctors or whether they come from rich families or not.
huh? Says:
May 30th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
If all rich doctors are like the richdoc above and all hospital administrators are like hospadmin in the other thread (I spent a full hour reading it), then we got a problem.
But I’m an optimist. I think richdoc is trying to be humourous and hospadmin is just zealously doing his/her job to get more foreign doctors.
poordoc Says:
May 30th, 2010 at 4:06 pm
The really rich doctors wont call himself rich.
I am poor but I work hard for my money.
Stop saying I exploit my patients!
We are professionals providing a service so patients should be willing to pay or go wait in polyclinics or public hospitals.
Subsidised patients are really pain in the ass, pay so little out of pocket but demand to be treated like private patients who pay the full fees.
Civil servants are worst, exploiting public healthcare with their CDC card.
richpat Says:
May 30th, 2010 at 10:59 pm
Aiyo
rich doc or poor doc
as long as can treat is good dr.
Want to earn my money also difficult cause I always go polyclinic for referral to see subsidised specialists.
That way, I can save a lot of money.
Doc2912 Says:
May 31st, 2010 at 5:56 am
Hi. I am a US dentist moving to Singapore shortly. Can anyone please tell me how much do general dentists in Singapore make? Also any tips on how to go about looking for a job would be most helpful.
sgdentist Says:
May 31st, 2010 at 9:46 am
Hi, are u registered with the singapore dental council?
U need to be registered first
Regards
http://www.sdc.gov.sg/html/SDC_Home...
Ron Says:
June 12th, 2010 at 2:22 am
Hi banker & all,
I am 29 years old in the media industry as Business Director.
Making S$143K as annual package.
I graduated with Master degree and Honors degree.
Do u think I am underpaid?
Tx
Ron
justfollowlaw Says:
June 12th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
hi Ron
i’m also 29 yr old, but a lawyer
base is 15k per mth.
bonuses range fr 6mth- 1yr
You don’t make that much.
towkay Says:
June 12th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
i’m a small timer towkay, also 29. my smallish steamboat “restaurant” in geylang made me half a mil in net profit last year. my pushcart business selling handphone and laptop skins also made me in excess of $200k. i don’t have a boss and i don’t even need to show up for work. you guys are pathetic.
employee Says:
June 12th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
yah, when i was 29 my total package was in excess of 400K. My base exceeds 17K a month so biz directors and lawyers make quite little actually…
student Says:
June 16th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
the arguments are getting hilarious
kuli kia Says:
July 27th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
I am system administrator with 6 years experience, degree holder but earn $3k. much much low paid…
SG_workaholic Says:
July 28th, 2010 at 8:53 am
kuli kia, maybe you need to upgrade yourself, eg brush up your english?
kuli kia Says:
July 28th, 2010 at 9:50 am
yah, really need upgrade myself somewhere to stay competence and competitive. Seems that is only way to survive…
gen Says:
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:54 am
i am a smu graduate and starting pay is only 1.6k. employers look at experience, not only your education
underpaid Says:
November 2nd, 2010 at 11:19 am
from the survey, looks like u shld be asking more.
James Says:
December 23rd, 2010 at 11:25 am
What about NTU’s Electrical & Electronic Engineering? It always attract plane loads of students from China, India, Indonesia, etc.
Why no mention here??
bs Says:
December 23rd, 2010 at 1:44 pm
with all the foreign talent studying there, NTU EEE is obviously the most elite course. so elite that this lousy ranking table doesn’t deserve the right to include it.
it’s thanks the uni and government giving out free scholarships to these talented foreign students. otherwise they would have gone to harvard, mit, cambridge, qinghua and IIT.
One in Three Degree Holders are Business & Admin Graduates | Salary.sg - Your Salary in Singapore Says:
February 2nd, 2011 at 5:17 am
[...] the above with the rankings by employability and monthly salaries for the various courses in our 3 [...]
sonoma Says:
February 8th, 2011 at 6:01 pm
Currently working as an editor in an international news wire agency after graduation, despite hailing from your definition of a “dumping ground”.
I weep for your choice of parochial and archaic terminology.
Thinking Says:
March 23rd, 2011 at 8:26 pm
If I’m graduating from overseas, degree with honours, would i have difficulty trying to find a job that pay at least 2300-2500? I major in Sport management. Something that is often neglected from such statistics.
Advice Says:
March 24th, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Move to the best sporting countries and work there. Watch the movie Jerry McGuire for some show me the money inspiration!
That said, Singapore is building a sports hub at Kallang. So you may give it a shot. I suspect salary won’t be attractive. Moreover, given singapore’s track record in creating hubs (think life science and semicon and even Suzhou), don’t bet your life and future on it. Be flexible and bail out while still young. Work in a bank, like what all youngsters are doing now.
Graduate Employment Survey 2010 (published 2011) | Salary.sg - Your Salary in Singapore Says:
March 25th, 2011 at 2:51 am
[...] In terms of employability, NTU Art, Design & Media is once again … last. See last year’s rankings. [...]
Graduate Employment Survey 2010 (published 2011) | Support Site for The Unemployed Says:
March 26th, 2011 at 9:47 am
[...] In terms of employability, NTU Art, Design & Media is once again … last. See our previous year’s rankings. [...]
Product Designer Says:
December 19th, 2011 at 8:01 pm
i totally agree with Kay…I couldn’t have said it better..thank you for being our voice too
Radhalakshmi Vinchurkar Says:
May 1st, 2012 at 12:42 am
I want to know about other private Universities in Singapore like East Asia School of Business(EASB)and of campuses housed in EASB but branches of UK universities like UWIC and Edinburgh etc. Please Reply.