SINGAPORE: Singapore’s digital economy is flexing its muscles — and tech workers are feeling it in their wallets. The tech boom for Singapore’s S$9,000 median salary for coders is no longer just hype.
According to the latest Singapore Digital Economy Report by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), median monthly salaries for tech professionals have surged past the S$9,000 mark, inclusive of employer CPF contributions.
Strip out the employer CPF, and you’re still looking at a cool S$8,000 median, thanks to a 13.5% jump year-on-year.
In comparison, the national median wage sits at just S$5,500. Long story short: If you’re in tech, you’re not just surviving — you’re thriving.
Tech boom! S$128B industry digital dominance
The Information & Communications (I&C) sector now contributes 18.6% to Singapore’s GDP, amounting to S$128 billion in 2024.
But here’s the twist — nearly two-thirds of that value doesn’t even come from tech companies themselves, but from tech-powered services embedded across finance, healthcare, logistics, retail, and more.
Translation: You don’t need to work at Google or Grab to earn big. Tech roles in non-tech firms are growing nearly four times faster than in traditional tech businesses. In fact, they’ve already surpassed the latter in terms of total headcount.
Skills that will pay your bills and then some: Python, AI & Cloud takeover
But it’s not just about being “in tech” — it’s about having the right skills. IMDA’s report listed 20 high-demand tech skills dominating job postings. The hottest ones are:
“Programming languages such as Python and SQL were among the more highly sought-after tech skills in the past five years. In 2024, 24% of all tech job postings required Python… while SQL was required in 20%,” IMDA stated, as quoted by Vulcan Post.
And that’s not all. With companies migrating to cloud-based systems, AWS, Azure, Docker, and Kubernetes are now must-have proficiencies. Employers are seeking talent that can effectively utilise containerization, orchestration, and automation tools such as Ansible and Jenkins.
“These skills… have become more important as firms seek to scale their digital services more efficiently,” IMDA explained.
On the flip side, the demand for web and mobile development skills is tapering off. JavaScript, once king, now appears in only 12% of job postings, down from 21% in 2019. HTML, PHP, JQuery, and mobile OS skills (Android/iOS) are also seeing reduced demand.
So, do you reconsider your stack? Maybe. Do you reinvent yourself? Definitely!
If you’ve been clinging to your front-end dev roots, it might be time for a hard reset. The reality is that automation and AI are rapidly chipping away at roles such as web and mobile development.
But for those who pivot into data science, cloud infra, and automation, you’re already future-proofing your career.
The 20 most in-demand tech skills in Singapore (2024)
Ranked by increasing demand since 2019:
- Python
- Microsoft Azure
- Amazon Web Services
- Kubernetes
- SQL
- Docker
- API
- Power BI
- Linux
- Terraform
- JIRA
- Git
- React.js
- Typescript
- Go
- Ansible
- Jenkins
- PostgreSQL
- Java
- Google Cloud Platform
While JavaScript may have dropped in the ranks, it’s not obsolete. It still powers countless platforms and remains relevant, especially when paired with other skills.
So tech is more than just a job now… It has become a nation-building strategy
Singapore’s bet on digitalisation is more than about shiny apps or smart homes — it’s about economic resilience and future-readiness. With rising wages, diverse employer demand, and an ever-expanding list of in-demand skills, tech is now one of the most reliable pathways to career growth in Singapore.
So whether you’re a fresh grad choosing your first programming language or a mid-career professional mulling a skills upgrade — the message from IMDA is clear: The digital expressway is open. Get on board, or get left behind.
