Kelly Services Malaysia Salary Report 2019/2020 – Top Jobs in Demand & their Salaries

Brian Sim, Managing Director and Country Head of Kelly Services Malaysia
What are the Top Jobs in Demand in Malaysia and their Salaries According to Kelly Services Malaysia Salary Report 2019/2020
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Malaysia is facing challenges in building its digital workforce, as reflected in the fast-growing demand for digital talent despite a comparative shortfall in supply, said Kelly Services Malaysia’s 2019 Malaysia Salary Guide.
In a statement today, the workforce solutions firm said the newly-launched guide also emphasised on the rising need for digital skills to be prioritised across almost all job sectors.
Kelly Services Malaysia managing director and country head Brian Sim said a growing skill gap could be seen in the Malaysian talent pool, as more businesses embraced the 4th Industrial Revolution and digitally transformed their businesses.
“This issue is being addressed by both the Malaysian government as well as organisations through various policies and initiatives, but workers must also take the initiative to up-skill themselves to remain competitive in this evolving employment landscape,” he said.
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Malaysia sees rising need to prioritise digital skills
In terms of employment sectors, the engineering and information technology (IT) sectors are expected to grow this year despite the challenging economic climate, while the banking and shared services sectors have seen slower growth since the general election last year.
The report said there was a clear interest in developing the engineering sector, with the support of government initiatives such as the Industry4WRD policy as well as the government’s goal to double the number of skilled workers from 18 per cent to 35 per cent by 2025.
“Talents in this sector that possess both technical knowledge and soft skills will continue to be highly sought after by employers across different industries.
“Accordingly, top jobs from this sector in 2019 will include head of production and project managers,” the report said.
Meanwhile, the expansion of Malaysia’s digital ecosystem will see the implementation of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data, while spending on IT products and services is projected to reach RM65.2 billion.
The report said this augured well for IT professionals who were equipped with the skill set to leverage these technologies in 2019.
“Much like the engineering sector, soft skills such as communication and management will play a decisive factor in the growth of IT professionals, as employers are increasingly seeking individuals with hybrid skills to take on new roles and assist the business in their digital transformation journey
“Positions like SAP (systems, applications and product) team leads and information security managers will likely see a rise in demand this year and are also among the highest paying jobs of 2019,” it said.
The Malaysia Salary Guide, created with the intention of providing both employers and employees with key insights across a wide array of industries, offers insights on the various sectors in Malaysia as well as the key jobs to look out for in 2019. — Bernama
The Information Technology and Engineering industries are expected to grow in 2019, with the hottest roles in each expecting to earn an average of RM18,000 a month.
This is based on the recent Malaysia Salary Guide 2019 by Kelly Services, which showcased the salary and hiring outlook across key industries in the country.
Human Resources and Administrative
With companies facing manpower and technological challenges in an increasingly complex digital and operating environment, the alignment of the HR agenda with the business’ growth strategy is growing in importance today.
The report stated: “The skills deficit among local workers continues to be of pressing concern, especially digital skills such as digital marketing, e-commerce and big data.
It will be necessary for business heads and HR leaders to work hand in hand to design and implement new training initiatives to upskill and retrain their talent pool, with the end goal of driving growth.”
Further, HR will need to change the way they hire, to address the local talent shortage and the increasing importance of soft skills.
Salary guide for the highest-paid roles per month
Chief HR Officer
Experience level: 20 years and above
Minimum: RM25,000
Maximum: RM50,000
HR Director (SME)
Experience: 15 years and above
Minimum: RM15,000
Maximum: RM30,000
Head Recruitment
Experience: 9 to 15 years
Minimum: RM15,000
Maximum: RM30,000
Vice-President, Learning and Development
Experience: 8 to 10 years
Minimum: RM15,000
Maximum: RM25,000
Information Technology
The report revealed: “With the expansion of Malaysia’s digitised ecosystem, the IT industry will continue on its upward trajectory in 2019, especially with the emergence of big data, analytics, artificial intelligence and robotics leading the country into Industry 4.0.”
Spend on IT products and services is expected to reach RM65.2 billion this year, a 4.6% increase from 2019. Spend on enterprise software such as cloud services, is forecast to experience the highest growth.
Salary guide for the highest-paid roles per month
Chief Information Officer
Experience: 12 to 18 years
Minimum: RM30,000
Maximum: RM60,000
Programme Director
Experience: 12 to 18 years
Minimum: RM25,000
Maximum: RM40,000
Project Director
Experience: 12 to 18 years
Minimum: RM18,000
Maximum: RM30,000
Service Delivery Director
Experience: 12 to 18 years
Minimum: RM18,000
Maximum: RM30,000
Banking and Financial Services
A modest growth rate of between 3% to 5% is expected for 2019, according to the report. Further, increasing automation and digitisation will create greater demand for higher-skilled professionals.
Salary guide for the highest-paid roles per month
Relationship Manager (Corporate Banking/Global Wholesale Banking/Investment Banking)
Experience: More than 15 years (Senior Vice President)
Minimum: RM28,000
Maximum: RM48,000
SVP, Equity Capital Markets
Experience: More than 15 years
Minimum: RM28,000
Maximum: RM42,000
SVP, Debt Capital Markets
Experience: More than 15 years
Minimum: RM28,000
Maximum: RM38,000
Manufacturing/Engineering
Launched in late 2018, the National Policy on Industry 4.0 (Industry4WRD) will support the manufacturing sector’s efforts to better adopt technology and focus less on capital and manpower to increase productivity.
In line with that, the Government plans to nearly double the number of skilled workers from 18% to 35% by 2025.
Salary guide for the highest-paid roles per month
Head of Production
Experience: More than 10 years
Minimum: RM28,000
Maximum: RM38,000
Engineering Manager
Experience: Eight to 10 years
Minimum: RM16,000
Maximum: RM22,000
Plant Manager
Experience: More than 10 years
Minimum: RM15,000
Maximum: RM20,000
Finance and Accounting
Accountants with critical thinking and problem-solving skills will be well sought-after this year, the report revealed. In fact, 60,000 accountants are expected to be producted by 2020, with currently under 40,000 existing today.
At the same time, a key challenge for employers will be hiring local talents who possess the right skills for the job, more so for the public than the private sector.
Salary guide for the highest-paid roles per month
Chief Financial Officer (MNC)
Experience: 15 to 20 years
Minimum: RM40,000
Maximum: RM60,000
Finance Director
Experience: 15 to 20 years
Minimum: RM30,000
Maximum: RM40,000
Finance Controller (MNC)
Experience: 10 to 15 years
Minimum: RM20,000
Maximum: RM30,000
The report further stated a forecasted growth slowdown for the construction sector, from 4.5% to 4.3% in 2019, as a sign of a tightening job market for the industry this year.
At the same time, the government has renewed its push to develop rural infractructure in the country, following the suspension of three large-scale projects.
Sales and Marketing
With Malaysia’s position as one of Southeast Asia’s fastest growing emerging e-commerce markets, digital marketing skills will be sought after in this sector for 2019. In fact, these skillsets are expected to increasingly gain importance as a key revenue driver for businesses.
Salary guide for the highest-paid roles per month
Sales Director, Asia Pacific
Experience: More than 10 years
Minimum: RM25,000
Maximum: RM35,000
Sales Director, Industrial Engineering
Experience: More than 10 years
Minimum: RM17,000
Maximum: RM25,000
Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Experience: More than 10 years
Minimum: RM15,000
Maximum: RM27,000
Sales Channel Director
Experience: More than 10 years
Minimum: RM15,000
Maximum: RM27,000
Supply Chain and Logistics
Underpinned by stable trade and rising freight transportation, the outlook for Malaysia’s logistics sector remains positive in 2019, according to the report.
The rising trend of companies venturing into more specialised activities, such as the handling and storage of hazardous chemicals, has contributed to attracting other logistics companies to set up operations in the country.
This, together with other trends, is expected to create sustained demand for skilled logistics and supply chain professionals through the year. As the industry continues its digital transformation, addressing the widening skills gap in the industry will become a greater imperative.
More specialised and skilled workers, such as experienced seafarers, will be required to elevate the industry’s growth.
Salary guide for the highest-paid roles per month
Director of Supply Chain
Experience: 10 to 15 years
Minimum: RM15,000
Maximum: RM35,000
Strategic Sourcing Manager
Experience: Eight to 10 years
Minimum: RM12,000
Maximum: RM20,000
Senior Warehouse Manager
Experience: Eight to 10 years
Minimum: RM9,000
Maximum: RM15,000
About Kelly Services
Kelly Services set its footprint in Malaysia in 1984. For over 30 years, Kelly Services Malaysia has been partnering with the finest local companies, key government agencies as well as some of the world’s most respected multinational companies to deliver the best talent in the market. We operate from 4 strategic locations – Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Johor Bahru and Penang – specialising in various industry verticals covering mid to senior roles. Our centralised recruitment hub makes over 8,000 placements in Malaysia annually. Complementing our general staffing capability, Kelly Services Malaysia also offers great expertise in the sourcing of specialised professionals across technical disciplines such as Banking & Financial Services, Sales & Marketing, Office Support, Human Resources, Contact Centre, Engineering, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Information Technology & Communications and Procurement, Supply Chain & Logistics.
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