The Best Degree Courses to Study in Malaysia if you want to become Rich

How, Choosing the Right Course in Malaysia to Study after High School can make you Rich in your Future Career

One question on the minds of university students in Malaysia is this: What degree is going to provide me with the very best opportunity to become rich? Many of us come from families that are just middle income and we dream to be rich one day. The aim of getting an education is so that we can secure a good job that has demand with a high salary.

As many as 107,000 unemployed graduates were recorded in the first four months of 2016 that occurred due to low academic qualifications, not enough interest in the job offered in addition to a mismatch the field of study at the university.  Therefore, don’t be one of the 107,000 unemployed graduates that made the wrong choice in their course.

Which degree should you study to get rich quick? If you want to be earning a lot of money within five years of graduating, what degree should you choose? At EduSpiral Consultant Services, we research to find factual information such as salary reports and job demand statistics so that we can advise our students properly in order to make the right choice. We don’t bribe students with special discounts or money, scholarships, free tickets or toys to get students to register at universities. We believe in taking the time and effort to properly guide you with my years of experience and based on facts and evidence to make this very important decision in choosing the right course as it will change your future forever.

After SPM or O-Levels, there are many different pathways for you to choose from and sometimes it can be confusing. Students who are not sure of what to study after SPM or O-Levels can contact EduSpiral Consultant Services to help guide you to choose the right course and university.

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Please fill up the Form below and I will WhatsApp you and provide you with sound advise on how to choose the best private university or college in Malaysia to study at. If you do not give your mobile number or full name as in IC, your query will not be answered. Our knowledgeable & experienced counsellor will send you a message on WhatsApp & provide assistance from there.

Will your degree make you a lot of money?

The aim of education is to get a good job with high salary so that you can take care of your family and maintain the lifestyle that you want. It is the dream of most people to become rich, but while everyone is dreaming, only a few have the discipline and courage to act on those dreams to make them become a reality.

Therefore, putting in the effort now, through choosing the right course, will pay off in the long run and is the best approach to fast-tracking your wealth. Now, you may ask, how can choosing the right course make me rich?

Malaysian students are exposed to the internet and to the jobs from overseas countries such as the USA or UK. Many don’t realise that some of these courses are not in demand in Malaysia or may not command a high salary. A lot of students after SPM or O-Levels just blindly follow their friends to the university taking any course as long as they can be with their friends.

Some students choose the course based on the advise of their parents, relatives or friends. Some of their advise could be valuable but some are simply just not based on facts or evidence of good career prospects. Students must check the advise given by so called agents & counsellors, and their friends and relatives to make sure what they said is true and supported by facts and evidence.

Of course, just choosing the course doesn’t mean that you will get rich automatically. Choosing the right course is just the first step in the right direction of achieving a life with stable or high income. In addition, the university that you study that course at also plays an important part in helping you to gain the knowledge and skills to perform well in your career and earn a high income.

To find out if the course that you are choosing has a good job potential and salary in the future, please contact me at 01111408838 for free advise.

If you want to be rewarded for all the hard work you’ve put in during your university studies and you have a strong interest in finance, technology or engineering, you’re in luck! Graduates in these fields tend to earn the highest, both right after graduation and years down the line. Here are some of the top degree courses in Malaysia that have a high salary.

Information Technology & Computer Science

The whole world is moving very fast in the area of technology and many jobs done by humans have been or will be replaced by robots and computers. Therefore, it makes sense to choose to study Information Technology, Computer Science or Software Engineering as the future potential for these careers are very good and the salaries are high and keep on increasing each year.

The National Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Association of Malaysia (Pikom) expects the overall average monthly salary of ICT professionals this year to rise 5.4% to RM9,389 from RM8,908 in 2017.

Research Committee chair Woon Tai Hai said among the five main categories of positions — namely fresh graduates, junior executives, senior executives, managers and senior managers — the expected rise in senior managers’ salary for 2018 is 5.9% followed by managers at 5.7%.

According to PIKOM Salary Report 2018 the average monthly starting salary for an ICT Professional in Malaysia is RM3,094 and a Senior Manager (more than 10 years of experience) commands an average of RM20,277 a month.

Engineering

If you want to be rich, you can study engineering! 22% of the world’s top 100 billionaires studied engineering in some form or another.

• Carlos Slim, once the world’s richest men, studied civil engineering and has a worth of $55 billion.
• Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com, has a bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Princeton University and is worth $72.8 billion.
• Larry Page, co-founder and CEO of Google, got his bachelor’s in Computer Engineering and a Master’s in Computer Science. Page is currently worth $40.7 billion.

Students who want to make money as quickly as possible should study engineering in Malaysia. According to the Michael Page 2018 Salary Report, Engineers (Manufacturing, Mechanical, Electrical and Electronic) can earn from RM76,000 to RM101,000 a year

Moreover, 30% of the CEOs in Malaysia’s 50 largest companies posses a basic engineering degree. Engineers and technical minded individuals tend to have a certain advantage because they are very structured and solutions-based.

Malaysia needs at least 200,000 engineers by 2020 in order to attain the status of a developed nation. Currently, according to BEM there are 11010 Professional Engineers and 81771 Graduate Engineers in Malaysia. Malaysia needs around 275,000 and 300,000 engineers in 5 and 10 years respectively.

Fintech (Financial Technology)

The Malaysian finance technology (Fintech) market grew steadily over 2017 and we expect this growth to continue throughout 2018, driven by new technology innovations and regulatory change. The central bank, Bank Negara Malaysia, is working to raise the profile of FinTech amongst financial firms and insurers to improve the quality and efficiency of the country’s financial services sector. This push has created more job opportunities for candidates in the emerging technologies space including mobile and the web.

According to Hays Salary Report 2018, the main trends will be the increasing digitisation and automation of the financial services industry. We are already seeing increasing use of e-payments and direct channel distribution. Project Managers are needed in this space and we expect qualified candidates will be able to command higher salaries in 2018. Salaries in Support Functions range from RM80,000 to RM240,000 a year while Management positions can range from RM150,000 to RM780,000. Click here for the detailed salary report.

Data Science

There is a tremendous requirement for Data Scientists and Big Data Specialists worldwide now and in the future, with hundreds of thousands of new job opportunities emerging globally. In Malaysia alone, by the year 2020 this need is expected to reach at least 20,000 data professionals and 2000 data scientists. Job demand as well as salary for qualified Data Scientists or Big Data Professionals in Malaysia is high.

According to the Data Science Competency Checklists 2017 report by MDEC, Dataviz.my and Big Data, “While the highest bracket a data scientist could expect was more than RM15,000 per month, the highest bracket for data engineers and data analysts was RM8,001 – RM15,000. The skills that differentiate data scientists, namely, statistics and modelling and machine learning competencies, can add high value to a graduate’s earning potential.”

Asean Data Analytics Exchange (ADAX) CEO Sharala Axryd believes data professionals such as data engineers, data analysts and data scientists are in hot demand due to their highly valued skill sets. According to her, local data science fresh graduates can demand starting pay in the range of RM4,000-RM8,000 — making it the highest paid entry level job in the country today. An experienced professional in the field can demand up to RM15,000.

You might also be interested to read the following articles on Data Science

• Top 3 Universities in Malaysia Best for Data Science Degree Course
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• Job Demand & Salary for Data Scientists in Malaysia According to MDEC

Cyber Security

The increasing threat of cyber security has created huge demand for security experts who can safeguard the IT systems of organisations against malicious cyber-attacks. Cyber security professionals will be highly sought after across a number of industries, especially in the banking sector in Malaysia. Senior Managers can earn between RM17,000 to RM20,500 a month!

Fresh graduates would be interested to find out that the average monthly salary of the top five paying cybersecurity jobs for the Entry Level category ranged from RM2,500 to RM3,400 in 2017. Security Analyst (e-security) was the position with the highest average monthly salary at RM3,400, followed by Network Security Engineer (RM3,000), Security Operator (2,750), Security Engineer (RM2,650), and Security Analyst at RM2,500.

Computer Science & Software Engineering

Basically, computer science and software engineering are the future and offer great perks for graduates who have the potential to work at top global firms. There are many areas to specialise in once you’ve graduated with a computer science or software engineering degree, all of which will present you with a comfortable living.

According to the Michael Page 2018 Salary Report

• Lead Analyst Programmer can earn RM108,000 to RM132,000
• Enterprise Architect RM144,000 to RM180,000
• Application Development Manager salary ranges from RM192,000 to RM264,000
• Senior Database Administrator / Data Analyst RM60,000 to RM180,000
• Data Architect/Data Warehousing/Modelling Specialist RM96,000 to RM120,000
• Security Analyst/Consultant RM120,000 to RM144,000
• Network Engineer/Network Architect RM60,000 to RM120,000
• Security Manager or Infrastructure Manager RM180,000 to RM240,000
• IT Director or Chief Information Officer RM240,000 to RM480,000

Finance, Banking & Investment

Malaysia requires 40,000 qualified financial talents by 2020 yet about 56,000 new finance industry jobs will be available in the next 10 years.  That’s not nearly enough. By 2020, the Malaysian financial services sector is predicted to create 275,400 new jobs, with positions relating to accounts, investments, international trade, sales and marketing and economics becoming widely available. Therefore, if you have decided on studying a degree in Finance, Banking & Investment, you have made the best choice for a solid future career. Just make sure that you choose the best university in Malaysia for you Finance, Banking & Investment studies.

Graduates of finance, banking, investment or economics degrees are more likely to go on and earn a high salary, according to a report by the Hays 2018 Salary Report, the Salary for the Banking Industry in Malaysia Finance Director or CFO can expect a salary of over RM420,000 and the Financial Controller ranges from RM240,000 – RM390,000 and Senior Finance Manager from RM144,000 – RM210,000

According to the Michael Page 2018 Salary Report

• A Financial Accountant can earn from RM60,000 to RM144,000 a year
• Group Accountant – Consolidation salary ranges from RM120,000 to RM180,000
• Finance Manager salary ranges from RM96,000 to RM216,000
• A Financial Controller can earn from RM144,000 to RM300,00 a year depending on the size of the company
• Financial & Planning Analysis Manager will range from RM120,000 to RM240,000
• Chief Financial Officer (CFO)/Finance Director (Large Organisation) can earn RM240,000 to RM600,000 a year
• Corporate Finance Manager can earn from RM120,000 to RM240,000 while the Director can earn from RM240,000 to RM600,000
• Senior Internal Auditor can earn RM60,000 to RM84,000
• Head of Internal Audit can earn RM240,000 to RM300,000
• A Tax Executive can expect their salary to range from RM36,000 to RM54,000 while the Head of Tax salary ranges from RM180,000 to RM300,000

According to Hays 2018 Salary Report, the Salary for the Banking Industry in Malaysia:

• Finance Director or CFO can earn  240 – 420 (SME) or 300 – 720 (Mid) or 480 – 900 (MNC)
• Financial Controller can earn 180 – 240 (SME) or 180 – 300 (Mid) or 240 – 360 (MNC)
• Senior Finance Manager 130 – 180 (SME) or 180 – 216 (Mid) or 168 – 240 (MNC)
• Finance Manager 84 – 120 (SME) or 120 – 180 (Mid) or 140 – 180 (MNC)
• Assistant Finance Manager 72 – 84 (SME) or 84 – 96 (Mid) or 84 – 96 (MNC)
• Management Accountant 84 – 102 (SME) or 102 – 108 (Mid) or 108 – 120 (MNC)
• Financial Accountant 84 – 102 (SME) or 102 – 108 (Mid) or 108 – 120 (MNC)
• FP&A Director 180 – 240 (SME) or 216 – 264 (Mid) or 360 – 420 (MNC)
• FP&A Manager 130 – 180 (SME) or 120 – 192 (Mid) or 132 – 192 (MNC)
• Financial Analyst 72 – 96 (SME) or 72 – 120 (Mid) or 120 – 156 (MNC)
• Tax Director or Head 144 – 180 (SME) or 180 – 240 (Mid) or 300 – 540 (MNC)
• Tax Manager 96 – 144 (SME) or 144 – 216 (Mid) or 216 – 264 (MNC)
• Tax Accountant 60 – 84 (SME) or 102 – 120 (Mid) or 120 – 156 (MNC)
• Project Finance Manager 120 – 156 (SME) or 156 – 180 (Mid) or 180 – 216 (MNC)
• In a Shared Service Centre 90 – 120 (Team Leader) or 102 – 168 (Asst Manager) or 180 – 300 (Manager) or 240 – 480 (Head)
• Assistant Accountant RM54,000 – RM66,000 while a Graduate Accountant expects RM42,000 – RM48,000
• Auditor RM48,000 – RM60,000, Senior Auditor RM60,000 – RM96,000, Audit Manager RM96,000 – RM180,000, Senior Audit Manager RM180,000 – RM240,000  and Head of Audit RM240,000 – RM480,000

Accounting

Under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), it’s envisaged that Malaysia will need 60,000 accountants by 2020 to transform Malaysia into a developed nation. Internal Auditors, Regulatory Reporting Analysts, and Financial Planning & Analysis professionals are among the skills in high demand across Asia, according to our latest Hays Quarterly Report of jobs in demand. In Malaysia there is a steady demand for Tax Managers, Accounts Payable/Receivable Managers, CFOs and Financial Controllers, Corporate Finance Managers, Risk Analysts and Credit Risk Managers, and Compliance Officers.

According to the Michael Page 2018 Salary Report

• A Financial Accountant can earn from RM60,000 to RM144,000 a year
• Group Accountant – Consolidation salary ranges from RM120,000 to RM180,000
• Finance Manager salary ranges from RM96,000 to RM216,000
• A Financial Controller can earn from RM144,000 to RM300,00 a year depending on the size of the company
• Financial & Planning Analysis Manager will range from RM120,000 to RM240,000
• Chief Financial Officer (CFO)/Finance Director (Large Organisation) can earn RM240,000 to RM600,000 a year

Communications

A degree in mass communication opens doors for a career in marketing communications, corporate affairs, public relations, journalism, editing, direction, filmmaking, scriptwriting, production, film & TV, publishing etc. With the  phenomenal and unprecedented explosion in communication technology and media, the need for well trained communication specialists is even higher.

Many graduates fail to get good jobs in this area because they just simply chose the cheapest college or did not see the importance of improving their command of the English language. A top university is able to equip students with the necessary knowledge and wide array of skills to handle the challenges of this career. Furthermore, an English-speaking environment will play an important factor in your development and path to earning a higher income.

According to the Michael Page 2018 Salary Report

• Senior Brand Manager / Senior Product Manager can earn from RM120,000 to RM144,000
• Public Relations Manager can expect a salary range from RM72,000 to RM108,000 while the Director position can bring in RM180,000 to RM400,000
• Marketing Communications Manager salary ranges from RM96,000 to RM144,000 while the Director can expect RM180,000 to RM300,000
• Internal Communications Manager will earn from RM120,000 to RM180,000 while the Director is expected to earn from RM180,000 to RM300,000
• Public Relations / Corporate Communications Manager can earn RM72,000 to RM108,000 while the Director is expected to earn RM180,000 to RM300,000
• A Media Relations Manager is expected to earn RM60,000 to RM84,000 and the Director position will range from RM216,000 to RM300,000
• Marketing Communications/Regional Communications/Public Relations Manager in the IT and Telecommunications industry can expect RM72,000 to RM108,000 while the Director position can expect RM180,000 to RM400,000
• Public Relations / Media Communications Manager can expect RM72,000 to RM108,000
• An Account Manager in the Advertising & Public Relations Agency can earn RM42,000 to RM54,000 and the Group Account Director is expected to earn RM114,000 to RM144,000
• The Business Director in the Advertising & Public Relations Agency can expect a salary range from RM180,00 to RM240,000 while the Managing Director or General Manager can expect RM264,000 to RM336,000.
• Advertising / Media Sales Manager in Media & Entertainment can earn from RM72,000 to RM120,000 while the Director position ranges from RM180,000 to RM216,000. A General Manager will earn RM240,000 to RM276,000
• Account Managers in PR Agencies can expect a salary range from RM48,000 to RM84,000 while the Director expects to earn RM96,000 to RM156,000
• A Managing Director or General Manager in a PR Agency can earn a salary range from RM300,000 to RM420,000

Online, Media & Digital Marketing

Students and parents tend to be quite traditional in their mindset when choosing courses and do not see the opportunity for a career in online digital marketing. I have tried hard to convince students choose courses that prepare them for this career but not many have taken up this challenge as they prefer to choose “safe” courses. Degree programmes such as e-Business or media marketing would prepare you to enter this exciting new career.

According to Michael Page 2018 Salary Report –

• Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Manager salary ranges from RM96,000 to RM120,000 a year
• Digital Marketing Management salary ranges from RM120,000 to RM180,00 a year
• Head of Digital will range from RM240,000 to RM360,000 a year
• Social Media Manager is RM96,000 to RM144,000
• Head of eCommerce salary ranges from RM180,000 to RM300,000

Marketing & Sales

Graduates with a marketing or business administration degree can expect lucrative salaries from a career in marketing & sales. This is a fast paced career with high pressure but the rewards are there for professionals who have gained the right training from top universities.

According to the Michael Page 2018 Salary Report for Marketing Professionals in Malaysia

• A Sales or Marketing Manager in the Healthcare industry can earn from RM120,00 to RM180,000 a year while the Director can expect RM300,000 to RM420,000
• General Manager position will range from RM420,000 to RM540,000
• Trade Marketing Manager salary ranges from RM84,000 to RM120,000
• A Marketing Manager can expect a salary ranging from RM144,000 to RM216,000 while the Director position can expect RM300,000 to RM480,000
• Market Research Manager will bring you RM60,000 to RM84,000 while the Director is expected to earn RM216,000 to RM300,000
• A Marketing Manager or Product Marketing Manager in the Manufacturing and Industrial sector can expect to earn RM96,000 to RM180,000
• A Marketing Manager in the Media and Entertainment industry can expect RM84,000 to RM120,000 while the Director position is expected to earn RM216,000 to RM300,000

According to the Michael Page 2018 Salary Report for Sales Professionals in Malaysia

• A Country Sales Manager in the Consumer Products & FMCG sector can earn from RM180,000 to RM300,000 while the Sales Director can expect RM220,000 to RM540,000. The General Manager can earn RM300,000 to RM720,000
• A Sales Manager in Financial Services can earn RM72,000 to RM156,000 while the Director is expected to earn RM180,000 to RM240,000
• Sales Manager / Global Account Director in the IT & Telecommunications Sector can earn from RM144,000 to RM240,000 while the Division Manager / Sales and Marketing Manager / General Sales Manager in the same sector can expect RM180,000 to RM288,000
• A Vice President/Sales and Marketing / Sales and Marketing Director / Marketing Director in the IT & Telecommunications Sector expects a salary ranging from RM240,000 to RM420,000 and the Managing Director / General Manager will range from RM360,000 to RM700,000
• A Sales Manager / Business Development Manager from the Industrial and Manufacturing sector can expect the salary range from RM96,000 to RM180,000 while the General Manager or Director will range from RM240,000 to RM420,000

Medicine

A new Medical Officer (MO) in Malaysia can expect a salary range from RM4,300 – RM5,200. With 3-6 years experience, the salary would be from RM5,900 – RM6,800 while MO’s with 7-9 years experience can expect RM 6,549 – RM7,449. Those with more than 10 years experience will earn about RM6,871 – RM8,200.

To earn a higher income, one would need to specialise and there is a high demand for Specialists in Malaysia. A Specialist working for the government can earn RM10,000 or more while working for the Private, a Specialist can expect a comfortable RM15,000 – RM30,000.

Architecture

At the 2014 Persatuan Arkitek Malaysia -Tan Sri Ar Chan Sau Lai Architecture Award prize-giving ceremony today, Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib said that the current ratio of architects in Malaysia is one to 17,257 people.

There is a shortage of architects in Malaysia due to the low passing rate in the final test which would enable them to become professional architects, which carries the title of Ar. There are only 1700 Registered Architects in Malaysia. The Average pass rate is 9%~20%

Students interested in Architecture should be prepared for a long road ahead to achieve the status of obtaining the title “Ar.” as a professional architect. Architecture is a combination of creativity, history, sciences, and design. You will learn how to conceptualise and design buildings in relation to the economic, technical, environmental and social needs. Architecture strongly relates to built environment and urban planning disciplines such as civil and structural engineering, quantity surveying, and property economics and management.

Logistics & Supply Chain Management

Logistics and Supply Chain Management is all about moving products from A to B. Delivering products/services at the right time and place, right cost, and at the right quantity and quality is at the heart of logistics and supply chain management. In the past few decades we have seen tremendous growth in world trade: Products are manufactured in one place, then shipped and sold in other places all over the world. Globalisation has been the major driver of economic growth. Traditional work areas that graduates can work in are at ports, airports, retail, and courier delivery companies like FedEx, DHL, etc.

Even locally, the movement of products from point A to B have grown through Apps like Grab Food, Honest Bee, Food Panda, and more. Young people have been buying and selling products using online platforms such as Alibaba, Lazada, Zalora, Rakuten, Mudah.my and others.

That means that for many large organisations, managing their supply chains has become increasingly important. In fact, many of the world’s most successful businesses owe their success to efficient supply chain management.

According to the Michael Page 2018 Salary Report

• Warehouse Manager RM120,000 to RM160,000
• Warehouse Operations and Logistics Manager RM140,000 to RM180,000
• Regional Warehouse Operations and Logistics Manager RM180,000 to RM360,000
• Logistics Manager RM120,000 to RM160,000
• Senior Logistics Manager RM140,000 to RM180,000
• Director / Vice President-Operations and Logistics RM250,000 to RM400,000
• Material Planning and Control Manager RM120,000 to RM180,000
• Procurement Manager RM120,000 to RM180,000
• Procurement Director RM240,000 to RM350,000
• Global Head (Procurement) RM400,000 to RM480,000
• Supply Chain Manager RM120,000 to RM160,000
• Supply Chain Director or Head RM300,000 to RM420,000
• Global Head (Supply Chain) RM400,000 to RM480,000

Human Resource Management (HRM)

Surprisingly, not many students choose to study Human Resource Management in Malaysia even though the salary for this career can be very high. From the 2018 salary report by Michael Page, a Compensation and Benefits Specialist can earn from RM60,000 to RM250,000 while a Head of Human Resources/HR Director can expect a salary range from RM170,000 to RM400,000.

Insurance

The number of insurance agents stands at around 80,000. It’s been the same for many years. The ratio-to-population is 1:375. In Taiwan, the ratio is 1:77 – that’s 300,000 agents servicing a population of 23 million. There, the insured population is 260%.

In Malaysia, only 54% are insured. To achieve Bank Negara’s insurance penetration rate to 75% by 2020, we need more agents. Most graduates want to “work” for a fixed salary of RM3,000 to RM4,000. But a career in life insurance offers a stable income of RM100,000 per annum after three years in business, if you work for it. Therefore, pursuing a degree in Marketing & Sales, Finance, Accounting or Business Administration are useful courses to equip you to enter the insurance career.

You might also be interested to read – Top 20 Courses to Study in Malaysia that has High Job Demand & Stable Salary