What is the Average Salary for Software Engineers & Programmers in Malaysia?

What is the Average Salary for Software Engineers & Programmers in Malaysia?

How Much do Software Engineers and Programmers Earn in Malaysia?

Salary is one of the important factors for students when choosing the right course to study. After all, the aim of studying is to get a job and the aim of a job is to attain salary that can sustain your future lifestyle and take care of your family. Therefore, in helping students to make this very important decision, EduSpiral Consultant Services has compiled the salary for software engineers and programmers in Malaysia from various reputable human resource recruitment firms for you to have an idea of the future salary.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0), digitalization, innovation, automation and other technological advancement would impact all industries in Malaysia. The Industry 4.0 will change the kinds of jobs needed across all market sectors in the future. Having said this, a career as a software engineer or programmer will enable you to have a job with high demand & salary. Therefore, graduates must possess the right skills to value-add, innovate, communicate and interact in a technology-driven job landscape.

Software developers usually have a bachelor’s degree in software engineering or computer science. The need for new applications on mobile devices and tablets will help increase the demand for application software developers. Software and applications developers work in many different fields, with growth expected in the medical insurance, consumer electronics, and cybersecurity fields. In addition, software Developers are sought after by IT consultancy and banking employers. In high demand are PHP, C++, C#, JAVA/J2EE, ASP.Net, SharePoint and Mobile Application (Android / iOS / Mobile Web) Developers.

You might also be interested to read these:

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.

High Demand for Qualified & Trained Software Engineers & Programmers in Malaysia

EduSpiral gave me useful information & evidence on why I should choose the best university. Philip Sim, Information Technology (IT) graduate from Asia Pacific University (APU)
EduSpiral gave me useful information & evidence on why I should choose the best university.
Philip Sim, Information Technology (IT) graduate from Asia Pacific University (APU)

The information technology (IT) industry is expected to face a shortage of between 7,000 and 15,000 professionals, as Malaysia rides the wave of the growing digital economy. The industry is currently in need of specialised workers in various IT fields. By 2025, the IT industry will require one million specialised working professionals as the industry is experiencing a rampant growth.

Software development companies in Malaysia are steadily increasing their portfolios, but there is a shortage of skilled software development candidates for the growing number of jobs, says recruiting experts Hays in Malaysia.

Candidates with high-quality agile software development skills are in particularly high demand.

“Software development companies’ portfolios now include web design, web application development, mobile application development, desktop application development, software maintenance and much more,” says Chris Mead, Regional Director of Hays in Malaysia and Singapore.

“There are many software companies in Malaysia that offer a fully-fledged and multi-faceted portfolio of agile software development service offerings, from Facebook app development to visually appealing and highly interactive apps for iOS and Android.

“Their agile software development portfolio often consists of technologies such as PHP, Java, .NET, Android, iOS & Windows Phone, XHTML, JQuery and HTML.

What is Software Engineering or Programming?

EduSpiral counseled us online & then picked us up from the airport to visit MMU in order to help us choose the right university. Mak, Ong & Chaw - Diploma in Information Technology (IT) at Multimedia University (MMU)
EduSpiral counseled us online & then picked us up from the airport to visit MMU in order to help us choose the right university.
Mak, Ong & Chaw – Diploma in Information Technology (IT) at Multimedia University (MMU)

Computer software engineers, or software developers, design and develop software applications or computer systems in Malaysia. They develop computer applications for clients as well as the major systems that make a computer run.

Software Engineering is developing, designing and maintaining software systems that are reliable and efficiently carries out the tasks smoothly. The software system is created in collaboration with the needs and requirements of the clients. The software designed must be user friendly for the staff or customers to use.

Software Engineering is an integration of computer sciencecomputer programming, mathematics and engineering practice. Software engineers apply the principles of computer science and mathematical analysis to the design, development, testing, and evaluation of the software and systems that make computers work

Software Engineering is the field of studying, devising and building a practical solution to a problem. The objective of a software engineer is to understand a problem within a computer and create software that eases the problem. This could include either manipulating existing software or creating a new one from scratch. Software is required to make computer function. This job is mostly a team effort. Engineers group together with programmers in order to build a software that works with the system at hand.

How to Have a Successful Career in Software Engineering in Malaysia?

Vincent Lim, Software Engineering Graduate, Asia Pacific University (APU)
EduSpiral provided detailed information to help me make my decision.
Vincent Lim, Software Engineering Graduate, Asia Pacific University (APU)

Graduate employability has also become a concern  for Malaysia. Employers recognise the concerns  on graduate’s skills gap, such as the lack of  industrial training experience and communication skills. Hence, just choosing the right course doesn’t necessarily ensure a successful future.

Students need to choose the best university that will prepare and equip you with technological know-how as well as the soft skills to enter the job market and move up. EduSpiral has helped thousands of students in choosing their course and university through personalised counseling supported by facts & evidence. WhatsApp 01111408838 to find out how we can help you.

Salary Reports for Software Engineers & Programmers in Malaysia

EduSpiral helped me to understand clearly what software engineering is about & helped me to choose the right university. Vincent Chow, Software Engineering Graduate, Asia Pacific University
EduSpiral helped me to understand clearly what software engineering is about & helped me to choose the right university. Vincent Chow, Software Engineering Graduate, Asia Pacific University

The ever-increasing cost of living in Malaysia is making it challenging for fresh graduates and working professionals to support their lifestyle. In light of that, it would be important for students to plan ahead what career that you want to enter into so that you can choose a course that has future job demand and high salary in Malaysia.

Knowing that future salary of the course you are going to choose will be able to take care of your personal and future family’s needs is valuable. You don’t want to have chosen a course that will have very low salary and have to struggle to survive. The Covid-19 pandemic have wiped out many jobs and left many people jobless. This would have given you an idea of how many people had to struggle to take care of their families. Do you want to be one of them?

Below are the salary reports for software engineers and programmers in Malaysia for 2020 to give you an idea of how much you can earn if you choose to study software engineering.

Michael Page Salary Benchmark 2023 Malaysia

  • Michael Page Salary Benchmark 2023 reports that a Software Engineer in the Supply Chain Sector earns RM156,000 a year. A Chief Technology Officer (CTO) can earn RM660,000.

2023 Hays Asia Salary Guide

DEVELOPMENT / DESIGN

Vincent Lim, Software Engineering Graduate, Asia Pacific University (APU)
EduSpiral provided detailed information to help me make my decision.
Vincent Lim, Software Engineering Graduate, Asia Pacific University (APU)

Full-Stack Developer 84 – 240
Mobile Developer 84-220
Server-side Developer 472 – 240
Front-End Developer 48 – 180
Embedded Developer 74 – 220
Back-end Developer 72-240

DEVELOPMENT / DESIGN

Web Designer 46-140
UX/UI Designer 84 – 240
Java Developer 84-240

SOFTWARE TESTING

Test Analyst 80 – 120
Senior Test Analyst 18-140
QA Manager 156-240
OA Director 264-330

IOT

Solution Architect – IOT 240 – 384
IOT Engineer 168-264
Engineer – IT Innovation 180 – 360

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT | FINANCIAL SERVICES (JAVA/C++/C#)

CASH (ALL ASSET CLASSES)

Non-Officer (Associate) 70 – 1201
AVP Senior Associate 90 – 160
Vice President 160 – 220
Executive Director 220 – 350
Managing Director 300+

DERIVATIVES (ALL ASSET CLASSES)

Non-Officer (Associate) 80 – 100
AVP Senior Associate 90-160
Vice President 160-220
Executive Director 220 – 330
Managing Director 320 +

ELECTRONIC TRADING

Non-Officer (Associate) 80 – 100
AVP Senior Associate 110-150
Vice President 160-240
Executive Director 240 – 320
Managing Director 320+

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT | FINANCIAL SERVICES

APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT

Database Developer 80 – 150
Application Architect/ Lead Developer 150 – 260
Development Manager 144 – 300

APPLICATION SUPPORT

Application Support 60 – 140
Application Support Manager 132-192

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Business Analyst 96 – 156
Proiect Manager 120 – 300
Program Manager 300 – 720
Project Coordinators/PMO 72 – 120
Service Delivery Manager 144 – 300

Test Manager 156 – 240
Test Analyst 108 – 156

MANAGEMENT

Infrastructure Manager 150 – 300
Development Manager – Front Office 120-240
Development Manager – Middle/Back 120 – 240
IT Director 300 – 540

Note: Salary ranges are represented in local currencies (RM) in ‘000. All salaries are representative of the total package value.

2023 Market Insights – Ambition

Job Title                        Years of Experience           Annual Salary Range         Contract Rate Per Month 

Application Development

Head of Engineering                           12–15+                                 360K–480K                         30K–40K
Product Manager                                   7–12+                                 180K–240K                          15K–20K
Solutions Architect                               10–15+                                216K–300K                          18K–25K
Development Manager                        10–15+                                180K–300K                          15K–21K
Mobile Developer                                   7–12+                                    96K–192K                           8K–16K
Front End Developer                             7–12+                                     96K–180K                          8K–15K
C++ / Java / .Net                                     3–8                                        96K–180K                          8K–15K
RDBMS Developer / DBA                      3–8                                      100K–150K                          8K–13K
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)     5–8+                                    120K–240K                       10K–20K

2020 Hays Salary Guide Malaysia -Information Technology – DEVELOPMENT (Salaries are yearly in ‘000 RM)

    • ANALYST PROGRAMMER
    • MS.Net/J2EE 60 – 108
    • VB6/ASP/SQL/Delphi/C++  60 – 85
    • Oracle Forms/Reports 60 – 85
  • SENIOR ANALYST PROGRAMMER
    • MS.Net/J2EE 90 – 240
    • VB6/ASP/SQL/Delphi/C++ 90 – 120
    • Oracle Forms/Reports 70 – 100
  • DATA SPECIALISTS
    • Data Architect 120 – 240
    • Database Administrator 120 – 180
    • Data Modeller 144 – 216
    • Data Warehouse Consultant 120 – 216
    • Data Analyst 96 – 144
  • MANAGEMENT ROLES
    • Development Team Leader 120 – 198
    • Development Manager 180 – 264
  • SOFTWARE TESTING
    • Test Analyst 75 – 90
    • Senior Test Analyst 108 – 156
    • QA Manager 180 – 240
    • QA Director 264 – 330

Kelly Services 2022/2023 Salary Guide

According to Kelly Services 2022/2023 Salary Guide, the monthly salaries (RM) for Information Technology (IT) are:

Position                                                            Years of Experience         Minimum              Maximum

Chief Information Officers                                  10 & above                                 25,000                    40,000
Sales Directors                                                       10 & above                                 25,000                    40,000
Programme Director                                             10 & above                                 20,000                    35,000
Service Delivery Directors                                   10 & above                                 20,000                    35,000
Project Director                                                     10 & above                                 15,000                      35,000
SAP Team Lead                                                      8-10                                            15,000                      35,000
Software Development Manager                        8-10                                           12,000                       20,000
Information Security Manager                           8-10                                            12,000                      20,000
Lead Software Developer                                     8-10                                             9,000                       15,000
Senior Solutions Architect                                   8-10                                             9,000                       15,000
Service Delivery Manager                                    8-10                                             8,000                       15,000
Implementation & Tech Support Manager.     8-10                                             8,000                        15,000
IT Manager                                                             8-10                                             7,000                         15,000
Software Sales Manager                                      8-10                                              7,000                         15,000
Business Consultant                                            8-10                                               7,000                         15,000
SAP Consultants                                                   5-8                                                6,000                          12,000
Problem & Change Management Specialist   5-8                                                 6,000                          12,000

Position                                                            Years of Experience         Minimum              Maximum

Unix Specialist                                                       5-8                                             6,000                        12,000
Wintel Specialist                                                   5-8                                              6,000                        12,000
Quality Assurance Specialist                              5-8                                              6,000                        12,000
Billing Systems Specialist                                   5-8                                               6,000                        12,000
Systems Analyst                                                    5-8                                               6,000                        10,000
Security Analyst                                                    5-8                                              6,000                         10,000
Inside Sales Manager                                           5-8                                              5,000                         10,000
Business Development Manager                       5-8                                              5,000                         10,000
IT Supply Chain Manager                                   5-8                                              5,000                         10,000
Account Manager                                                 5-8                                               4,000                          8,000
Fullstack Developer                                              3-5                                              6,000                         15,000
Application Developer                                         3-5                                              6,000                          15,000
Java Developer                                                      3-5                                              6,000                          15,000
Senior Systems Engineer                                     3-5                                              6,000                          15,000
Network Administrator                                       3-5                                               7,000                           12,000
Database Administrator                                      3-5                                               7,000                           12,000
BI Consultant                                                        3-5                                               6,000                            10,000

Position                                                            Years of Experience         Minimum              Maximum

Technical Consultant                                           3-5                                             6,000                         10,000
ETL Developer                                                      3-5                                             6,000                          10,000
Analyst Programmer                                           3-5                                             6,000                          10,000
Systems Programmer                                         3-5                                              6,000                          10,000
Technical Writer                                                  3-5                                             6,000                           10,000
Pre-sales Engineer                                             3-5                                               6,000                           9,000
Automation Support Engineer                        3-5                                              6,000                            9,000
Systems Engineer                                              3-5                                               6,000                            9,000
Helpdesk Tech Support
(Foreign Language Expertise)                         3-5                                              5,000                            10,000
Help Desk Analyst                                              3-5                                              4,500                             7,000
Unix / Linux OS Engineer                                3-5                                              4,000                             7,000
Junior Solutions Architect                               3-5                                              4,000                               7,000
IT Trainers                                                          3-5                                               4,000                              7,000
Channel Sales Specialist                                  3-5                                               4,000                               6,000
IT Procurement Specialist                              3-5                                               4,000                                6,000
Inside Sales Specialists 3-5 3,000 5,000

IT Marketing Communications Executive 3-5                                                  3,000                               5,000
Billing Systems Engineer                                 1-3                                                3,000                               5,000
Software Engineer                                             1-3                                                3,000                               5,000
IT Executive                                                       1-3                                                 3,000                               5,000
Web Designer                                                    1-3                                                  3,000                               5,000
Junior Programmer                                         1-3                                                  3,000                                5,000
Technician                                                          1-3                                                  3,000                                5,000

Randstad 2023 Market Outlook & Salary Snapshot

Randstad Malaysia 2023 Market Outlook & Salary Snapshot - Information Technology (IT)
Randstad Malaysia 2023 Market Outlook & Salary Snapshot – Information Technology (IT)

Please Fill up the Form For Education Advise on Choosing the Right Course & Private University

Want to learn more about which is the right course or the best private university for you? Get answers to your most important questions with expert advise from our knowledgeable and experienced counsellor.

If you are the Parent, please provide your Child’s Details

If you are the parent or sibling or relative, please give the name of the student, not yours.
If you are the parent or sibling or relative, please give the IC number of the student, not yours.
If you are the parent or sibling or relative, please give the email of the student, not yours.
Phone number of the Person Enquiring
Date of completion of your Academic Qualification eg SPM, IGCSE, UEC, A-Levels, etc
List down the courses that you are interested in
List down the universities that you are considering

By filling up the form you accept our Privacy Policy & allow us to share with our partner universities related to your interests. EduSpiral Consultant Services abides by the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) & do NOT sell your Personal Data.

EduSpiral Consultant Services  has more than 20 years experience in the private education industry and is an officially appointed representative for over 20 private colleges & universities in Malaysia.