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.
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High Demand for Qualified & Trained Software Engineers & Programmers in Malaysia
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?
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 science, computer 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)
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
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)
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
