Summary
Geographic
- Survey reached 1,797 designers across Southeast Asia, primarily through design communities
- Strong urban hub concentration (Jakarta 48.4%, Singapore 9.7%, Kuala Lumpur 4.5%)
- Respondents heavily concentrated in Indonesia (79%), with emerging presence from Vietnam (2.9%) and Thailand (2.4%)
Urban Concentration
Major cities represent majority of respondents:
- Jakarta: 48.4%
- Singapore: 9.7%
- Kuala Lumpur: 4.5%
Workforce Profile
- Young workforce profile with 80% under 35, concentrated in 25-30 age bracket (57%).
- Gender split shows 59% male, 40% female representation, with relatively more balance in early-career groups.
- Strong capital city bias across all markets, limited secondary city representation.
Country Breakdown
The survey reveals a concentrated distribution pattern, with Indonesian respondents comprising the majority of participants, followed by significant representation from Singapore and Malaysia. Design professionals are heavily concentrated in Indonesia's major urban centres, with Jakarta alone representing nearly half (48.36%) of all respondents.
Key Statistics
- Indonesia: 1,419 respondents (79.0%)
- Singapore: 174 respondents (9.7%)
- Malaysia: 92 respondents (5.1%)
- Vietnam: 53 respondents (2.9%)
- Thailand: 44 respondents (2.4%)
Notable
- Strong response concentration in three markets: Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia
- Similar participation levels between Vietnam and Thailand
- Respondent distribution aligns with major urban centres
City Breakdown
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Capital cities dominate the response pattern, showing strong urban concentration across all markets. The city-level data shows distinct concentration in capital cities and major economic centres, with Jakarta having the highest number of respondents across all cities.
Urban centres:
- Jakarta: 869 respondents (48.36%)
- Singapore: 174 respondents (9.68%)
- Kuala Lumpur: 81 respondents (4.51%)
- Ho Chi Minh City: 26 respondents (1.45%)
- Bangkok: 41 respondents (2.28%)
Gender
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The survey shows a male majority with significant female representation, along with input from non-binary, transgender, and respondents who preferred not to specify their gender.
Key Statistics
- Male respondents: 59.27%
- Female respondents: 39.84%
- Non-binary/Non-conforming: 0.33%
- Transgender: 0.11%
- Prefer not to respond: 0.45%
Notable
- Clear male majority with approximately 3:2 ratio
- Combined representation of non-binary, transgender, and undisclosed responses accounts for less than 1% of total
Age Group
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The design workforce shows a distinctly young profile, with 80.19% under 30 years old.
Key Statistics
- 25-30 years: 56.98%
- 18-24 years: 23.21%
- 31-35 years: 13.83%
- 36+ years: 6.04%
Notable
- Over half of respondents are between 25-30 years old
- Sharp decline in representation after age 35
This young age profile reflects Southeast Asia's broader digital workforce demographics, particularly in emerging markets.
Gender by Age Group
The cross-analysis of gender and age reveals varying gender distributions across different age brackets, with distinct patterns in early career versus late career age groups.
Key Statistics
- Early career (18-24): ~58% male, ~42% female
- Prime years (25-35): ~41-37% female participation
- Mid-career (36-45): Highest male representation
- Late career (46-50): More balanced distribution
Notable
- Relatively more balanced gender distribution in early-career age groups
- Consistent male representation across most age brackets
- Higher female representation in younger age groups
🎙️ Commentary
Most designers work in major tech cities, but we might be missing voices from places like the Philippines and Thailand, perhaps due to language barriers and survey reach.
If you're a designer:
- Consider what advantages or challenges you might face in your career based on where you are
- Think about how your location might affect your job opportunities and pay
If you're leading a team:
- Consider how you could benefit from hiring people in different locations, especially with remote work becoming common
- Look at how your team's mix of people compares to the wider market
If you're running an organisation:
- Review if your hiring approach makes the most of talent from different locations and remote workers
- Plan for managing and developing a younger workforce
What this could mean for you
- Gender balance varies by country, with Indonesia's large response numbers affecting the overall picture.
- 80% of designers are under 35 years old, which is typical for tech but younger than traditional banking.
- Most designers live in cities, but this might change as companies look to reduce costs.
- Singapore remains important as a talent centre despite higher costs, thanks to its strong business environment and education system.
- Indonesia stands out with 79% of responses, showing both its large market size and active design community. There are signs that a portion of Indonesian designers work remotely for international companies.
Questions Worth Exploring
- How can we better capture design industry data from underrepresented Southeast Asian markets, particularly addressing language and accessibility barriers?
- What impact will the rise of distributed teams and remote work have on traditional design hubs like Singapore and Jakarta?
- How is the concentration of young designers (80% under 35) shaping workplace culture and expectations across different Southeast Asian markets?
- With significant variation in gender representation across countries, what regional and cultural factors are influencing these differences?
Additional reading and references
Up Next
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Help grow our impact:
- Share this report with your networks and tag us at #DesignPayAsia
- Share your story on social media using #DesignPayAsia
- Contribute to our open pay database, especially if you're based in Southeast Asia
- Take part in future research to strengthen our understanding of the regional design industry
Your input helps create transparency and enables better career decisions for designers across the region.
