Compensation
Local currency dominates, median compensation varies across markets, and annual bonuses remain a significant part of total pay packages.
Compensation
Currency and payment
Designers across Southeast Asia are almost universally paid in local currency. Only a small handful receive USD or other foreign currencies, suggesting limited remote work for overseas employers at this stage.
Chart proof
Currency respondents are paid in
Share of respondents paid in each currency, based on 323 responses.
Distribution of salary currency responses.
View data table
| Currency | Respondents (N=323) | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
| SGD | 224 | 69.3 |
| MYR | 46 | 14.2 |
| IDR | 27 | 8.4 |
| PHP | 7 | 2.2 |
| VND | 6 | 1.9 |
| USD | 5 | 1.5 |
| THB | 3 | 0.9 |
| INR | 2 | 0.6 |
| JPY | 1 | 0.3 |
| RON | 1 | 0.3 |
| TWD | 1 | 0.3 |
Median annual total compensation
Singapore's median total compensation is S$84,000 (N=223), with strong representation across individual contributor and manager levels.
Director and VP cohorts fall below the minimum safe disclosure threshold of 10 respondents and are not reported individually. Pay varies widely within each level too: Senior IC alone ranges from S$44,200 to S$339,927, the widest spread in the dataset.
Chart proof
Median total compensation by career level
Minimum, median, and maximum total compensation by career level, Singapore and Malaysia. Cohorts below the minimum safe disclosure threshold of 10 respondents are excluded: Singapore Director (N=8) and VP (N=2); Malaysia Lead / Staff / Principal IC (N=5), People Manager (N=3), and Director (N=2).
Singapore compensation spans a wide range at every career level, with the widest spread at Senior IC, from S$44,200 to S$339,927. Director (N=8) and VP (N=2) fall below the 10-respondent disclosure threshold and are not shown.
Tops out at S$339,927
View data table
| Career level | n | Minimum (S$) | Median (S$) | Maximum (S$) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior IC | 63 | 12,000 | 54,000 | 157,000 |
| Mid-level IC | 56 | 34,800 | 75,800 | 210,000 |
| Senior IC | 52 | 44,200 | 119,500 | 339,927 |
| Lead / Staff / Principal IC | 19 | 38,400 | 103,200 | 201,342 |
| People Manager | 23 | 37,396 | 139,100 | 235,000 |
Malaysia's ranges widen quickly past Junior IC. Junior IC (N=13): RM30,000 – RM140,000, median RM55,000. Mid-level IC (N=13): RM54,000 – RM233,400, median RM82,000. Senior IC (N=10): RM63,600 – RM174,040, median RM94,325. Lead / Staff / Principal IC (N=5), People Manager (N=3), and Director (N=2) fall below the 10-respondent disclosure threshold and are not shown.
View data table
| Career level | n | Minimum (RM) | Median (RM) | Maximum (RM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior IC | 13 | 30,000 | 55,000 | 140,000 |
| Mid-level IC | 13 | 54,000 | 82,000 | 233,400 |
| Senior IC | 10 | 63,600 | 94,325 | 174,040 |
Malaysia
Malaysia's median annual total compensation is RM83,000, based on 46 respondents. This carries medium confidence for Junior to Senior IC levels: Malaysia has the second-highest respondent count in the survey, but trails Singapore significantly, which limits how far the analysis can be pushed into senior and leadership levels.
Lead / Staff / Principal IC (N=5), People Manager (N=3), and Director (N=2) fall below the minimum safe disclosure threshold and are not reported individually. Ranges widen quickly past Junior IC: Mid-level IC alone spans RM54,000 – RM233,400.
Indonesia
Indonesia's overall median is based on the 27 of its 29 respondents who draw their salary in rupiah, and only the Junior IC cohort (N=15) clears the minimum safe disclosure threshold of 10 respondents. The published report gives medium confidence for Junior IC salary trends only, noting that more data points are needed before other levels can be reported with confidence.
Chart proof
Median total compensation, Indonesia (cohort-safe levels only)
Median annual total compensation in IDR for Indonesia (N=27). Only cohorts meeting the minimum safe disclosure threshold of 10 respondents are shown, Junior IC (N=15) and the all-respondent median (N=27). Mid-level IC (N=3), Senior IC (N=3), Lead / Staff / Principal IC (N=5), and Vice President (N=1) fall below that threshold and are not published.
Junior IC median total compensation is Rp62,000,000, below the all-respondent median of Rp84,000,000. Other career levels cannot be reported individually because their cohorts are too small.
View data table
| Career level | Median total comp (IDR) |
|---|---|
| Junior IC (N=15) | Rp62,000,000 |
| All respondents (N=27) | Rp84,000,000 |
Compensation mix
Bonuses are the main way pay reaches beyond base salary; other annual compensation and stock grants are less common. Stock grants in particular remain rare, likely because most respondents work at local companies and established enterprises rather than venture-funded startups.
Chart proof
Compensation mix
Share of respondents receiving each compensation type beyond base salary (N=323, all markets)
More than half receive bonuses (54.8%). Fewer than a third receive other annual compensation, and fewer than one in six hold stock grants.
View data table
| Compensation type | Respondents receiving |
|---|---|
| Bonuses | 54.8% |
| Other annual compensation | 30.3% |
| Annual stock grants | 15.8% |
Standard benefits
Four benefits form the baseline package for designers across the region: paid medical leave, paid time off, health insurance, and flexible working arrangements, each reaching more than two-thirds of respondents. Past that baseline, access thins out, from professional development funds down to a budget for equipment or a home-office setup, the least common benefit on the list.
Chart proof
Benefits access
Share of respondents with access to each benefit (N=323, all markets)
Medical leave, PTO, and health insurance top the list, each above 76%. Flexible working arrangements are near-universal at 68.7%. Equipment/home office budget access is modest at 21.1%.
View data table
| Benefit | Respondents (of N=323) | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Paid medical leave | 269 | 83.3 |
| PTO/vacation | 250 | 77.4 |
| Health insurance | 247 | 76.5 |
| Flexible working arrangement | 222 | 68.7 |
| Professional development/training fund | 150 | 46.4 |
| Flexible schedule | 129 | 39.9 |
| Dental | 127 | 39.3 |
| Onsite food/snacks | 108 | 33.4 |
| Equipment/home office budget | 68 | 21.1 |
Some cohorts here are too small to publish without identifying individuals, so we hold those figures back.
Where this sits in the conversation
-
Overview
2023 report -
Landscape
Demographics -
Landscape
Roles and experience -
Landscape
Compensation you are here -
Landscape
Company landscape -
Sentiments
Sentiments: negotiations and pay -
Sentiments
Sentiments: work setup -
Sentiments
Sentiments: career progression -
Singapore deep dive
Analysis: gender 🇸🇬 -
Singapore deep dive
Analysis: experience 🇸🇬 -
Singapore deep dive
Analysis: company 🇸🇬 -
Singapore deep dive
Analysis: education 🇸🇬 -
Close
The first count