Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

Bump Topic Topic Closed RSS Feed

Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+

 Let's Talk Salary v8, Sharing Thread

views
     
thesoothsayer
post Mar 14 2019, 10:12 AM

Enthusiast
*****
Senior Member
954 posts

Joined: Dec 2006


Job Title : Software Engineer
Job Desciption : SDN, NFV, system optimisation
Age : 40
Years spent in company : 3.5 year
Company : US MNC
Industry : Tech
Tenure : Permanent
Employment Level : Engineer
Experience before joining (years) : 14 years
Highest paper qualification/ education background : PhD
Location : KL
Average Working Hours Per Week (incl lunch hours): 45

Monetary Payout
Basic Salary + Fixed Allowance : ~RM 24k
Contractual Bonus (months): none
Performance, Variable Bonus & Commissions (months) : up to 20% of annual salary, RSUs

Benefits (where relevant) :
Health Benefits : Expat package medical, dental
Transport Benefits : None
Mobile / Internet / Gadget Benefits : None
Flexi Working Hours : can WFH as long as you deliver
Other Benefits :
thesoothsayer
post Mar 14 2019, 10:41 AM

Enthusiast
*****
Senior Member
954 posts

Joined: Dec 2006


QUOTE(badguy93 @ Mar 14 2019, 10:20 AM)
wow ... are you work at local or oversea ?
*
local
thesoothsayer
post Mar 14 2019, 11:22 AM

Enthusiast
*****
Senior Member
954 posts

Joined: Dec 2006


QUOTE(badguy93 @ Mar 14 2019, 10:47 AM)
Is this the one located at menara citibank bukit bintang there? lols

I had a call that they offer me 7k last time.. also US mnc
*
No, it's not. Out of city centre, actually.
thesoothsayer
post Mar 14 2019, 11:11 PM

Enthusiast
*****
Senior Member
954 posts

Joined: Dec 2006


QUOTE(happy_berry @ Mar 14 2019, 10:06 PM)
Does having a PhD made it easier to climb the ladder?
*
Probably opens doors in some companies and gives you some opportunities, if your boss appreciates it, but not help you up the ladder just because you have a degree.

Software is a very democratic field. You need to perform to move up. My company has lots of PhD holders. Some have been coding since the 70s. However, the principal architect and CTO don't havea PhD.

Not sure about other fields. Consultancy probably appreciates titles more.
thesoothsayer
post Dec 3 2019, 08:26 PM

Enthusiast
*****
Senior Member
954 posts

Joined: Dec 2006


QUOTE(icebryanchan @ Nov 1 2019, 12:05 AM)
Update:

Job Title : Software Engineer
Job Desciption : Develop embedded system of frequency radio, working on connectivity related items like Bluetooth, AT commands.
Age : 26
Years spent in company : 2 year 3 months
Company : MNC
Industry : Frequency Radio
Tenure : permanent
Employment Level : Junior Engineer
Experience before joining (years) : First Company
Highest paper qualification/ education background : Degree
Location : Penang
Average Working Hours Per Week (incl lunch hours): 40

Monetary Payout
Basic Salary + Fixed Allowance : RM4000
Contractual Bonus (months): 1.5mths
Performance, Variable Bonus & Commissions (months) : 1mths + -

Benefits (where relevant) :
Health Benefits : Medical Card
Transport Benefits : none
Mobile / Internet / Gadget Benefits : Internet claim RM90 per month
Flexi Working Hours : yes
Other Benefits : RM600 for glasses, dentistry and medical checkup

slowly losing interest in what I am doing now.  yawn.gif  yawn.gif  yawn.gif
Feel like want to change environment, or perhaps working in KL. But as I know KL has very slim chance for embedded software engineers, the jobs there more towards high-level programmer / application developers.
I don't mind trying different field of job though.

My target is have at least RM6000 salary before age of 30, not sure if that is possible for now  sweat.gif  sweat.gif

Need some advices from all the HR sifus here  notworthy.gif
*
Starts with M?

Anyway, pay wise, it's not the best in Penang and I think the tech companies in Penang aren't the top payers anymore in Malaysia unlike the late 90's till mid 2000's.

Since you're young, consider changing to a more lucrative field since embedded guys aren't paid the best in Malaysia and you don't seem like you're very interested in it.


thesoothsayer
post Oct 6 2020, 04:31 PM

Enthusiast
*****
Senior Member
954 posts

Joined: Dec 2006


QUOTE(thesoothsayer @ Mar 14 2019, 10:12 AM)
Job Title : Software Engineer
Job Desciption : SDN, NFV, system optimisation
Age : 40
Years spent in company : 3.5 year
Company : US MNC
Industry : Tech
Tenure : Permanent
Employment Level : Engineer
Experience before joining (years) : 14 years
Highest paper qualification/ education background : PhD
Location : KL
Average Working Hours Per Week (incl lunch hours): 45

Monetary Payout
Basic Salary + Fixed Allowance : ~RM 24k
Contractual Bonus (months): none
Performance, Variable Bonus & Commissions (months) : up to 20% of annual salary, RSUs

Benefits (where relevant) :
Health Benefits : Expat package medical, dental
Transport Benefits : None
Mobile / Internet / Gadget Benefits : None
Flexi Working Hours : can WFH as long as you deliver
Other Benefits :
*
Update after 1.5 years.
Job Title : Software Engineer
Job Desciption : SDN, NFV, system optimisation
Age : 41
Years spent in company : 5 years
Company : US MNC
Industry : Tech
Tenure : Permanent
Employment Level : Engineer
Experience before joining (years) : 14 years
Highest paper qualification/ education background : PhD
Location : KL
Average Working Hours Per Week (incl lunch hours): 45

Monetary Payout
Basic Salary + Fixed Allowance : ~RM 27k
Contractual Bonus (months): none
Performance, Variable Bonus & Commissions (months) : up to 20% of annual salary for average performer (26% max for top performer), some special spot bonuses that range between 1-5k USD depending on the management's discretion

Benefits (where relevant) :
Health Benefits : Expat package medical, dental
Transport Benefits : None
Mobile / Internet / Gadget Benefits : Laptop, no internet subsidies so far but may get something due to covid19
Flexi Working Hours : can WFH as long as you deliver. May get to work from home permanently after this due to covid19
Other Benefits : monthly team lunch, company dinners a few times a year

Great company to work for. Only complaint is a neck and shoulder pain due to programming too long. Also, getting a bit bored but can't find anything coming close with my skillset in Malaysia. More responsibilities and need to attend more meetings these days as well.

Looking forward to when I can retire from a permanent job. Having kids doesn't help with early retirement, though. Need to invest more wisely. smile.gif
thesoothsayer
post Oct 7 2020, 01:18 AM

Enthusiast
*****
Senior Member
954 posts

Joined: Dec 2006


QUOTE(James1983 @ Oct 6 2020, 09:56 PM)
Quite a decent increment in a 1.5yrs time span
*
Got rated top tier, got 3% increment. Told my manager it seemed low. 6 months later got an unusual merit increment of 4%. Then 6 months after that, got another 5% for the usual annual review.

Guess I need to get a promotion if I want more, but been putting it off since I don't really want the extra responsibility at the moment.
thesoothsayer
post Oct 9 2020, 03:34 AM

Enthusiast
*****
Senior Member
954 posts

Joined: Dec 2006


QUOTE(icebryanchan @ Oct 8 2020, 04:52 PM)
Ok here is the deal guys, I really need some good advice.

I have been looking for opportunities outside since a year or two ago. I always find the current company I am working in is quite outdated in term of technologies and too many legacy things to work on which don't really give me any kind of satisfaction in the job scope.

Now I have a chance ( job offer ) to join another company which is completely different field from what I am doing right now, but I do have the Bachelor Degree that is fitting the job scope very much, i.e. hardware design engineer. And most importantly it is working on the latest tech possible, not everyday wiping the shat that was created by some old guy back in 2000.

So now my concern is that, I might get a promotion in the upcoming year 2021, around April, which might give me a salary boost to around RM5000? (optimistic)
But also at the same time, the performance bonus for next year is completely none as the business is not doing so great.

On the other hand, the job offer is offering me a higher grade, but the biggest drawback is the salary is still the same I am getting now. However, the extra bonuses the company is offering is way more than I can get in 2021 if I choose to stay in the current company. Also the hiring bonuses are also very attractive.
Question is, should I vouch for a better company, a better bonus, (maybe a better working environment), but different job scope (which I have to start fresh again).
Or should I stay at the old company, risking to get promoted (we can never try manager's words) and maybe the increment is just at max 10%.

I tried to nego for higher basic salary for the job offer, but the justification is obvious that I don't have any fitting skillsets required. It is kindna like a miracle that I can actually get the job offer.
*
Software pays better than hardware design for the past few years. Not sure if the trend will continue.

Also, more options in software.

And every job will require you to clean shit up, unless it's a totally new startup working on totally new technology.

If you still enjoy programming, maybe try other industries or companies that might pay better.

This post has been edited by thesoothsayer: Oct 9 2020, 03:35 AM
thesoothsayer
post Oct 9 2020, 10:30 AM

Enthusiast
*****
Senior Member
954 posts

Joined: Dec 2006


QUOTE(MGM @ Oct 9 2020, 08:55 AM)
Can a graduate of Electrical(Mechantronic) Engineering work as a programmer in Robotics industry and has better advantage over a CS graduate qualification-wise?
*
I don't see a problem. You'll probably have an advantage when it comes to low level programming dealing with microcontrollers,microprocessors and actuators, and maths. CS doesn't really expose the student to too much hardware related knowledge. You'll need to spend time learning up on OS concepts and programming patterns. I think mechatronics exposed you to some machine learning concepts.

That said, robotics is vast and there's a need for both fields.
thesoothsayer
post Oct 26 2021, 06:21 PM

Enthusiast
*****
Senior Member
954 posts

Joined: Dec 2006


QUOTE(thesoothsayer @ Oct 6 2020, 04:31 PM)
Update after 1.5 years.
Job Title : Software Engineer
Job Desciption : SDN, NFV, system optimisation
Age : 41
Years spent in company : 5 years
Company : US MNC
Industry : Tech
Tenure : Permanent
Employment Level : Engineer
Experience before joining (years) : 14 years
Highest paper qualification/ education background : PhD
Location : KL
Average Working Hours Per Week (incl lunch hours): 45

Monetary Payout
Basic Salary + Fixed Allowance : ~RM 27k
Contractual Bonus (months): none
Performance, Variable Bonus & Commissions (months) : up to 20% of annual salary for average performer (26% max for top performer), some special spot bonuses that range between 1-5k USD depending on the management's discretion

Benefits (where relevant) :
Health Benefits : Expat package medical, dental
Transport Benefits : None
Mobile / Internet / Gadget Benefits : Laptop, no internet subsidies so far but may get something due to covid19
Flexi Working Hours : can WFH as long as you deliver. May get to work from home permanently after this due to covid19
Other Benefits : monthly team lunch, company dinners a few times a year

Great company to work for. Only complaint is a neck and shoulder pain due to programming too long. Also, getting a bit bored but can't find anything coming close with my skillset in Malaysia. More responsibilities and need to attend more meetings these days as well.

Looking forward to when I can retire from a permanent job. Having kids doesn't help with early retirement, though. Need to invest more wisely. smile.gif
*
Looks like the big money in IT in Malaysia is in sales.

Another update after a year.
Job Title : Software Engineer
Job Desciption : SDN, NFV, system optimisation
Age : 42
Years spent in company : 6 years
Company : US MNC
Industry : Tech
Tenure : Permanent
Employment Level : Engineer
Experience before joining (years) : 14 years
Highest paper qualification/ education background : PhD
Location : KL
Average Working Hours Per Week (incl lunch hours): 35

Monetary Payout
Basic Salary + Fixed Allowance : ~RM 29k
Contractual Bonus (months): none
Performance, Variable Bonus & Commissions (months) : up to 20% of annual salary for average performer (got a 40% multiplier this year), some special spot bonuses that range between 1-5k USD depending on the management's discretion

Benefits (where relevant) :
Health Benefits : Expat package medical, dental
Transport Benefits : None
Mobile / Internet / Gadget Benefits : Laptop, no internet subsidies.
Flexi Working Hours : can WFH as long as you deliver.
Other Benefits : monthly team lunch, company dinners a few times a year pre covid


thesoothsayer
post Nov 7 2021, 08:56 PM

Enthusiast
*****
Senior Member
954 posts

Joined: Dec 2006


QUOTE(Suislearning @ Nov 7 2021, 08:48 PM)
Bro you get paid in USD or RM?
*


Ringgit. Spot bonuses are in USD before being converted. Used to have some other bonuses denominated in USD as well. Hoping will see a big rise in 22/23 due to some coming positive changes. Hanging on for a while more. Might try to push for promotion next year.
thesoothsayer
post Nov 8 2021, 01:25 AM

Enthusiast
*****
Senior Member
954 posts

Joined: Dec 2006


QUOTE(Suislearning @ Nov 7 2021, 11:40 PM)
Dayum, hopefully I can reach that amount of salary one day.

Any advice or maybe you could share any lesson learned for us.
*
Determination , hard-work, and working on things that interest me, and a large dose of luck to get an opportunity.

For example, my degree was in electronics but I liked networking and programming and spent most of my time doing that. I worked on Linux at a time when it didn't work right out of the box. First thing you did was make sure the modem worked, then you tried to get the graphic drivers to compile, and then the sound card drivers. Sometimes it took a week just to bring up the computer to a fully working state with GUI and sound after classes, but I learned a lot of debugging and that is extremely useful in my work. I guess time and effort I put in at that stage didn't seem useful, but looking back, it probably got me to be able to debug problems much better than my peers.


For my current job, there was also a slice of luck involved. They wanted to hire my friend, but he didn't want to move to KL. He recommended me but I was happily teaching at that time and rejected it. 6-7 months later, a recruiter called from that company. I was unhappy with some things at work, and decided to speak to the director. He started talking about optimisation of hybrid and multicore architectures, which I was working on as well. He liked me and referred me to the hiring manager in US. I requested for 15k after the interview, he offered almost 20k with very generous RSUs and annual bonus. Guess it was the right place at the right time. However, I was also prepared for it because I spent extra time after my normal classes teaching interested undergrads programming, which kept me sharp, I worked on consultancy projects for companies, and I spent time reading and doing hands-on work in cutting edge things.




Topic ClosedOptions
 

Change to:
| Lo-Fi Version
0.1612sec    0.58    7 queries    GZIP Disabled
Time is now: 3rd December 2025 - 09:45 AM