Why Singapore’s 2025 tech graduates are facing a tougher job market

A post on the Singapore subreddit over the weekend captured the quiet anxiety rippling through this year’s crop of computer science graduates. “Are tech grads cooked?” asked user u/Grand-Net3191, citing unusually low starting salaries—S$4,000 to S$4,500, even for cybersecurity roles at Big 4 firms. For a discipline once seen as a surefire path to financial upside, the numbers sparked concern.

The Redditor’s question quickly drew traction. Dozens chimed in with personal experiences and sober takes: some fresh grads are accepting salaries well below what the previous cohort received. Others pointed to the broader hiring environment. A top comment summed it up: “Sometimes it just comes down to being born at the right year, graduating at the right time.” In a job market that has swung from hypergrowth to consolidation in just a few years, that timing now feels crucial—and for many 2025 graduates, unlucky.

Public salary data offers a conflicting picture. According to Dollars & Sense, the median starting salary for computer science graduates from NTU is S$5,500, while SUTD and SUSS graduates reportedly earn S$4,900 to S$5,000. Meanwhile, Indeed pegs the average base salary for a computer scientist in Singapore at S$8,786/month—but that figure includes professionals across all experience levels. So why are so many new hires reporting salaries closer to S$4,000–S$4,500?

The answer lies in market conditions and role compression. Employers have re-scoped junior positions, offloaded entry-level functions, and trimmed headcount. Where last decade’s tech boom allowed many to negotiate aggressively, today’s reality is different: high supply, low leverage. Add to that the oversupply of fresh grads trained in broadly similar curricula, and it’s no surprise that salaries are under pressure.

One Redditor offered blunt advice: “Pure tech is cooked. Find a role that lies between technology and business.” That statement, while provocative, captures a growing trend. The highest-growth roles are no longer confined to heads-down development. Instead, companies are increasingly looking for cross-functional skills—think data product managers, technical business analysts, or solution architects who can translate between code and customer.

In this light, the traditional model of starting as a junior engineer and climbing the ladder may be faltering. Roles with business context or platform fluency—not just Python or Java skills—are commanding more attention. Grads who focused narrowly on backend development may now find themselves outcompeted by peers who can explain the “why,” not just build the “how.”

While timing is one factor, the deeper issue is structural. Several Reddit users flagged ongoing offshoring trends. One mentioned Standard Chartered moving 80 developer roles to India. Another, working in a local bank, noted that entire dev and testing teams have already been relocated to India and the Philippines. This trend isn’t new, but its scope is accelerating—especially for junior roles, which are easier to shift offshore or automate. The rise of Generative AI tools like GitHub Copilot further weakens the case for large junior teams. Many companies now believe they can maintain output with a smaller, more senior core, augmented by AI and overseas teams.

That spells trouble for those just starting out. One Redditor described the hiring landscape this way: “Every new opening we have for junior roles is flooded with apps from both freshers and experienced professionals.” The bottom has become more crowded, even as the ceiling hasn’t moved.

Singapore’s education pipeline has long prided itself on producing industry-ready tech graduates. But the Reddit conversation suggests a mismatch between institutional preparation and real-world demand.

Many graduates still follow the safe track: enroll in a CS degree, complete an internship, and enter the workforce expecting a high starting salary. But in a tighter, more globalized labor market, that formula no longer guarantees traction. Instead, hiring managers now prize adaptability, hybrid thinking, and real business problem-solving. That doesn’t mean the degrees are worthless. But it does mean graduates need to treat university as a launchpad, not a golden ticket. Industry certifications, open-source contributions, domain knowledge, and communication skills—these are increasingly the differentiators that matter.

There’s also a psychological cost. Graduating into a weak job market can scar a cohort. Research from past recessions shows that early-career salary suppression often lingers: those who start low typically don’t catch up to peers who entered the market during stronger cycles.

One Redditor recalled how peers graduating in 2008 lagged behind for years. Another noted that 2022 was the "sweet spot"—TikTok hiring, rapid tech growth, and abundant openings. That contrast stings for the class of 2025, who did everything right but arrived at the wrong moment. Unless Singapore actively reinvests in domestic junior talent and retools its workforce pipelines, there’s a risk of permanent damage. The next generation of innovators may not stick around if they feel they’ve been shortchanged from the start.

So what should today’s CS graduates do? The Reddit thread, while bleak, offered some pragmatic guidance:

• Move beyond “pure coding.” Layer business literacy, systems thinking, or domain expertise (e.g., fintech, climate, logistics) on top of technical skills.
• Pursue applied internships. Focus on real-world deliverables over brand-name attachments.
• Consider smaller firms. Startups and SMEs may not offer the highest pay, but they often provide broader exposure and steeper learning curves.
• Build public proof. Open-source projects, GitHub repos, or even case studies show initiative beyond the resume.

The goal is no longer just “get a developer job.” It’s “build a career foundation that stays relevant across roles, tools, and cycles.”

Singapore’s 2025 tech graduates face a squeezed entry point—but they’re not “cooked.” They’re just up against a different game with different rules. While past cohorts rode the rising tide of funding and headcount growth, today’s grads must learn to swim in shallower waters. That’s not entirely bad news. Constraints often drive smarter choices. Those who adapt early—who build context, bridge roles, and chase relevance—may find their careers compounding in unexpected ways. And if there’s one thing Singapore’s best technologists have proven, it’s that they can build value under pressure.

The tech sector is evolving. It’s more selective, more global, and more demanding. But it still rewards those who solve problems, not just follow roadmaps. The class of 2025 won’t have it easy—but with the right lens, they may come out sharper for it.