Questions about the media and creative sector answered:
- What is Singapore’s media and creative sector?
- Is the media and creative sector stable if you’re considering a mid-career switch?
- What kind of jobs are there in the media and creative sector?
- What’s the salary like?
- What are the growth areas in the media and creative sector?
- What courses or skills are needed to join the media and creative sector?
About Singapore’s Creative, Media and Marketing sector
We get it – it’s tough times for those in the marketing and content creation sectors. Budgets in this field have been progressively shrinking, with a wave of companies deciding to go directly to their target audiences via social media platforms and search, thanks to the digitalisation of the media and entertainment industries.
It’s not all bad news, with unemployment rates progressively dipping. But penny-pinching means businesses and employers hiring in your sector and field will be looking for more value from their hires, especially with both small and large businesses fearing possible recessions on the horizon, according to market research by Hootsuite recently.
If you’re looking for more market insights, British recruitment agency Robert Walters Group‘s Salary Guide for 2023 believes the following:
- There will be a bigger focus on diversity and inclusion in this sector, with employers aiming to hire local Singaporeans for most jobs.
- The health and wellness industries will be hiring for skillsets in this field, particularly in the online space or customer engagement. If you’ve got a background in analytics, e-commerce, performance marketing and omnichannel marketing, you’ll be fine.
- Permanent roles can be found in FMCG, retail, luxury and consumer technology, healthcare, professional services, industrial (business development, sales management, and account management.
- Contract roles will be available in social media marketing, digital marketing, e-commerce, public relations and communications, and campaign analytics.
Size of the job market
Looking at the big picture, according to a parliamentary question on the size of the creative economy in Singapore, the nominal value-add from our arts and culture, media and design increased to close to 50% from $7.9 billion in 2017 to $11.7 billionn in 2022.
Technological advancements are transforming every aspect of the industry, from artist and concept development to how audiences consume content, media and marketing initiatives.
While professionals with creative skills remain in demand, those with digital skills will also be sought after to harness data and technology in creating and delivering stories in an increasingly digital environment.
Interestingly enough, those who work in creative, media and marketing sectors largely don’t even work for companies that specialise in their skillsets, but rather multi-national companies (MNCs) or small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that require their expertise and experience.
For example, a study by the DesignSingapore Council (DSG) released in March 2023 found that 67% of Singapore’s design workforce work in non-design sectors, and the largest employers for designers came from companies in sectors such as:
- Advanced Manufacturing and Trade (18%) sectors like the Aerospace industry and Food Manufacturing industry
- Urban Systems (15%) sectors like the Real Estate industry and Security industry
- Modern Services (14%) sectors like the Financial Services industry and ICT and Media industry
Those with creative and marketing skills also provide unique value to industries such as banking and finance, where customer-centred services and products are key.
Demand for media professionals in sectors such as advertising and retail is on the rise as direct business-to-consumer online engagement intensifies.
Media job roles, such as content marketing, social media specialist, digital writer, and digital content producer, are much sought after by non-media companies and the public sector.
The roles require expertise in search engine optimisation (SEO), web traffic metrics and content optimisation across social media platforms.
This augurs well for both media professionals and freelancers, as they can find more job opportunities outside the media sector.
Why is this sector important to Singapore’s economy?
According to Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) 2023 annual occupational wage survey, wage growth for creative advertising professionals led to those in the field accounting for one of the top five jobs with the highest media wage growth!
One reason highlighted is that the knowledge economy is being driven by creativity. At the same time, it is becoming harder to gauge the needs and interests of clients and audiences.
As such, big and small companies face a huge need for innovative thinkers to drive branding and advertising campaigns and quickly tailor these to a fast-changing social media environment.
In addition, communication in any form these days entails digitalisation, and those working in the creative, media and marketing industries are in demand for the technological literacy that comes with their professions.
Growth areas and outlook for the creative, media and marketing industries
If you’re keen on the industry, here are some sub-industries that have also come to the fore in recent years:
- Game Design
- Technical Design
- Content Production Management
- Media Business Management
- Production Technical Services
- Content Post-Production
- Media Technology and Operation
- Visual Graphics
- Game Production
- Quality Assurances
Here are some of the jobs in those fields you can consider:
- Game Designer
- Game Technical Development/Programmer
- News Production/Reporting
- Scriptwriter
- Content Acquisition/Commissioning/Localisation
- Data Analyst
- Media and Marketing
- Media Product Management/Scheduler
- Media Sales and Distribution
- Media Standards and Practices
- Lighting Designer/Director
- Production Design
- Sound Designer/Editing
- Video Editing
- Studio Management
- On-Demand Media Technology and Operations
- Linear Media Infrastructure/Operations
- Visual Graphics 2D/3D Art, Animation
Mid-career switch: Why is the creative, media and marketing industries a good choice?
While those in the creative, media and marketing industries are prized in other industries for their skill sets, these same industries are also trying to build and grow more Singaporeans to become more creative and design-empowered.
DSG has worked with Workforce Singapore (WSG) on Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs) for mid-career individuals to undergo skills conversion and attend industry-recognised training to take on new job roles in growth areas, such as User Interface (UI) /User Experience (UX) design and digital product design.
Gillian Woo, director for creative and professional services division at WSG, shared: “Demand for design has expanded as businesses recognise its strategic value of creating user-friendly digital experiences.”
“Businesses who can adopt a human-centric approach, combining how people experience, explore and interact in their design process had an edge over others.”
“Against this backdrop, WSG is pleased to be a strategic partner of DesignSingapore Council to grow the Design manpower and equip Singaporeans with the necessary competencies to take on emerging design disciplines such as Experience Design through the Career Conversion Programmes!”
What’s the salary like in the creative, media and marketing industries?
Jobs in the creative, media and marketing industries cover a broad spectrum of roles, and salaries vary depending on the job function, level of experience, and qualifications.
Here are some examples listed on the MyCareersFuture jobs portal:
| Role | Salary Range (Monthly) |
| Director of Marketing | $11,000 to $14,000 |
| Social Media Manager | $5,500 to $7,000 |
| Marketing Manager | $5,000 to $7,000 |
| Communications Project Executive | $3,500 to $5,000 |
| Marketing Executive | $2,500 to $3,500 |
| Head of Paid Media | $12,000 to $18,000 |
| Strategy Director (Creative) | $10,000 to $14,000 |
| Service Designer | $6,000 to $9,600 |
| UI Designer | $4,500 to $9,000 |
| Senior Graphic Designer | $3,500 to $5,000 |
What courses or skills are needed to join the creative, media and marketing industries?
The creative, media and marketing industries are vast and have opportunities at every level. If you lack the necessary skills or experience, sign up for relevant Skillsfuture courses to prepare you for the job role you’re interested in.
Jobseekers or mid-career switchers who are keen on joining the professional services sector can get support and On-the-Job Training by signing up for the following CCPs for the creative, media and marketing industries by WSG:
- Advertising and Marketing Services: CCP for Digital Advertising and Marketing Professionals
- Advertising and Marketing Services: CCP for Digital Marketing and Communications Professionals
- Design: CCP for Design Professionals
In terms of the soft skills to build a career in the creative, media and marketing industries, here are some of the desired attributes according to industry trends, according to the Skills Framework for Media by SkillsFuture:
For content creators going towards direct consumer-facing distribution:
- Application Development
- Network Configuration
- Network Administration and Maintenance
- Content Delivery Network Operations
Changing consumer behaviour – Increasing multi-device usage and mobile media consumption:
- User Experience/Interface Design
- Customer Experience Management
- Game User Interface (UI) Development
- Writing for online
Pervasive use of digital marketing tools:
- Social Media Analytics
- Online Content Creation and Management
- Community Development
Technologies such as Immersive Media and animation engines (Unity, Unreal) are being used in filmmaking, storytelling, eSports, etc:
- Immersive Design
- Narrative Design
- 360° Camera Operations
- Immersive Video Editing
Are you excited about joining the industry? Read on for more insights and information on how you can join Singapore’s creative, media and marketing industries, and what to look forward to below.
How This S’porean Went From Having $3 in the Bank to Helming a Million-Dollar Media Company
What Can You Do With a Digital Marketing Certificate?
Career Confessions: How a Back-to-Work Mum Returned to the Workforce For a Digital Marketing Job
