Hong Kong, 20 May 2019 – Statistics compiled by the Hong Kong government revealed the numbers of local offices of mainland China companies based in Hong Kong has grown from 678 in 2014 to 1,139 in 2018, representing a growth rate of 68% over five years. In fact, the growth of mainland China companies investing and expanding into Hong Kong is driving growth for qualified technology candidates in the city-state, particularly for skilled developers, according to the newly released 2019 Robert Half Salary Guide.

The skills shortage within Hong Kong’s IT sector continues, as independent Robert Half research has found that over three-quarters (77%) of Hong Kong CIOs currently find it challenging to source qualified IT professionals, with the number rising to 85% for those who predict it will become even more challenging in the coming five years.

Adam Johnston, Managing Director of Robert Half Hong Kong says: “Hong Kong’s Smart City initiatives – aimed at building a better-connected and efficient city driven by the latest technology – are driving strong demand for local IT talent. IT recruitment is also being driven by the growth of mainland China companies expanding into Hong Kong, particularly within the areas of major investment banks and hedge funds, who are looking for skilled talent to boost their digital transformation efforts and IT infrastructure. The supply/demand imbalance within the technology talent pool, however, is causing increased pressure on employers within these areas to source qualified professionals.”

“Hong Kong’s ambition to position itself as a globally recognised innovation hub is creating strong demand for technology professionals who can implement and upgrade a company’s consumer-facing technology. In particular, developers with backgrounds in Java, C#, C++ and React are highly sought-after in today’s market and are in a favourable position to negotiate starting salaries.”

To find out up-to-date salaries, download the 2019 Robert Half Salary Guide

Robert Half has identified the top three technology positions in demand in Hong Kong for 2019 and matched them with the job titles and their respective salaries as published in the 2019 Robert Half Salary Guide:

1. Lead Software Developer
Salary range
Percentiles 25th 50th 75th 95th
$600,000 $825,000 $1,050,000 $1,300,000
Source: Robert Half Salary Guide

2. Software Development Manager
Salary range
Percentiles 25th 50th 75th 95th
$720,000 $900,000 $1,080,000 $1,200,000
Source: Robert Half Salary Guide

3. Full-stack Software Developer
Salary range
Percentiles 25th 50th 75th 95th
$300,000 $420,000 $750,000 $1,300,000
Source: Robert Half Salary Guide

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Notes to editors

About the Robert Half Salary Guide
The 2019 Robert Half Salary Guide is the most comprehensive and authoritative resource on starting salaries and recruitment trends in finance and accounting, financial services and information technology in Hong Kong.

It offers a comprehensive overview of the current salary ranges, industry trends and specific job trends for finance and accounting, financial services and technology professionals. The results and insights of the 2019 Robert Half Salary Guide are based on comprehensive analyses, local job placements, local expertise and independent research of executives.

The full 2019 Robert Half Salary Guide can be downloaded via this link.

About the research
The annual study is developed by Robert Half and was conducted in January 2019 by an independent research firm, surveying 75 CIOs/CTOs in Hong Kong. This survey is part of the international workplace survey, a questionnaire about job trends, talent management and trends in the workplace.

About Robert Half
Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialised recruitment consultancy. Founded in 1948, the company has more than 300 offices worldwide providing recruitment solutions for accounting and finance, financial services and technology professionals in Hong Kong. More information on https://www.roberthalf.com.hk.