Despite high pay, entry-level digital jobs not enough for independent living — iPrice

Top entry-level salaries in the digital field in the Philippines aren’t enough to rent a one-bedroom apartment in the central business districts (CBDs), according to a report by e-commerce website iPrice Group.

Using data from Payscale, iPrice found that junior project managers and junior UI/UX (user interface or user experience) designers have the highest paying entry-level jobs in the digital field, earning over P30,000 a month — still not enough to afford an apartment in Makati, Manila, Pasig, Quezon City, or Taguig, where the average monthly rent is P32,500, based on data from Numbeo, a cost-of-living database.

“This is a bleak revelation for the Filipino entry-levels, especially since we’re already talking about the highest-paid jobs that are best suited for them. This is perhaps partly why many Filipinos don’t leave their parents’ homes until they get married. Those that do may resort to sharing an apartment or renting bedspaces,” said iPrice in its report.

TECH JOBS IN DEMAND
Still, digital-related jobs are in demand, according to online education technology company Refocus, which upskills people to fill vacancies in the tech industry.

“The past few years have shown great potential for more companies to hire IT and digital marketing professionals to help grow their businesses,” said Refocus founder Roman Kumas Vyas in a press release.

In May, the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) shared that about 980,000 jobs were created in the past year to spur on the country’s recovery, most of which came from construction and IT and business process management industries.

Part of this demand is being addressed by partnerships between education technology companies like Refocus and large IT and digital marketing corporations.

“While there are many interested in marketing, there are not a lot of qualified employees on a local scale, so we are taking this opportunity to provide the necessary means to upskill and help these employees gain the knowledge and capabilities,” Mr. Vyas said.

Those who do qualify for entry-level jobs, meanwhile, don’t make enough to live independently. — Brontë H. Lacsamana