10. Creative Designing
Entry Level: 12,000 - 18,000*
5 Years: 49,560 - 74,340*
Growth Rate: 313%**
Job Satisfaction: Satisfied
Popular Institutions: NCA, Indus Valley School of Arts & Fatima Jinnah Women University
A rather new entrant in the careers race, Creative Designing is catching up as a popular profession. With businesses investing massively in corporate websites and online presence as well as the booming print media, creative and graphic designers are in high demand. The fact that there is no degree level restriction also adds to its popularity. The scarcity of highly experienced creative designers contributes to the high salary growth rate for this profession.
Interestingly, there are quite a few HEC accredited institutions that are now offering degrees in Creative and Graphic Designing adding to the quality of the talent pool. This profession sees the lowest retention rates, most likely because of high turnover in short term projects.
9. Software Engineering
Entry Level: 15,000 - 30,000*
5 Years: 43,215 - 82,600*
Growth Rate: 180%**
Job Satisfaction: Very Satisfied
Popular Institutions: GIKI, NUST, UET, FAST & NED
Software Engineering is the most popular engineering discipline in Pakistan and it is no surprise that its professionals are among the top 10. Although the salary bracket for the entrants is not amongst the highest, the growth rate is reasonable, as a result of which there is a strong incremental increase in compensation. One reason for this is the booming IT sector which is also the biggest recruiter of these experts in the country. There has been resurgence in the IT sector and university students are lagging behind in picking up on this hot career choice. The Software Engineering programs being offered at higher education institutions are compatible worldwide. It is no surprise then that software giants like IBM, Google and Microsoft hire regularly from these engineering universities. Most Software Engineering graduates prefer to pursue a master’s degree which significantly increases their market worth. Job hopping trends in this field offer no conclusive patterns and vary from industry to industry.
8. Finance & Accounting
Entry Level: 10,000 - 25,000*
5 Years: 36,100 - 90,250*
Growth Rate: 261%**
Job Satisfaction: Satisfied
Popular Institutions: LUMS, IBA, NUST, UCP & ICMAP
As a professional in Finance, one thing is for sure, one can calculate one’s own worth by checking the value you bring into the company. As a savvy part of the company, one is better placed to make it to the top if one possesses merit, a superior experience and a bit of clever
industry study. Growth in this field is not particularly great for midlevel professionals despite passing the test of heightened competition and high volume of the first few years. Chartered Accountants and ACCA’s significantly contribute to this career’s entry in the top salary bracket since the demand for them far outstrips non-accredited accounting professionals.
7. Telecom Engineering
Entry Level: 18,000 - 38,000*
5 Years: 59,940 - 99,000*
Growth Rate: 184%**
Job Satisfaction: Somewhat Satisfied
Popular Institutions: NUST, UET, NED & FAST
With the explosive growth of Pakistan’s Telecom Sector, these technical recruits are in huge demand at every level. From vendors to operators, they are the backbone of the entire telecom industry. Previously Electrical or Electronics Engineers majoring in Communications were being hired at the entry level and trained as telecom engineers. But now leading engineering institutions are offering “Telecom Engineering” as a separate degree. Even though it is an extremely popular career choice, the growth rate is not exceptionally high. We’ve also observed one of the highest job hopping trends in this profession.
6. HR Management
Entry Level: 18,000 - 30,000*
5 Years: 68,800 - 103,200*
Growth Rate: 258%**
Job Satisfaction: Very Satisfied
Popular Institutions: IBA, NUST, LSE, LUMS, Quaid-e-Azam University & UCP
HR Management is the “Next IT” in terms of booming careers to opt for. Senior Managers can gross surprisingly well particularly in Telecom, Banking and FMCG sectors. In this case, HEC accredited institutions have stepped up to the plate and offered cutting edge education to match the growing industry demand. As the current HR criteria stands it is no longer enough to simply have an HR degree but to also preferably combine it with a specialization such as IT or Supply Chain, depending on the target industry one wishes to join. Pakistan’s corporate sector has finally begun to recognize the value human resource departments bring to enabling productive workforces, putting this field in hot demand.
5. Mechanical Eng.
Entry Level: 25,000 - 48,000*
5 Years: 69,112 - 115,218*
Growth Rate: 153%**
Job Satisfaction: Somewhat Satisfied
Popular Institutions: GIKI, UET,NUST & NED
This is one of the most meritorious engineering disciplines. The FMCG and the Oil & Gas Sector are the biggest recruiters of Mechanical Engineers, followed by the Construction industry. A large batch of these graduates seeks employment outside Pakistan, especially in the Gulf States. Mechanical Engineers are one of the highest paid amongst their engineering peers. Job hopping trends are also prevalent in this field of work perhaps because few companies invest in training their staff and others simply “fetch” from the ones that do train. Interestingly, in the last 10 years this field has seen an incremental increase in women recruits who not only do well academically but are also doing exceptionally well in the field.
4. Sales & Business Development
Entry Level: 15,000 - 35,000*
5 Years: 63,750 -126,250*
Growth Rate: 280%**
Job Satisfaction: Somewhat Satisfied
Popular Institutions: LUMS, IBA, LSE & Quaid-e-Azam University
Sales and Business Development is a highly lucrative line of work based on a commission and incentive structures, varying on company policy. There is a growing trend amongst young business professionals to opt for Business Development as it not only gives them heightened exposure to whois- who of industry but also offers impressive rewards. Most popularly known as the ‘bread winners’ of the company, these professionals have a comfortable career growth rate, as indicated by our survey. This field does not require a mandatory qualification and base salary increments are usually proportional to the experience level and the business connections the sales person has. However, as in most cases an MBA with the relevant specialization is preferred. BD professionals are doing best in FMCG and Banking sector, followed by the Insurance and telecom. The lower job satisfaction rating points to perhaps a high level of stress management that professionals have to incorporate while meeting their sales targets.
3. Program & Project Management
Entry Level: 20,000 - 35,000*
5 Years: 74,100 - 142,240*
Growth Rate: 293%**
Job Satisfaction: Very Satisfied
Popular Institutions: LUMS, IBA & NUST
In the West particularly this field is one of the emerging disciplines with only few certified agencies providing trainings on Project/ Program management as it becomes a huge challenge to find candidates that have a holistic view of the company and can also incorporate knowledge of different departments in an organization to complete tasks. Here in Pakistan, the degree specifications depend mostly on the nature of the project and thus far, there is a scarcity of a large qualified candidate pool in the industry. The relatively high growth rate for this profession is due to the fact that Project Managers become much more effective with experience under their belts.
2. Procurement & Supply Chain
Entry Level: 15,000 - 25,000*
5 Years: 76,219 - 150,412*
Growth Rate: 467%**
Job Satisfaction: Satisfied
Popular Institutions: LUMS, GC& LSE
Although Procurement and Supply Chain is not the first career choice for most professionals, it is nonetheless carving out a niche for itself in the
market. It came in as no surprise because there is an increasing number of HR Managers who have to comply with international standards by many businesses that require an established Procurement Department. Supply Chain is mostly taught as a specialization after an accredited MBA and is only sought after for many leading wholesalers who are now even more brand conscious and want to establish their purchase and supply channels in the most cost-effective way.
1. Marketing & Brand Management
Entry Level: 20,000 - 52,000*
5 Years: 83,916 - 165,371*
Growth Rate: 246%**
Job Satisfaction: Somewhat Satisfied
Popular Institutions: IBA, NUST, LUMS, Quaid-e-Azam University & UCP
Ranked the top profession in by our survey, Marketing professionals are amongst the highest grossing in the country. With the emergence of
multinational giants on Pakistan’s economic front, Marketing and Brand Management is serious business, with millions rolling in to change perceptions of a product with color, figures and images as the only tools. With only a handful of quality business education institutions providing the necessary talent pool, there is a high degree of variance in compensation. The disparity in supply and demand has given rise to salary inflation all over the industry which encourages both job hopping and low job satisfaction ratings. However, the job growth in this department is high as a result of which it is a natural career choice for many. The Telecom, Banking and FMCG Sector have the highest compensation packages for
marketing professionals and they are considerably higher than what is offered by most other sectors. This again explains the high degree of
variance in compensation packages.
* Salaries for Entry Level and Mid Level after 5 years are denoted in Pakistani Rupees per month.
** Growth Rate Scenario: If your entry level salary is Rs.10,000 and after 5 years it increases to Rs.90,000 your growth rate is 800%.
