Although the global recession has technically ended, findings from our 2013 IT Skills and Salary Survey, suggest recovery is slow going. Organizations are still feeling the effects of a slowed economy, but data from this year’s survey suggests that conditions are improving for many. More IT and business professionals received raises this year, projects are on for many, and overall job satisfaction has remained steady since last year.
Ongoing challenges remain evident, but all the numbers aren’t bleak. In fact, this year’s results revealed many reasons for optimism.
- Compensation is increasing
Respondents in certain IT job roles—front-line IT managers, analysts, systems architects, and engineers, and those in applications and development, security, servers, and storage—were more likely to see a raise.
- Job Satisfaction is holding steady
Echoing the prior year’s respondents, more than half of this year’s respondents said they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their current position, and more than two-thirds said they felt secure in their current position.
- Training matters
More than 80 percent of this year’s respondents said training was a good investment for their company and their career path.
- Conditions are improving
Executives reported being more inclined to see future investment in areas that can impact project-level success as well as the ability to compete, including ITIL and business service management, business intelligence and predictive analytics, and project management.
When it comes to new skills, adding to one’s skill set not only improves on-the-job effectiveness but also opens the door for advancement and an above-average increase in compensation. Certifications are still seen as valuable within the IT community. This trend is unlikely to change as the pace of technological innovation and market forces continue to demand new ways of thinking and executing.
This year’s survey revealed that IT and business professionals can increase their compensation not only by leaving their company for another opportunity but also by increasing their value to the organization through developing new skills and participating in critical projects.
Download the complete salary survey.