While many industries are seeing more of a bust than a boom in recent years, the tech trends for 2012 seem to include slightly higher salaries in many positions than in years past. In fact, a jump in salary this big hasn’t been felt in the tech industry since all our financial woes began to come to a head back in 2008—at least that’s the story, according to a 2012 Tech Salary Survey conducted by Dice.com. The salary boost averages out to about a two percent increase in the average tech salary in 2012 from what it was in 2010.
Not only has there been an upward tick in salaries for 2012 but also in those all-important bonuses (which many companies have been skipping completely over the past four years) as well. At first glance, the average bonus amount has increased by a whopping eight percent. That’s huge when it comes to bonuses. But the news just keeps getting better. In addition to the monumental increase in bonus amounts, the number of professionals receiving those bonuses has increased from 29 percent to 32 percent.
Here’s hoping the trend keeps getting better for the 2013 outlook! There are other trends to explore though so be sure to keep a few key pieces of information in mind as you explore your IT employment options for the coming year.
Silicon Valley still seems to reign supreme when it comes to tech salaries. Currently, it’s the only US locale to top six-figures (though there are a few US cities quickly approaching that extra digit). It is not, however, the city that has seen the greatest percentage of growth in IT salaries over the past year. That title goes to the city of Austin, Texas with a growth of 13 percent while Portland, Oregon followed closely behind at 12 percent growth.
Another important point to take home from the Dice Tech Salary Survey results is that the main push seems to be towards enterprise Java and IT pros who have experience with WebSphere, JBoss, and WebLogic seem to be swimming in the deep end of the salary pool.
Additionally, the highest gains in salary seem to be among employees with 11 years or more of experience in their fields. This means that stability and long experience are bringing in greater rewards for 2012. Education is also trending big when it comes to higher salaries. While there is a negligible difference in salary for those who have some college and a four-year degree, employees with a master’s degree were able to enjoy a 5.8 percent increase in salary from 2010 and those with doctoral degrees jumped by almost 13 percent.
Keep these valuable nuggets of information in mind if you’re considering a job change in the IT field for 2012. Be sure to brush up on skills that will serve you best and find the right location for the greatest impact on your overall income situation. For excellent career opportunities in the technology field, be sure to get in touch with Venteon for temporary, contract, and full time tech jobs.