IT Salary Outlook

CultureFitTechnical Recruiting

We hear a lot of conflicting stories about the IT job market. In some cases, companies have a difficult time finding the talent they need for their open positions, while in other cases, there are an abundance of job seekers applying for specific positions within the industry.

The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. But what is undeniable is that tech salaries are on the rise, and for some professionals, they are skyrocketing. Read on to learn about the IT salary outlook for 2015.

Increases Industry Wide

According to forecasts, the average starting salary for IT workers is expected to rise by 5.7% in 2015. That might sound like a modest increase, but consider that wages/salaries for the American job market as a whole are only predicted to rise by about 3%, and IT seems like a good field to be in. Even more promising is that a recent survey of CIOs found that 19% planned to increase the size of their teams, creating lots of opportunities for new hires.

Increases By Profession

IT has always been something of a roller coaster, with some professions falling out of favor/utility just as others were on the rise. Below is a list of the 15 IT professions projected to see the largest salary gains in 2015.

  • Mobile Applications Developer +10.2%
  • Big Data Engineer +9.3%
  • Wireless Network Engineer +9.1%
  • Business Intelligence Analyst +7.4%
  • Data Security Analyst +7.4%
  • Data Architect +7.2%
  • Lead Applications Developer +7.2%
  • Database Developer +7.2%
  • Software Engineer +7.2%
  • Chief Security Officer +7.1%
  • Software Developer +6.9%
  • Senior Web Developer +6.8%
  • Network Security Engineer +6.7%
  • Data Modeler +6.7%
  • Information Systems Security Manager +6.6%

Increases at the Top

The coming year will more than likely see a continuation of what has become a yearly trend – rising executive salaries, and the ascendance of IT to the very highest levels of management. The further integration of IT with broader strategic goals, and major capital outlays, means that salaries for IT executives will only inflate further. Tech professions are now a way to enter the elite compensation brackets formerly limited to professionals in business, finance, law, and medicine.

The data indicates that this is a great time to be working in IT, but that your skills need to align with the needs of the present and future. Opportunities are available, and compensation is generous, but companies are most eager to hire professionals with expertise in big data, mobile technologies, and security. Get the help you need to point your career in the right direction by working with the expert IT recruiting team at Culture Fit.