IT Hiring Is on the Uptick According to 2011 IT Salary Survey

The 2011 Salary Survey, just released by Janco Associates and eJobDescription.com, is good news for IT job seekers. The survey shows that hiring is picking up in some sectors of the IT job market, salaries have stopped falling, and for selected positions there has been an increase in compensation - especially for CIOs. Even though many fear a second dip in the economy, CIOs in larger enterprises have been give the ‘yellow light’ to look ahead and fill positions that were left unfilled last year. The same is not the case for mid-sized companies. They are much more cautious and concerned that the recovery will not be strong enough to support increased IT spending.

The most striking observations of the survey are:

-- Some recovery has occurred in compensation and hiring of IT Professionals. The total mean compensation for all IT Professionals has increased modestly by 0.35% to $77,873 from $77,604. This puts overall compensation back at the levels they were at in January 2008.

-- Middle manager and non-line IT executives continue to feel a salary crunch.

-- Mid-sized enterprises are now starting to hire staff workers with salaries in this sector increasing the most – Mean compensation is up by 1.44% from $61,047 to $61,924.

-- Layoffs seem to have tapered off.

-- On shore outsourcing has peaked and companies are looking to bring IT operations back into their direct control and reduce operating costs.

-- Cost reduction is still the rule of the day; however we have seen an increase in the number of “part-timers” and contractors who are focused on particular critical projects.

-- Companies are continuing to reduce the benefits provided to IT professionals. Though benefits such as health care are available, IT professionals are now paying a greater portion of that cost.

-- Flexible hours and work schedules are becoming more available as the recovery begins to take hold and is viewed as a low cost high value benefit by both employers and employees.

-- CIOs compensation has increased over the last 12 months. The mean compensation for CIOs in large enterprises is now $184,681 (an increase of 1.73%) and $163,106 (an increase of 0.49%) in mid-sized enterprises.

-- CIO demand is almost non-existent as companies who were not pleased with their existing CIO have already replace them and incumbents in those positions are reluctant to move with the current economic conditions. 

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