Maintaining skills top priority for IT pros

Global Knowledge salary survey

More IT pros train to maintain or improve the skills they already possess than those who take training to gain a raise or a promotion, and IT execs are more likely to walk from a job if their employers don’t support training, according to a recent salary survey by training firm Global Knowledge.

The company’s “2007 IT Salary and Skill Report: What Impacts Salaries,” pulls data from 1,607 responses to its survey, which took place in the fourth quarter of last year. It reports that both employers and workers value training more than certifications, and that IT salaries is linked to what employers value – “a combination of skill level, certification, years of experience and the broadening of education to include management skills,” according to the research.

There were no surprises on the salary front: the more responsibility (executive management, senior IT management), the higher the average salary ($97,616, $91,185, respectively). Nearly one-quarter of the respondents are responsible for network or systems administration and analysis. Of the factors that affect salary, project managers reported the highest average earnings at $85,037, while security professionals and IT execs with 15 or more years experience earned on average $84,794 and $83,882, respectively. The average salary of individuals with at least one certification was $71,573, while the average for no certifications was $71,527, a small gap that confirms another survey by Foote Partners that skills pay for certified and non-certified pros is shrinking.

To continue reading, register here and become an Insider. You'll get free access to premium content from CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World. See more Insider content or sign in.

More IT pros train to maintain or improve the skills they already possess than those who take training to gain a raise or a promotion, and IT execs are more likely to walk from a job if their employers don’t support training, according to a recent salary survey by training firm Global Knowledge.

The company’s “2007 IT Salary and Skill Report: What Impacts Salaries,” pulls data from 1,607 responses to its survey, which took place in the fourth quarter of last year. It reports that both employers and workers value training more than certifications, and that IT salaries is linked to what employers value – “a combination of skill level, certification, years of experience and the broadening of education to include management skills,” according to the research.

There were no surprises on the salary front: the more responsibility (executive management, senior IT management), the higher the average salary ($97,616, $91,185, respectively). Nearly one-quarter of the respondents are responsible for network or systems administration and analysis. Of the factors that affect salary, project managers reported the highest average earnings at $85,037, while security professionals and IT execs with 15 or more years experience earned on average $84,794 and $83,882, respectively. The average salary of individuals with at least one certification was $71,573, while the average for no certifications was $71,527, a small gap that confirms another survey by Foote Partners that skills pay for certified and non-certified pros is shrinking.

In terms of industries, pros working for the government (federal civilian), defense/aerospace, and government (military/national) reported the highest average salary at $82,882, $81,321, and $80,000, respectively.

Respondents said they were satisfied with their base salaries but not with the amount of their salary increases, according the report. Some 23% said they were very dissatisfied with their last raise.

More than 80% of respondents hold a certification, with Microsoft and CompTIA as the most common certifications. Of the respondents, 41% earned their most recent certification more than two years ago, yet only 12% plan on recertifying and less than half plan on gaining a new certification. Security, VoIP and project management certifications top the list in both salary and interest, according to the survey.

Professionals are taking charge of their own training. Nearly 20% pay for their own training and 62% had attended training within the past nine months. Just 5% attended training as a requirement of their employer. Keeping up with their skills and knowledge, and education as being part of their personal career plans, were the top two reasons for taking training. IT pros were concerned or very concerned about maintaining their skills, and the level of concern increased with years of experience.

There are a number of sources where you can download the report, including Government Technology (registration required).

I’d be interested to get your view on why such as small percentage of certification holders plan to recertify or gain a new certification. Do you agree with this? Please write in.