It's that time of year again, when Network World studies our most valuable resource: you. In our annual You Issue, we look at all facets of the network executive - your job, hobbies and career potential.

The most startling information that came out of the annual salary survey is that despite a gruesome economy, your salaries have increased - outpacing the average boosts of other jobs. According to the survey, conducted by Network World and King Brown & Partners, the average paycheck for a network executive is $113,140. As my colleague Julie Bort points out, this confirms that being in the networking space is a brilliant career move.

You can view the salary survey results at http://www.nwfusion.com/you/2003/0721salary.html.

And that paycheck is worth its weight. Findings in the survey show that the higher a person's salary, the less likely they are to go a-roaming. That doesn't mean they aren't interested in being courted, though. If you look closely at the results, it shows that even the highest wage earners aren't above discussing another job opportunity if approached.

Bort also points out that there is still a discrepancy between what women make in the networking field vs. what their male counterparts take home. But as Bort shows, there are reasons that contribute to this difference - which amounts to about 17% lower salaries across the board. The most significant factor between the salaries men and women receive is the importance they place on work/life balance. Women are more likely to put an emphasis on this, while men might choose other issues as more important. Bort explains that men cite "advancement potential" in their top 10 needs for job satisfaction while this criterion didn't even make it into the top 10 for women. Women match men in their two top concerns - job security and benefits packages - but the similarities end there. Women put vacation and leave as a top criteria, while it didn't register in the top 10 for men.

To view the full list, click on http://www.nwfusion.com/you/2003/0721salaryside.html#satisfaction.

And then finally, if you want proof that an education counts in network field advancement, you need only look to the salary survey. There is an almost $20,000 gap between the average salary of a network executive with a graduate degree vs. one without.

Make sure you check out how your salary compares by filling out the Salary Calculator (http://www.nwfusion.com/you/2003/calculator.html). Then, feel free to contact me with the results. Were you surprised by the results? Let me know at sgittlen@nww.com.

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Motivating You - Network World digs deep into your work, career and free time

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