How much are you earning?
While factors such as geography and education affect an individualís compensation, the charts below depict the averages in compensation for various IT professionals. Try out our interactive Salary Calculator to get a sense of what others with similiar qualifications earn.
  2001 salary 2002 salary Change % change
Total $68,340 $71,550 $3,210 4.7%
Senior IT management (CIO/Sr. VP/VP of MIS/IT/IS/DP) $103,750 $108,820 $5,070 4.9%
Manager/director $67,470 $70,450 $2,980 4.4%
   MIS/IT/IS/DP $69,330 $72,300 $2,970 4.3%
   LAN/WAN networks $62,200 $65,180 $2,980 4.8%
   Telecommunications $70,580 $73,730 $3,150 4.5%
Other management (corporate management/Internet/intranet/extranet) $86,140 $91,230 $5,090 5.9%
Staff $60,450 $63,180 $2,730 4.5%
   Network architect/designer/analyst/database    administrator $66,600 $69,910 $3,310 5.0%
   Network operator/technician/other network operations staff $53,800 $56,340 $2,540 4.7%
   Trainer/help desk/tech support $48,320 $49,700 $1,380 2.9%
   Other staff $62,560 $64,960 $2,400 3.8%



Formal education vs. certifications
This snapshot of average base salaries shows that more formal education means more money, but that having more certifications doesnít equate to greater pay.

Degree 2001 base salary 2002 base salary % change
High school diploma $58,540 $61,680 5.4%
Associate's degree $60,930 $63,800 4.7%
Bachelor's degree $67,460 $70,830 5.0%
Advanced degree $82,080 $85,240 3.8%
Certifications
No professional certifications $70,640 $73,850 4.5%
One professional certification $66,030 $69,170 4.8%
Two or more professional certifications $64,280 $67,590 5.1%



Your criteria for job satisfaction
We asked respondents to tell us how important each of the following factors are to a decision to change jobs. Respondents rated factors on a scale of 1-4, with 4 representing "critical."

Benefits package (insurance, etc.) 3.2
Challenge of work 3.2
Job security 3.1
Overall compensation 3.1
Base salary 3.0
Access to new technologies 3.0
Professional development & training 3.0
Advancement potential 2.9
Annual salary reviews (raises) 2.9
Family friendliness 2.9
Recognition/appreciation of your work 2.9
Leave (vacation, holidays, etc.) 2.9
Performance incentives/bonuses 2.8
Autonomy 2.8
Proximity to home 2.8
Job flexibility (work schedule) 2.7
Workload 2.6
On-the-job training 2.6
Increased scope of responsibility 2.5
Comp. time 2.4
Tuition reimbursement 2.3
Opportunity to telecommute 2.3
Industry 2.2
Stock options 2.1
Small company 1.9
Large company 1.9
Likelihood of company going public 1.7



Your work hours
Those making the most money also work the most hours, particularly at home and on call. Try our interactive Salary Calculator to get a sense of what others with similiar qualifications earn.

  Hours worked per week, by salary
Where you work Mean, all titles $20-39K $40-59K $60-79K $80-99K $100K+
At office 43 41 43 43 43 45
At home 6 4 5 5 6 10
Other locations 2 2 2 2 2 3
Traveling 1 1 1 1 1 2
On call 12 8 13 13 9 10
Total 63 56 64 64 61 70



Number of network servers and clients for which respondents are responsible. (Total respondents: 1592)

Network system Mean
Servers 61
Clients 1,461