2003 Network World Salary Survey

Many companies have trimmed the number of people on the payroll this year, but network pros who remain on staff are bringing home bigger salaries and bonuses. That’s just one piece of the good news you’ll find in the 2003 Network World Salary Survey. (Go to https://www.nwfusion.com/you/2003/0721salary.html).

Let’s get to the numbers. Across all IT job titles, total compensation increased an average of 3.7% to $73,910, as compared to $71,300 in 2002. This figure include base salary, bonuses, stock options and other payments. Conducted for Network World by King Brown & Partners, the survey is based on responses from 1,542 IT professionals.

Staff-level workers expect to bring home $65,850 in total compensation this year, a 3.6% increase over 2002. IT managers or directors expect their overall pay to rise 3.8% to $76,580. And network executives stand to pull in $133,480 in total compensation this year, a 3.4% jump from 2002.

Job security is the most important factor influencing job satisfaction, according to respondents. That isn’t surprising given the economy. Other factors that influence happiness in the workplace include benefits, challenging work, overall compensation, and advancement potential.

Factors such as hours worked, company size and education level most heavily influence the amount of your base salary. For example, IT pros who put in 55 or more hours a week will earn an average of $84,750, while those who work 45 or fewer expect to bring home an average of $63,880. And larger companies tend to pay the most, with salaries ranging from $64,040 in companies with less than 100 employees to $85,120 at firms with 10,000 or more on staff.

These are just a few of the highlights of my colleague Julie Bort’s article, so I recommend you check out the complete package online. One feature you won’t want to miss is the salary calculator, which tells you how much you should be earning based on your job title, location and years of experience. Go to https://www.nwfusion.com/you/2003/calculator.html to try out this useful tool.