IT Salaries Increase Even During Economic Downturn

 A recent survey of IT professionals indicates that salaries continue to rise despite the recession. The IT training company, Global Knowledge, in conjunction with TechRepublic, released the 2009 IT Skills and Salary Report which reported the average base salary in 2009 for IT workers in the US is $81,600. (The average for the Midwest is $77.6K according to the report.) The survey, conducted between October 20 and November 11, 2008, further determined that 70 percent of the over 14,000 survey participants received a salary increase within the last 12 months, the average raise being six percent. Nearly half the participants received a bonus within the last 12 months, the average of which was $8,575. 

Salaries increased with the size of the IT staff at each company and with the addition of responsibilities. Job performance was the number one driver of salary level and there seemed to be a strong link between training/ certifications and pay. The average base salary of IT professionals who received some training over the previous 12 months was $82.8K versus $78.4K for those who did not receive any training the previous year.