Based on this report on Datamation about expected 2016 IT salary levels, paychecks in the tech sector are looking increasingly healthy. For several years, employers have faced challenges in hiring tech talent – there aren’t enough skilled IT pros to fill all the positions. Consequently, IT salary levels have been steadily gaining altitude.
Many IT Jobs Are Unfilled
It’s no surprise that many IT jobs are going unfilled, or taking longer to be filled. The technology sector has grown rapidly in the last several years. The role that tech plays in our lives seems to grow more central with every passing month, fueled by mobile devices and the “always on” digital lifestyle. Even average non-tech people seem able to make reference to algorithms and apps. Where tech was once a competitive advantage for forward-looking firms, companies now realize that leveraging tech in many ways – from mobile to cloud to Big Data – is core and essential.
Benefits Attract IT Talent
To attract the talent needed to build and maintain this constant growth, companies have taken to offering generous benefit packages, starting with salary and including perks like stock options. The hiring pace has noticeably quickened, as employers realize they need to make an offer soon rather than indulge a lengthy interview process.
Dramatic Gains for Mobile Application Developers
For some IT pros, the salary gains over the last few years have been dramatic. For instance, take a gander at the last few years for mobile application developers – you’ll note they’ve enjoyed 7-10% gains per year, for years:
2016 average salary range: $115,250 – $175,750.
• The 2016 salary range is an increase of 8.2% over this job’s 2015 salary range, which was $107,500 – $161,500.
• The 2015 salary range was an increase of 10.2% over this job’s 2014 salary range, which was $100,000 – $144,000.
 • The 2014 salary range was an increase of 7.8% over this job’s 2013 salary range, which was $92,750 – $133,500.
• The 2013 salary range was an increase of 9% over this job’s 2012 salary range, which was $85,000 – $122,500.
• The 2012 salary range was an increase of 9.1% over this job’s 2011 salary range, which was $78,000 – $112,250.
Realize, too, that these IT salary levels are quite a bit higher in the US east and west coasts, in contrast to the south and Midwest. For coastal regions, take the listed figures and add 25-35 percent, plus additional amounts for related programming skills.
Emerging Technologies Push IT Salary Levels Higher
Another factor pushing IT salary levels higher: there are emerging technologies that, while nascent now, will soon be hungry for tech talent. For instance, wearables, which many observers expect to play a role in both consumer and business life. The CIOs polled by Robert Half expect that wearables will be a commonly used workplace tool in the next 1-2 years (15%) or the next 3-5 years (37%). Plenty of new IT job titles will spring up to service this growing market, creating new openings for developers, data scientists, security experts and others.
What all this means is that, if you’re a tech pro who’s looking for a new job or negotiating in your current post, you’re in a good position. Rest assured – you are needed.
This article was originally published on November 12, 2015
