Demand for IT Professionals Drives Up Computing Salaries
ACS Says Survey Results Highlight Need to Train More IT Professionals to Fill the Gaps
Friday 31 July 1998 - The global shortage of IT skills is having a strong influence on salaries within the IT industry, with an average increase of 5.2 per cent recorded in the 12 months to February 1998.
The 1998 Australian Computer Society Remuneration Survey Report found an even higher increase in the private sector of 6.2 per cent, while public sector salaries rose by 3.4 per cent and the education sector by 4.5 per cent.
The survey, conducted on behalf of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) by the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers (APESMA), canvassed 2,164 technology professionals from around Australia, recording details of salary packages and conditions within all sectors of public and private industry. Only ACS Members, with professional qualifications and appropriate levels of experience, were eligible to participate in the study.
The Key Findings
The median base salary of all computer professionals was $64,100 (with a median total package of $73,448), significantly higher than that of engineers and scientists who earn, on average, salaries around $58,000.
The highest salary rises reported during the year went to professionals in consulting and programmer/analyst roles, with increases in the order of 5.9 per cent and 5.8 per cent respectively.
The lowest salary rises were reported by those in teaching and training, who gained increases of 4.1 per cent.
The median base salary of IT professionals working in private industry was $69,150 (with a median total package of $83,385), compared to $55,000 ($61,756) in the public sector and $56,000 ($63,118) in the education market.
Professionals working in management roles earned the highest median total packages, with General Management reporting $103,037 while Sales/Marketing earned $102,862.
The lowest median salaries were reported by those working in computer support ($53,000) and programmer/analyst ($54,219) positions.
IT Graduates Needed to Meet Demand
ACS President, Prins Ralston, said it was clear from the poll that demand for IT professionals would continue to rise, pointing to the latest DEETYA Skilled Vacancy Survey, which reported that job vacancies for computer professionals grew by 34 per cent during the 1997-98 financial year.
"Factors such as the Year 2000 issue and the prolific growth of e-commerce, the Internet and intranets are all contributing to this strong upward trend, in stark contrast to most other industries where the trend is downwards," he said.
"This survey supports our claim that not enough is being done to prepare the growing number of IT professionals who are needed to meet this demand," said Ralston.
"The ACS has long been calling for an increase in the number of university places for IT students, but instead this Government has cut funding to our tertiary institutions. This comes at a time when competitors like the United States have substantially increased funding to educate technology professionals.
"The growth of the IT&T industry in its own right, and the contribution of technology to the broader business and industrial fabric of Australia, demands a reliable supply of qualified graduates," he said.
Recognition Needed for Teachers and Trainers
Mr Ralston was also concerned at results showing that IT professionals working in teaching and training positions were paid less and received lower salary increases than their colleagues in consulting and systems management.
"With the skills shortage affecting all sectors of the IT market, we need to ensure that we pay our academics market rates in order to attract and keep the best people in our universities to provide a quality education for those people coming through.
"We cannot afford for our best teachers and lecturers to be lured away to private enterprise jobs offering much higher salaries," he said.
APESMA’s Research and Surveys Manager, Dominic Angerame, said the 1998 Report provided further substance to claims that the global skills shortage in the IT sector was driving up the salaries of computing professionals.
"The IT jobs market remains extremely buoyant with the salary rises showing a clear trend over the past two years. In this latest study, the 5.2 per cent average increase recorded for base salaries was up from a 4.6 per cent increase reported in the 1997 survey," he said.
The largest survey of its kind in Australia, this is the 6th annual review APESMA has conducted for the ACS.
A full copy of the 1998 report is available as a published document to all subscribers, with ACS Members paying just $30 while the corporate rate is $150. All subscribers are entitled to access the interactive online version of the report at the APESMA Web site.
Those wishing to subscribe to the Report or obtain more information should call APESMA on (03) 9695 8800 or email: survey@apesma.asn.au
This media release is located on the ACS Web site at www.acs.org.au/news/salary98.htm
ENDS
Media Enquiries:
Prins Ralston, ACS President, Tel: (0411) 755 069, Email: p_ralston@ntu.edu.au
Caroline New, Caroline New PR, Tel: (02) 9980 8060 or (0411) 889 456, Email: cnew@acslink.net.au
![[Start ofDocument]](../images/arrow2.gif)