IDS Study 764, December 2003

Computer staff pay

• Reports on the latest trends in IT salaries
• Provides details of the salary structures at 20 named organisations outside the specialist IT sector
• Summarises overtime and shiftworking premia and standby and call-out payments.

Demand for IT staff continues to be subdued in a labour market characterised by lower than average recruitment and turnover levels. That said, certain IT skills are always at a premium, public sector investment in computer systems remains buoyant and there are tentative hopes that corporate expenditure on IT projects might soon pick up. This Study examines the impact of labour market developments on salary levels and how employers manage salary progression for IT staff.

Although there is no general shortage of skilled IT people, certain 'hot' skills continue to be particularly valued. There is, for example, considerable demand for those with programming skills in legacy system languages and, at the other end of the spectrum, for those with the ability to e-enable a wide range of business and service processes. Furthermore, employers are increasingly seeking to recruit computer staff whose skill sets are more diverse and well-rounded. In addition to core IT expertise, greater weight is being attached to project management and teamworking skills, empathy with business objectives and the ability to communicate well with non-specialists. The Study also briefly covers the use of IT contractors and the continuing trend towards outsourcing part or all of the IT function.