IT Salary Survey 2021: The results are in

The Insider Pro and Computerworld survey of more than 1,100 IT professionals reveals salary trends for a wide range of tech job titles from CIO and other leadership roles to middle management to non-management roles.

We share how your job title, experience, and gender affect your compensation plan. And reveal whether having certifications will help you land a job, pay rise or promotion.

We also asked the 503 respondents who identified themselves as managers about their hiring plans in terms of budget and most-in-demand skillsets. Unsurprisingly, the top IT skills in demand this year will be application development, security and cloud computing, but which skills are no longer attractive to hiring managers?

And what of the other side of the table – what are IT professionals looking for in their careers? We also asked IT pros how satisfied they are — not just with salary, but also other factors such as job stability, flexibility, career advancement and more. A large percent said they either actively or passively look for a new job – and they told us why.

Of our total 1,759 respondents, 1,172 were employed full or part time or as an IT contractor. Of note is that 9% of respondents reported being unemployed – a significant jump from last year’s figure of 1%. The percent who are retired remained relatively consistent at 5% (6% in 2020).

Editor’s note: Sincere thanks to Jen Garofalo, Research Director at IDG Communications, and April Montgomery, Art Director at IDG Communications, for their work on the IT Salary Survey.

IT Salary Survey coverage on Insider Pro

IT Salary Survey 2021: Compensation holds steady despite pandemic

Despite economic uncertainty heading into 2021 and rapidly changing industry dynamics, the outlook for IT professionals is a positive one. If the COVID-19 pandemic has done one thing for the IT industry, it’s that it has shone a very bright light on the increasingly critical nature of digital IT tools and infrastructures. What we wanted to find out is how this has impacted salaries and earning potential?

IT Salary Survey 2021: Hiring rate expected to increase but priorities will shift

In what has been a most extraordinary 12 months, we wanted to understand the prospects for IT professionals as we look forward to another year of disruption and change. How strong will the IT recruitment market be and which skills are in most demand? Has the pandemic changed hiring plans and which IT skills are no longer considered critical?

IT Salary Survey 2021: Over half of IT pros are satisfied at work – but nearly half are job hunting

Given the year we have all had and the changes in working patterns we have had to adopt, IT professionals could be forgiven for being unsettled in their work. For many though, 2020 has been a year of growth and acceleration. Our 2021 salary survey of IT professionals reveals current attitudes to pay, responsibilities and what matters most in their current jobs.

IT Salary Survey 2021: Security and cloud computing certifications on the up

Investing time, effort and money in technology certifications to improve understanding and competency across a range of technical skills certainly adds value from a personal development perspective but what does it actually mean in terms of job prospects and salary increases? Are all certifications equal or are some more valuable than others?

2021 Salary Survey: Get the full data set

After you read about how IT pros’ compensation is trending higher, how hiring expectations are robust and the way IT pros feel about their jobs, you may want to get your hands on critical data to help with budgeting, retention or compensation trends – you’ll need the raw file of our salary survey data. Here’s how.