IT contractors are experiencing a boom in pay rates,
with an average annual increase of 14%.
Although permanent IT staff did not receive the same rises as
contractors, the average annual pay rise was 8%, according to a
survey by the
Association of Technology Staffing Companies (Atsco) and jobs
site SkillsMarket.
Both permanent and temporary IT pay increases are better than
the national average of 4% in the year to April, according to
figures from the
Office for National Statistics.
Atsco chief executive Anne Swain said that strong growth in IT
pay was being driven by the public sector and retail. "There is
huge growth in the public sector because there is more money and
better projects, and they have not got enough senior people. Rates
are also going up in the retail sector, with contractors getting
£40 to £45 an hour," she said.
Swain said the demographic of in-demand IT workers was changing.
"We are finding that more junior people are in demand. Because of
outsourcing, IT employers are not training younger staff. There is
also a shortage of support staff, whereas there used to be a
surplus," she said.
Julie-Anne Brooks, a director at recruitment firm JM Group,
said, "There have been significant increases in the demand for
support/service roles, predominantly at a junior level.
"At the senior level, however, demand was fairly stagnant on
last year. Looking forward, we expect the next six months to
continue in the same direction, with continued increases in rates
as demand outstrips supply."
Demand for
skilled IT staff rises >>
ComputerWeekly/SSL salary surveys >>
Association of Technology
Staffing Companies >>
SkillsMarket >>
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