Earnings for entry-level IT jobs have declined in real terms in
the past five years, while
salaries for IT professionals in management roles have
continued to beat inflation, research has shown.
The research by the
Association of Technology Staffing Companies (ATSCo) and on CV
service
iProfile found that pay for first-line IT support staff has
remained fixed and second line support pay has increased only 0.8%
a year, while managerial-level salaries have increased an average
of 20.5% in the past five years.
Salaries for first line support staff have remained fixed at
around £18,000, but salaries for project managers have jumped from
£37,500 to £45,000 the research found.
ATSCo said the disparity in IT earnings was a direct result of
companies outsourcing technical support to lower waged centres such
as India.
The gap has widened further because of the increased demand for
skilled UK professionals to manage the increasing number of IT
projects being outsourced offshore.
iProfile chief executive
Rick Backon said sophisticated project management jobs remained
firmly rooted in the UK and competition for these jobs was
increasing.
Anne Swain, chief executive of ATSCo said, "The outsourcing of
entry-level IT jobs has meant fewer graduate-level jobs are
available in the UK. It is like removing the bottom rung from the
career ladder."
According to ATSCo, the outsourcing trend is acting as a
disincentive for Britons to study IT, which could exacerbate the
already problematic IT skill shortages in the UK.
"The shortage now is of candidates with a few years experience,
but how do you get experience if entry level jobs are being sent
offshore," said Swain.