Offshoring and the drop in IT graduates has led to huge pay
increases for mid-level IT staff, according to research.
The Income Data Services report said the median salary for IT
user support technicians has jumped 13% to £24,177 in the last
year, while network and systems engineers saw a rise of 9.5%,
taking their average pay to £31,120.
Pay rates are being pushed up by shortages of mid-level IT
staff. The loss of entry-level jobs because of outsourcing, and a
drop in IT graduates, has led to less competition for mid-level
jobs coming up through the ranks.
Ken Mulkearn, editor of the report, said, "The sizeable pay
increases we are seeing in mid-level IT support and technical roles
is being driven largely by acute skills shortages."
Anne Swain, chief executive of the
Association of Technology Staffing Companies, has said in the
past that outsourcing lower level IT work to countries such as
India is like "removing the bottom rung of the career ladder".
She said, "The shortage now is of candidates with a few years
experience looking for second and third jobs. But how do you get
that experience if entry level jobs are being sent offshore?"
The Council for Professors and Heads of Computing found the
number of IT graduates has dropped 48% since 2001. There were
29,477 applicants in 2001, compared to just 15,258 in 2007.