The continuing layoffs by technology companies, the dotcom bust, and the past few years of flat IT spending has taken its toll on IS salary trends, especially for positions on the higher end of the scale.
Preliminary results of Computer Economics’ 2003 salary survey data indicate that the majority of computer-related disciplines either experienced no appreciable change over 2002 salary levels or, in some cases, actually lost ground. This trend is most pronounced for management positions and senior technical positions with salaries approaching or exceeding $100K per year. Individuals accepting new, lateral positions on the high end of the IS salary scale reported decreases in salary over their previous position, often ranging from 5% to 15%.
As Bill Gates said recently to a group of students at Mount Whitney High School in Visalia, California, “you will not make $40,000 a year right out of high school, and you won’t be a vice president with a car phone until you earn both.” The fact of life is breaking the $40K IS salary barrier is a two or three year goal–even for college graduates. This is a significant change from the dotcom heyday when salaries were at their zenith and many recent college graduates were commanding entry-level salaries at nearly twice that amount.
Our 2003 IS Salary Survey covering over 75 positions will be available in January 2003.
December 2002