Earnings in IT
What are the most highly demanded IT skill sets?
The responses of Independent I.T. Contractors regarding their per hour
compensation are in Figure 1. Those billing at the top end of the range are
presumed to be coming to the table with a very full plate of skills included in
this rate chart. The average rate per billable hour boils down to $40-$79. (See
Table 1 for a detailed breakdown of skills and the hourly rates they reportedly
earn.)
From the broadest perspective, for I.T. pros, having the hottest skill sets is
how you follow the money. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Implementation,
Data Warehousing/Data Mining and Project Management professionals have been
identified as possessing the highest paying skill sets. At the same time, the
I.T. fields found to be experiencing a decline in demand, and thus their
compensation value, are Quality Assurance, Hardware Development, Technical
Documentation and Network Administration. This is a result of market saturation
and ample qualified candidates who have specialized in these areas for many
years now.
There are obviously large and continually expanding gaps in talent availability,
particularly those who have the most cutting edge skills. Therefore, the
compensation of contractors varies widely from their full-time peers, because of
the skill complexity they can offer the marketplace at any given time. This
skill disparity presents an argument for employers, employees and those that do
the hiring to invest in on-going skill development through continuing education
and on the job cross-training.
| Responsibility |
<$20
|
$20-29
|
$30-39
|
$40-49
|
$50-59
|
$60-69
|
$70-79
|
$80-89
|
Software Development
|
4%
|
7%
|
9%
|
14%
|
18%
|
15%
|
12%
|
7%
|
Information Systems Design
|
3%
|
6%
|
8%
|
11%
|
17%
|
13%
|
11%
|
8%
|
Project Management
|
2%
|
5%
|
6%
|
7%
|
11%
|
13%
|
13%
|
9%
|
Database Development
|
3%
|
5%
|
7%
|
11%
|
14%
|
14%
|
14%
|
9%
|
Network Administration
|
8%
|
21%
|
15%
|
12%
|
12%
|
9%
|
8%
|
4%
|
Technical Documentation
|
5%
|
15%
|
15%
|
15%
|
19%
|
9%
|
8%
|
4%
|
Quality Assurance
|
6%
|
15%
|
16%
|
12%
|
17%
|
11%
|
8%
|
3%
|
ERP Implementation
|
2%
|
2%
|
6%
|
7%
|
7%
|
10%
|
7%
|
6%
|
Hardware Development
|
12%
|
18%
|
14%
|
12%
|
13%
|
8%
|
7%
|
5%
|
Data Warehousing/Data Mining
|
0%
|
2%
|
5%
|
7%
|
16%
|
13%
|
13%
|
8%
|
Embedded Systems/Software Design
|
5%
|
3%
|
7%
|
11%
|
15%
|
14%
|
11%
|
6%
|
| Responsibility |
$90-99
|
$100-109
|
$110-119
|
$120-129
|
$130-139
|
$140-149
|
>$150
|
Total
|
Software Development
|
4%
|
5%
|
1%
|
2%
|
0%
|
0%
|
2%
|
2,117
|
Information Systems Design
|
4%
|
8%
|
2%
|
4%
|
1%
|
1%
|
4%
|
1,252
|
Project Management
|
6%
|
10%
|
2%
|
6%
|
1%
|
1%
|
7%
|
1,125
|
Database Development
|
4%
|
7%
|
2%
|
5%
|
1%
|
1%
|
4%
|
915
|
Network Administration
|
3%
|
3%
|
1%
|
3%
|
0%
|
1%
|
2%
|
890
|
Technical Documentation
|
2%
|
4%
|
1%
|
1%
|
0%
|
1%
|
2%
|
728
|
Quality Assurance
|
3%
|
5%
|
0%
|
1%
|
0%
|
0%
|
1%
|
469
|
ERP Implementation
|
6%
|
15%
|
5%
|
8%
|
2%
|
3%
|
15%
|
321
|
Hardware Development
|
2%
|
4%
|
2%
|
3%
|
0%
|
1%
|
1%
|
320
|
Data Warehousing/Data Mining
|
8%
|
9%
|
2%
|
5%
|
2%
|
1%
|
9%
|
319
|
Embedded Systems/Software Design
|
3%
|
9%
|
2%
|
3%
|
1%
|
1%
|
9%
|
235
|
|
