IT salary is going down !

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IT salary is going down !

Loner

SSC-Insane

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April 28, 2008 at 2:24 pm

#93241

I got email from InformationWeek each week. This week the main article is about the IT salary is going down. The average is $2000 less. The economic slowdown, outsourcing or new hires getting lower paid all contribute to this. So is IT still a hot career?
http://www.informationweek.com/news/management/careers/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207401820&pgno=3&queryText=&isPrev=

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Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736297 More actions · Answer 1

I'm not sure that I think salaries are going down for talented workers, especially in data fields. I think the sysadmins, especially MSCEs might get paid less, and workers in areas that have less experience requirements (support, help desk), but many people are doing better.

There is definitely a slow down in the economy and there will be people that take less money for some other benefits (telecommuting or something else). But IT is still a good field to be in as far as I'm concerned.

Grant Fritchey SSC Guru Points: 398890 More actions · Answer 2

It sure beats working on a nuclear powered submarine in terms of pay, benefits, hours, cleanliness... Yeah, I'd say it's still a good career.

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore Roosevelt

Author of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004378 More actions · Answer 3

I guess I didn't know you were a "bubble head", Grant. I was the lead ping jockey on SSN 604... did a little time on the Parche (637 stretch hull) and took one post overhaul ride on the Shark.

They were all "Big and black and never came back!" 😉

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Grant Fritchey SSC Guru Points: 398890 More actions · Answer 4

It is a small world. I was on SSN606, Tinosa (a pile of glowing razor blades now). I was nuclear power machinist mate. In other words I used a slightly different source to generate steam, but I did the same job as one of Robert Fulton's monkey mates did. Kind of sad when you think about it.

But to stay on topic, this is a great career.

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore Roosevelt

Author of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736297 More actions · Answer 5

Are you sure? got some job security at 500ft down and starting a deployment. Not like to get pink slipped for a few months out there :hehe:

Grant Fritchey SSC Guru Points: 398890 More actions · Answer 6

We carried straight jackets... That's all I'm going to say about that.

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore Roosevelt

Author of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004378 More actions · Answer 7

IT salaries are going down for some as Steve mentioned... and for the reasons he mentioned. I'd like to remind all of you managers out there, you get what you pay for. Our company did a couple of "bargain" jobs on the outsourcing side.... they're still trying to fix things.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Matt Miller (4) SSC Guru Points: 124210 More actions · Answer 8

I could swear I saw the exact opposite article a few weeks ago (about tech salaries firming up)....

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part...unless you're my manager...or a director and above...or a really loud-spoken end-user..All right - what was my emergency again?

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736297 More actions · Answer 9

I keep getting ready to write about this and every week, sometimes twice a week, I get an article that goes one way or the other.

I'm starting to think that journalists are trying to ensure they stay employed and nothing is changing 😛

Adrian Nichols-360275 SSCertifiable Points: 7694 More actions · Answer 10

If that's true, Steve, then we're better off in IT than journalism... One industry comparison down, how many does that leave?? :hehe:

Ade

A Freudian Slip is when you say one thing and mean your mother.
For detail-enriched answers, ask detail-enriched questions...[/url]

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736297 More actions · Answer 11

Who knows. As long as you look busy, probably still have a job!

I think IT is still in demand. Part of the issue is that as people leave, there are less skilled people coming in, lots of people still trying the paper-cert route, HR departments falling for it. There is some offshoring, but I think that it's a minority of places and there are companies coming back to onshoring.

If you're good, you'll have a job.

Good means more than technical skills. Business skills, social skills, getting along with the team all are important.

Adrian Nichols-360275 SSCertifiable Points: 7694 More actions · Answer 12

Speaking off offshoring, I took a call a couple of weeks ago from a company who asked if I'd like to outsource my SQL development to India. It all went very quiet when I said that I am the SQL development team here. :crazy:

I believe that there is a large number of people in our part of the IT industry that are self-taught; learning from books, online resources, etc; and that paper certification is a good route to take when you've got the experience to back it up. I think Steve's right in that too many companies HR departments accept a paper cert instead of experience, diluting the market with underskilled workers.

In my opinion, nothing beats experience.

Ade

A Freudian Slip is when you say one thing and mean your mother.
For detail-enriched answers, ask detail-enriched questions...[/url]

Jason Selburg SSC-Insane Points: 24641 More actions · Answer 13

Grant Fritchey (4/29/2008)
It sure beats working on a nuclear powered submarine in terms of pay, benefits, hours, cleanliness... Yeah, I'd say it's still a good career.

Jeff Moden (4/29/2008)
I guess I didn't know you were a "bubble head", Grant. I was the lead ping jockey on SSN 604... did a little time on the Parche (637 stretch hull) and took one post overhaul ride on the Shark.
They were all "Big and black and never came back!" 😉

Now that's funny! I used to listen to fish farts on the USS Silversides (SSN 679) & USS Jacksonville (SSN 699) back in '89.

I wonder how many other squids are on here....

______________________________________________________________________

Personal Motto: Why push the envelope when you can just open it?

If you follow the direction given HERE[/url] you'll likely increase the number and quality of responses you get to your question.

Jason L. Selburg

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004378 More actions · Answer 14

I agree, nothing beats experience...

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)