IT salaries will stand firm, even if recession bites


28 Jan 2008

Salary levels in Ireland’s IT industry are unlikely to fall this year despite worsening international economic conditions as a shortage of skilled workers is likely to keep demand and salaries at peak levels.

According to IT recruiter Verkom, which has published its 2008 salary guide, pay levels in the sector will hold firm in the current year.

The company says there will be continued upward pressure on salaries in key functions where the supply of candidates remains tight.

Verkom said there is a shortage of candidates across most areas of IT, which also has implications for competitiveness in the sector.

Depending on experience, full-time professionals in the industry are now commanding basic salary levels ranging from €22,000 for a localisation specialist starting out to over €150,000 for a chief technology officer with five years experience.

In the contract sector, daily rates range from €150 to €1,000 or more depending on the skill sets and seniority involved.

“Currently, there is a candidate shortage across most areas of IT,” explained Karen O’Flaherty, director of Verkom.

“There is very strong demand for business analysts and project managers in the financial areas of security, audit or compliance. Development skills including Java, J2EE, C# and .Net skills are also in high demand as are good automation testers and test and quality assurance managers.

“In the contract market, the rates on offer in Ireland are attracting excellent people from across Europe, as well as helping to retain Irish talent.

“The IT sector is a key component of Ireland’s future prosperity. However, the skills shortage is still biting. It remains very important to encourage students to enter IT courses at third level to ensure there is a steady supply of highly-qualified talent available to the economy in the years ahead,” she commented.

O’Flaherty said that forecasts for the growth of the Irish economy range from 2.1pc to 3.8pc for 2008.

“While this represents a softening in economic conditions, the country is still in growth mode. Overall it will remain a candidates’ market in IT with some minor exceptions,” added O’Flaherty.

The 2008 salary guide, which gives a detailed breakdown of salaries across a wide range of positions in the Irish IT sector, is available to download through the website of Verkom’s parent, Premier, at http://www.premier.ie

By John Kennedy