FutureMon
OW My Eyes
Premium,ExMod 2002-05
join:2000-10-05
Colorado Springs, CO
clubs: 
4 edits | Average Salaries of I.T. Professionals
Using the following article as your guide:
»www.informationweek.com/news/man···86500737
How many of you, in positions as related to the article, find yourselves making more or less than the amounts stated.
I'm trying to gauge the industry as a whole with statistics from "real people".
I took the job titles from each category that I perform one or more functions from (there were 5 applying to me), averaged them together, first seperately for each year, and then both years averaged together to come up with a dollar figure, at both manager and staff levels.
I then took those numbers, and using a "percentage of my time spent on activities related to each title", figured the amounts for each category (equalling 100% of my time) and summed them together to reach an annual salary amount equivalent to the work being performed.
What I found was that in my particular scenario, as a manager I am getting paid 29.4% less than what I should be, and in terms of staff level compensation I found that I am getting paid 8.66% less than I should be. And these are averages of averages from 2005 and 2006...
My annual review is coming up, and before I go in with expectations of grandeur, I'd like to see where some of you are.
For instance, there's no way in the world that I could ever expect a 29% increase let alone an 8% one in todays climate, but at the same time I need to gauge the salary levels of my peers and if you're all in the same boat I am, then simply not caring about the result of the review (which should be stellar) and looking for a new gig might be out of the question. 
On the other hand, if I'm in a boat by myself and the grass is potentially greener elsewhere, then I may have some leverage to climb a little closer to what I am actually worth.
I'm essentially in a "one man shop" so I figure I'm sort of in a hybrid role between manager and staff, and the categories that apply to me are:
Enterprise application integration
Data mining/warehouse
Application development
Database analysis/development
Web design/development
- FM |
|
PToN
join:2001-10-04
Houston, TX
| WOW, i need to ask for a raise...!
I am nowhere near the numbers and i do(like many other around here) everything from systems administration to enterprise systems integration.... 
I feel bad now...
BUT i am just really glad that i have a job during the holidays. It could always be worse so i am happy now, but still will ask for that raise.. |
|
TearAbite
join:2001-07-25
Rancho Cucamonga, CA | reply to FutureMon
those numbers are high based on my experience - and i live in a 'high cost of living area' . |
|
cwnorris
join:2000-01-17
Longmont, CO
 ·Mesa Networks
| reply to FutureMon
I've been out of IT work for a few years, but those numbers look very high to me. When I left in 2006, I was making $45,000/year in Colorado. I was supporting ~100 people by myself, covering basically everything that plugged into any kind of wall socket; intranet (HTML, PHP, MySQL), phone (3Com), LAN/WAN, desktop, lab machines, email (postfix, qpop), firewalls, copiers, printers, projectors, blah blah blah.
Were it me, I would never use salary numbers posted on any website, they always seem to be high. Maybe people state what they wish they made instead of what they do make.
Granted, I've generally worked for small companies, mostly start-ups, and salary was never the most important consideration (actually way down the list, after work environment and location). |
|
TearAbite
join:2001-07-25
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
 ·surpasshosting
 ·Charter Pipeline
| reply to FutureMon
a little more info:
I was a regional I.T. manager for a large company up until just a few months ago - overseeing about 9 employees.
The "legacy" (mainframe) programmers were earning ~$80k
The BEST network admin/desktop support person (Lead) was barely breaking $55k - the others were earning between $33k and $40k
The Regional I.T. manager position paid just under $90k |
|
JAAulde
yum yum yum yum yum
Premium,MVM
join:2001-05-09
Hagerstown, MD | reply to FutureMon
Looks right to me...I've generally fit around those numbers |
|
Jafo232
You Can't Spell Democrat Without Rat.
Premium
join:2002-10-17
Boonville, NY | reply to FutureMon
Yeah, looks right.. Remember, this is an AVERAGE, so many make below it, and many make above it. |
|
marigolds
Gainfully employed, finally
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-13
Saint Louis, MO
| reply to FutureMon
Bonuses? What bonuses?
I have yet to even hear talk of a bonus in my short career (meanwhile, I did find out yesterday that I will not be getting a raise, again, due to an org wide wage freeze).
For my situation, there are no bonuses for profit sharing, project milestone bonuses, training, certification, or even education (earned an advanced degree does not give me a bonuses nor a salary increase) and about 20 workers a year out of 5000 get a personal performance bonus.
Amusing part is that when the pay freeze was announced yesterday, there were 30+ comments on the newspaper article about it saying that we were overpayed and overbenefited. :P
--
ISCABBS - the oldest and largest BBS on the Internet
telnet://bbs.iscabbs.com
Professional Geographer
Geographic Information Science researcher |
|
JAAulde
yum yum yum yum yum
Premium,MVM
join:2001-05-09
Hagerstown, MD
| reply to FutureMon
Our salaries have been quite competitive at the company I am working for. I was just given my annual review and am getting a fair raise for cost of living, etc.
As far as bonuses, the company I work for looks at their profits for the year and the state of the company, and comes up with a total number they can put into bonuses. Then they look at each employee and divide up that money based on time with the company and contribution.
Last year I think I picked up ~$500 bonus before tax and I had only been there 3 months and hadn't yet contributed a lot since I was learning the ropes.
The company also dedicates 10% of its profits to charity and divides that number evenly between the employees allowing them each to choose which charity will receive their part. This is on top of other giving they may do throughout the year, and aside from the CEO/CTO/etc personal giving.
Our benefits are quite good--health insurance premiums paid in full on a high deductible plan, and %50 of the deductible covered by the company via deposits to our HSA. The HSA of is the kind where money collects and earns interest and whatever you don't use can be collected off of at retirement. We've got 401k with excellent company matching. The company will contribute a few thousand dollars per adoption per family per year if we should decide adopt. Etc, etc, etc.
Besides bonuses benefits, and competitive salaries we are also given a $1000/year "personal development supplement". To help us maintain our computer equipment and to round out each employee as a whole person, we can expense up to $1000 per year to the company for things related to home office equipment, hobbies, gym memberships, etc. This $1000 is quite beneficial as it is not taxed (since it is an expense) and helps the company at tax time because it is an operational cost.
I could not ask for a better place to work. We've got a clear vision for the future, we're innovating our product, we're a small size and are truly cared for, and we make good money.
--
No eat apple, eat cookie. Apple spoil dinner.
My Development Sandbox | Blessed Beyond Reason | LinkedIn Profile |
|
QuaffAPint
A Big Thanks To The Troops
join:2001-01-10
Downingtown, PA
clubs:
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to FutureMon
Of course those numbers are based on a time of a better economy, so things like bonuses and such don't exist currently for myself.
TOTALLY OT:
Looking at the 'What Managers Make' graph - do all the lines seem to be angling downwards to you? They certainly seem it - I just don't know why they would do that - Some secret plot to make managers feel like they're making less ? 
--
{Send Secure Notes Free and Easily} :: whisperBot.com |
|
cowboyro
join:2000-10-11
Shelton, CT
·AT&T U-Verse
·Comcast
 ·Optimum Voice
| reply to FutureMon
What the article misses is the distribution of salaries across US. There are quite significant differences on a 50 miles range. I could make easily 15k more doing the same job if I wanted to commute ~1.5-2h each way (due to traffic, it's only 40-45 miles). But no thanks, I make enough (above the "average") in a decent place with great benefits and big bonuses |
|
Jafo232
You Can't Spell Democrat Without Rat.
Premium
join:2002-10-17
Boonville, NY | Agreed. What they pay in Anchorage will be much different than what they pay in NYC.. Good catch. |
|
FutureMon
OW My Eyes
Premium,ExMod 2002-05
join:2000-10-05
Colorado Springs, CO
clubs: | But doesn't the fact these are "national" averages automatically reduce the totals by enough to make them useful?
90k in New York
50k in Omaha
75k in California
===
72k nationwide average |
|
johnnyboyct
join:2003-06-11
Newington, CT
·Cox HSI
| reply to cowboyro
said by cowboyro  : I could make easily 15k more doing the same job if I wanted to commute ~1.5-2h each way (due to traffic, it's only 40-45 miles). But no thanks, I make enough (above the "average") in a decent place with great benefits and big bonuses We finally agree on something :P If I commuted to the Stamford / NY are (which is where I get most of the calls for), I could be making a decent amount more, but I drive about 10 miles each way now outside of Hartford There is also more people trying for the jobs in the less tech centric areas though, which SOMETIMES will slightly even it out.
I got lucky this time though. Great company, good money, so far a more then fair bonus, another one when I had my baby, and most important, they make you feel appreciated and dont micro manage. Very important in my book.
Its sad though about the managers making so much more. Hes still walking around installing software on individual pcs, let alone installing everything manually on format/new pcs....
--
Connecticut Web Design and Development |
|
wapu
Broadband Ranger
Premium
join:2001-09-05
Germantown, MD
clubs:
| reply to FutureMon
I have always been concerned that my salary was lower than what showed up on those surveys. Then I had a co worker who was chosen to take one. He told me he added $15K to the salary portion as a network administrator. His reasoning was that our boss took those surveys into account so if he was able to inflate the average he could see a bigger raise.
I gave him all the arguments about why that was wrong, but as the discussion spread to the rest of the IT staff, I found I was in the minority.
I find negotiating salary terribly difficult. Especially when I can't define my job completely in the categories of salary.com and other surveys like these. Take Enterprise Resource Planning on the Staffers graph. What exactly does that mean? A Large ERP System like SAP or JD Edwards/Peoplesoft/oracle or whatever it is now, is huge and complex. Does that mean you know everything about every module? Are you implementing the ERP System? Developing within it? Integrating outside systems with it? Designing the process flow within the system? I am just not sure what Enterprise Resource Planning means in the surveys.
One interesting thing I read, and I think it was in Information Week, was that the average person making more than $100K/Year moved employers at least 4 times prior to their current position. That was part of my reasoning for leaving the place I was at for 9 years prior to where I am now. I would love to find out if it is true, but have been unsuccessful at find the place I read it.
--
People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power.
~Bill Clinton 2008 DNC |
|
FutureMon
OW My Eyes
Premium,ExMod 2002-05
join:2000-10-05
Colorado Springs, CO
clubs:
| Well I turned in my self assessment today. My review is on Tuesday.
I went through at least 10 different drafts before I came up with the final version.
The first one showed a very angry person who expected a lot out of the review - stemming from various positive and negative personal experiences at the company.
The final one shows a person who is very confident in his accomplisments, knows where he needs to improve, and rather than simply stating the things he disagrees with, it suggests ways to improve them instead.
They've got the weekend and Monday to review it. Hopefully things will go well. And I've got my spreadsheet with the financials on it as backup for when the time comes to discuss any potential increase they may or may not offer up.
The 28% below-average figure I quoted in my original post, if slashed in half, would be about where I expect to land coming out of this review.
Wish me luck!
- FM |
|
Gomez
Been drinking brew for breakfast?
Premium,Mod
join:2001-02-21
Atlanta, GA
clubs:
Host:
Pub Games
| reply to FutureMon
The numbers don't jive with reality, as that's very geographically diverse as the ratio of cost of living and income varies.. Although there are some sweet spots.
The positions don't jive either.. "Enterprise application integration" huh ?!?! you're Fortune 100 before that position even exists. The vast majority are under fortune 500.. most, far below..
Closest I have is "Application Developer", which is in reality multi-tiered, at junior, mid, senior, manager...
The article does not approach reality.
--
It's a fact : Chicks dig Mafia players.
'Wanna help buy a goat?' - »www.kiva.org
|
|
FutureMon
OW My Eyes
Premium,ExMod 2002-05
join:2000-10-05
Colorado Springs, CO
clubs:
1 edit | Well I believe some of the things I do fall into that category because the technology in the company I work for involves managing multiple business entities within a single business model, using enterprise level development platforms to do it. Sql Server 2005, Visual Studio 2003 (ya I know we need to upgrade...lol) and Quickbooks Enterprise Edition. (Don't laugh!)
Each jurisdiction we support has their own rules and regulations to follow and our software must be able to communicate with each of them (inhale their data in various formats, perform their billing for them, and present their data back to them the way they want to see it), all the while maintaining a semblance of a standard business model internally.
Our Collections "partner" uses DB2 on their end, and we are also in the process of building an automated solution to transmit and receive updates between each other when payments are received on either side. So you could say, with our current 15 clients (cities and counties) and one partner (a collection agency), we've got 16 "integrated" solutions that all feed into a single software package on our end. I'd call that enterprise application integration.
- FM |
|
TheRul
This has all happend before
join:2007-09-18
Victorville, CA
·Verizon FIOS
| Yeah, but you always had an inflated sense of self, as I can see that has increased soo much that you needed a beard!
Good luck with the assement, it looks like they keep you hopping. |
|
FutureMon
OW My Eyes
Premium,ExMod 2002-05
join:2000-10-05
Colorado Springs, CO
clubs:
| said by TheRul :Yeah, but you always had an inflated sense of self, as I can see that has increased soo much that you needed a beard! Good luck with the assement, it looks like they keep you hopping. My days of self-imposed modesty in the workplace are largely gone. I got tired of being stepped on, outsourced or having my work efforts plagiarized.
- FM |
|
