Salary Survey 2022
This is our annual “meta” (and no, not as in Facebook…) study i.e. our overview of some of the most dominant IT job survey sources that we compile and distill for you here.
Our 2022 salary survey looks at the 2021 employment numbers as, of course, the 2022 data sets are not in yet. As a result of Covid there were some, probably justified, concerns for the well-being, not only of the Covid patients but also for the IT job market as a whole. The numbers are in and it seems that the worries may have been overblown.
IT Salaries and Openings are Up!
Considering our incessant use of smartphones, tablets, computers, and other high-tech devices we are all dependent on, no wonder professionals’ IT salaries and openings are up in 2021! We are not kidding about those devices being constantly used and you know it because you are reading this on one of those!
Here is some good news for anyone interested in IT Support: Several of the leading studies forecasting the 2017 IT job markets are listing PC Support, Networking, and Cyber Security in the top 10 fastest-growing jobs. This is just a quick overview as all this data is brand new and we wanted to share the gist of it with you all. We will take out the time to dig deeper into these studies and others and present a more detailed picture within a month or so.
IDG Insider Pro and Computerworld IT Salary Survey
Let’s start with Computerworld’s study. According to their 2020 survey of 1,889 IT workers, a little over 70% of IT professionals saw a salary increase this year in spite of the Covid-19 situation. For IT staff the average increase is 6.1% going from a mean salary in 2019 of 83,472 to $88,571. These are pretty good numbers considering what is going on in so many other parts of the job market in the US.
US News 10 Best Technology Jobs
Moving on to US News’ 2021 “10 Best Technology Jobs” we are told that PC Support, Networking, and Cyber Security all made it to the top ten. The below table shows an excerpt from that data. The last column is just us matching the most relevant CompTIA IT Certification(s) for the positions listed.
| Ranking* | Position | Projected openings | Median salary | Certification links |
| #5 | Information Security Analyst | 35,500 | $98,350 | Security+ |
| #6 | Computer System Analyst | 56,000 | $88,740 | 犀利士 e=”color: #008080;” href=”https://certblaster.com/product/comptia-network-n10-008-practice-test/”>Network+ and/or Security+ |
| #8 | Computer Systems Administrator | 18,200 | $82,050 | Network+ and/or Security+ |
| #9 | Computer Support Specialist | 83,100 | $53,740 | A+ 220-1101 & 220-1102 |
*) Out of “top 10”.
Robert Half International Survey
IT salaries and openings are up in 2021 according to the staffing agency Robert Half International as well. Robert Half International is doubly relevant here because 1) they are one of the global leaders in staffing, and 2) staffing and/or part-time placement are a growing trend among IT professionals.
Help desk and cybersecurity remain in high demand regardless of Covid-19. Help Desk professionals are part of the most in-demand tech jobs for 2021. Their annual survey for 2021 shows that annual Help Desk salaries are ranging from $35,250 (lower quartile for Tier 1 workers) to $82,000 for the 95th percentile for the top Tier 3 professionals (see table below).
Technology Services & Operations – Help Desk
| Position | Lowest Quartile1) | Upper 95th 2) | Certification links |
| Help desk Tier 1 | $35,250 | $57,250 | A+ (220-1101 & 220-1102) |
| Help desk Tier 2 | $41,500 | $67,000 | A+ (220-1101 & 220-1102) |
| Help desk Tier 3 | $50,750 | $82,000 | A+ (220-1101 & 220-1102) |
- Lowest Quartile: Little or no prior experience, still developing relevant skills.
- Upper 95th: Exceptionally strong skills, expertise, and experience.
Technology Services & Operations – Networking
| Position | Lowest Quartile1) | 95th 2) | Certification links |
| Systems Engineer | $90,000 | $149,500 | Network+ and/or Security+ |
| Systems Administrator | $70,000 | $118,500 | Network+ and/or Security+ |
| Hardware Analyst | $63,750 | $108,500 | Network+ and/or Security+ |
- Lowest Quartile: Little or no prior experience, still developing relevant skills.
- Upper 95th: Exceptionally strong skills, expertise, and experience.
Technology Services & Operations – Security
| Position | Lowest Quartile1) | 95th 2) | Certification links |
| Network Security Engineer | $105,500 | $174,500 | Network+ and/or Security+ |
| Network Security Administrator | $98,500 | $166,250 | Security+ and/or Network+ |
| Systems Security Administrator | $100,000 | $168,500 | Security+ and/or Network+ |
- Lowest Quartile: Little or no prior experience, still developing relevant skills.
- Upper 95th: Exceptionally strong skills, expertise, and experience.
That’s it for now but come back and visit us next year as our next update will be the 2023 Salary Survey which will likely be out by the end of March. Provided of course the numbers are in by then.
In the meantime, the good news is that IT salaries and openings are up in 2021 in spite of the Covid-19 situation we are all going through.
Do these numbers feel real to your experience? Have something else to share about our job market? Please leave a comment below, we’d love to hear from you.
