Survey: IT Professionals Continue To Rake In The Dough

Compiled ByTim Stevens Compensation for information-technology (IT) professionals continues to rise, according to an annual salary survey by Network World Inc., Cambridge, Mass., hosts of the IT online community, Network World Fusion. Based on responses from 3,702 IT professionals, the survey reveals that in the last year, the average salary jumped 7% from $61,618 to $65,997, and total compensation -- fueled by bonuses and stock options -- rose from $73,141 to $80,235. Other interesting survey findings include:

• LAN, WAN, or network managers make about $61,656 compared with the average help-desk or tech-support staffer who makes $48,500 or 27% less.
• Telecommunications and IS managers are averaging $74,843 and $76,690, respectively. CIOs are the highest paid, at about $112, 479, on average.
• Staffers at companies of 10,000 or more employees earn a base salary of $64,121. That's 10% more than the $57,077 earned by respondents in companies with 1,000 to 9,999 employees, and 18% more than those working at companies with less than 1,000 employees.
• Network professionals in the Pacific, Mid-Atlantic, and New England regions earn significantly more than their counterparts in other areas of the country. The average pay for an IT professional in the Pacific region is $82,969, almost 12% higher than the national average for their positions.
• Women are earning just 72 cents for each dollar earned by men, except for those that are at the most senior positions, who are actually earning more than men by about 6.5%.