North/South divide still evident in IT salaries

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IT professionals earn more in London within when it comes to the top end of the job spectrum, but they should probably look elsewhere if they are considering working on an hourly rate.

So claims The IT Job Board's 2009 salaries benchmark, which highlights the best and worst areas of the UK for IT worker pay.

IT Directors and chief information officers (CIOs) are paid the most in London, with average earnings of £103,700, and £170,000 respectively.

But hourly rates for these job roles are better in the South East (£68), The East (£67) and the West Midlands (£64) compared to London’s £57-an-hour wage.

Three-quarters of IT directors and CIOs received bonuses and private health care on top of their wage packets, whereas only eight per cent of contracted workers received bonuses, according to the survey which brings together the results of 6,000 IT professionals across 16 job titles.

Software engineers are the lowest paid in the North East with an average salary of £28,000. Again, London (£39,300) and the South East (£36,100) had the highest average salaries.

IT support salaries were lowest in Wales at £19,300 compared to £28,200 in the South East and £27,600 in the South West. The survey also found that up to 44 per cent of permanent IT support positions have pension plans.

Project managers are also paid the highest on average in London (£51,600), both on a salaried position and hourly pay rate (£56).

"Salary benchmarks are always important, but this year in particular, when we are seeing organisations cut contractor rates and review salaries as a result of the recession, it is even more critical that IT professionals have a realistic understanding of their worth,” said Teresa Sperti, head of international marketing at The IT Job Board, in a statement.

"As well as benefiting IT professionals, companies will be able to refer to the salary survey to benchmark market rates. It provides them with a good reflection of pay scales for various IT positions throughout the UK, enabling them to plan and budget for their recruitment needs."

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