Certification - December 2008 - (Page 24) FIGURE 1: AVERAGE SALARY INCREASE 5% or less 10% 15% Percent Increase 31.8% 24.6% 11.2% 10.6% 4.9% 4.6% 1.7% 2.1% 0.6% 2.5% 5.4% Percentage of Respondents Receiving Increase Percent Receiving Each Percentage of Pay Increase Further, the lowest average IT salary by certification jumped above $50,000 again to $59,490, after a dip last year. Perhaps the most significant observation that resulted from our Salary Survey this year, however, was that being certified carries greater value today than yesterday — even if the difference is slight. The average number of certifications rose from 3.3 to 3.4, with more respondents reporting that they hold more than three certs. The percentage of respondents holding more than six certifications jumped 6 percent to a total of 16.9 percent, while the percentage of those holding no certifications at all decreased more than 14 percent to 2.8 percent of all respondents (see Fig. 3, p. 26). While the financial turmoil on Wall Street and the government’s resulting bailout package likely will take their toll on the economy in general, it seems the impact on IT is yet to be determined. Want to shed a little more light on it? Head over to our 2008 Salary Survey forum discussion board to tell us your story, offer some advice or give tips on how to better align IT compensation to performance. – Agatha Gilmore, agilmore@certmag.com 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% More than 50% (BCFD), came in on top with a whopping average salary of $120,770. At a close second with $120,330 was Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE), which moved up from third place last year. The next three highest-paying certs all still brought in more than $100,000. ISACA Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) placed third with $109,410, followed by EMC Proven Professional Technology Architect (EMCTA) with $109,060. The Open Group’s IT Architect Certification (ITAC) placed fifth with $109,000. In the U.S., the overall average salary of those holding popular certifications — certs with more than 50 responses each — rose from $75,640 to $84,500 this year. Meanwhile, the certs with the lowest average salaries in the U.S. were Certified Internet Web Professional (CIW), with $57,780; Java Associate, with $59,490; SAS Certified Base Programmer for SAS 9, with $59,500; Convergence Technologies Professional (CTP), with $63,730; and Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST), with $63,910. In the U.S. at least, it seems the gap between the highest and lowest earning certs closed a bit, with the lowest-earning cert making 67 percent of the average 2008 salary, up from 41 percent last year. Who Are You? It’s not just a question politicians ask their opponents during the election season. It’s also a valid question to ask when analyzing the 2008 Salary Survey. According to the results, an overwhelming percentage of you are men — just a hair more than 90 percent. (For a deeper look at the IT gender gap, check out this feature article from the November issue of CertMag.) Also, according to survey responses, it’s still a young person’s industry. The largest percentage of respondents was the 25-29 age group, with about 24 percent, followed by the 30-34 demographic with just less than 22 percent. The under-25 group stayed consistent with prior surveys, with about 10 percent. There was a slight uptick in the older groups, with nearly 17 percent in the 35-39 range, almost 12 percent from 40-44, 8 percent aged 45-49, and 5 percent from 50-54. 2 CERTIFICATION MAGAZINE December 2008 http://network.certmag.com/forum/topic/show?id=2210502%3ATopic%3A6081 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mediatec/cm1108/index.php?startid=44
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