The Robert Walters 2018 Salary Survey has found that salaries for cyber security specialists will see the highest salary increases among IT professionals, at 7%. Developers and infrastructure specialists will enjoy salary rises of 3%.
Cyber security specialists have been highly sought after in 2017 in light of high profile data leaks and related cyber attacks, while developers have been in demand from companies to support digitalisation projects.
Ahsan Iqbal, Associate Director at Robert Walters, comments: “While a 2% increase in salaries may seem quite modest, it is important to note that this follows a prolonged period of IT professionals commanding higher and higher wages.
“At this point, salaries for IT professionals are highly inflated, with employers having to compete to secure top talent. In this context, the increases for cyber security specialists are particularly noteworthy.
“In addition to technical skills, employers are keen to secure professionals who can demonstrate communication and project management skills as they look to more closely integrate their IT function into the wider business.”
With salary levels having already reached high levels, employers should consider other ways in which to attract and retain top talent.
Ahsan Iqbal continues: “For many IT professionals, while a high salary is important, there are other incentives which can attract them to a role. In particular, flexibility is regarded as highly important, with many IT specialists looking to work for employers who are open to remote working and flexible hours. The nature of the projects they will be working on is also considered important to many IT professionals, as is the working culture of the organisation they are joining.
“Employers should consider highlighting these aspects of their organisation and the role itself when aiming to secure top calibre talent.”
