Tech professionals earnings increased at rate slightly greater than five percent during 2012, going up to an average $85,619 annually from $81,327 in 2011, according to a survey by Dice Holding Inc.. That is slightly less than double the 2.7 percent increase the average worker saw in 2012 and significantly more than the 2.7 percent forecast for 2013, according to the BLS.
"Employers are recognizing and adjusting to the reality of a tight market," said Dice Holdings Inc. CEO Scot Melland. "The fact is you either pay to recruit or pay to retain and these days, at least for technology teams, companies are doing both."
The report further noted that 65 percent of tech employees felt confident that they would be able to find a new job if they left their current employer. New employees in the IT field, defined as those with two years or less employment experience in the sector, saw their first annual pay rate increase in three years during 2012, rising sharply by 8 percent to $46,315. On the other end of the pay scale, employees with more than 15 years experience in the IT field saw their average rate reach average $103, 012, the first time the figure has ever cracked six figures.