Calling All IT Pros: the IT Skills and Salary Survey Is Open!

Skillsoft brings the annual IT Skills and Salary Report into its 17th year, setting the survey live as of… now.

If you work in IT, take the survey here:

For over a decade, Global Knowledge has documented the IT landscape, reporting on the industry’s greatest triumphs and challenges. Now as Skillsoft, that work continues.

Last year, more than 9,300 IT professionals participated in the survey, making it one of the largest of its kind in the world. The data that these IT professionals contributed led to notable findings like these:

• 76% of IT decision-makers experience critical skills gaps on their teams, a 145% increase since 2016.
  
• 80% reported benefits of certification include faster performance, higher engagement, and better work outcomes.
  
• 92% of all respondents say they have at least one certification, a 5% increase from the year prior.

Findings like these prove invaluable to IT professionals at nearly every stage of their careers. From those just starting out to those leading enterprise organizations, they can glean insights from thousands of their peers to inform decision-making and develop plans of action.

But, it’s impossible to unlock information like these without IT professionals taking a bit of time to complete the questions.

The IT Skills and Salary Report is the result of thousands of responses from people all over the world. It focuses on specifically on the IT industry and asks professionals about their:

• Skills and certifications – The data gathered from the survey reveals the 15 top-paying IT certifications each year, which proves a valuable resource to those seeking a raise or to otherwise advance their careers.
  
• Compensation – Year after year, the landscape changes in response to organizations’ need for skilled workers. For example, this survey shows those in cybersecurity and cloud roles tend to make the highest salaries on average.
  
• Skills Gaps and Challenges – What’s more, IT leaders and staff have a chance to record what they struggle with day to day — not least of which are skills gaps that continue rising.
  
• Investments in Tech – IT decision-makers report on which technology providers they plan to focus on in the year ahead, how their budgets have been impacted, and more.
  

• Professionals and Development – IT professionals share their preferences for training and the reasons why.

As the report continues, the database continues to grow. Online today, there are 14 years of reports readily available. These volumes mirror the rapid change in IT and tell the ongoing story of how the industry continues to evolve. Each year they help people understand the current landscape and provide a glimpse into the future.

A key finding from this report centers on the growing skills gap in IT. Organizations all over the world report they struggle with a knowledge shortage on their teams.

And while that information alone helps illustrate the challenge, it becomes more valuable when compared to other figures featured in the report.

Of the 76% of IT decision-makers who experience skills gaps on their teams, 50% say they plan to upskill or reskill their existing workforce because they see training as a way to reduce this deficit.

For many, there isn’t another option. The data IT decision-makers contributed to this report show severe talent shortages in cybersecurity, cloud computing and data, making these the top three most challenging to hire for.

If IT leaders can’t hire their way out of skills gaps, they recognize they must train their staff. However, that too proves challenging when the leading inhibitor of training is the daily workload (43%) IT professionals face. A lacking training budget follows (36%).

In this way, IT leaders have a delicate situation they must navigate. If they can’t hire new staff with the skills they need, they must train the existing workforce. But if their existing workforce can’t train due to workload, then it’s easy to feel stuck — especially when the leading reason employees report leaving their organization is due to a lack of training opportunities.

However, don’t despair. As mentioned, while this data uncovers some uncomfortable truths professionals in IT face, it also shows opportunities to reach aspirational goals.

To get an idea of the insights of this report, see this infographic. It provides an abridged version of the report.

To the IT executives, vice presidents, directors, team leaders and individual contributors in the audience:

We invite you to participate in this year’s survey and contribute valuable data to help advance the industry.

The survey will remain live from May 2022 through the end of June.

About the survey:

• It typically takes 15-30 minutes to complete. You can bookmark you progress and pick up where you left off within one week of starting the survey.
  
• It’s anonymous. We don’t sell the data or share it with others (and won’t spam you afterward, either).
  
• You can enter a drawing for a $100 gift card if you complete the survey. Skillsoft plans to reward 10 participants gift cards at random, excluding government employees.