The current state of competitive IT compensation is getting heated. It’s also fairly flexible and caters to a multitude of skills. If you’re interested in technology and have an affinity for leadership, you’re a step closer to enjoying an IT Project Manager salary. If you’re a systems savant, you might be more interested in an IT Engineer’s salary.
Salaries and benefits in IT
IT has changed lives, and I’m not exclusively talking about how it paved the way for computers and smartphones. The industry also provides outstanding entry-level IT salaries and positive trends in IT compensation and benefits. If all of this sounds interesting, read on ahead to see how recent Jobs in IT have upgraded their compensation package.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a compensation package include?
A compensation package is what a company offers its employees for their time, services, and labor. This goes beyond salary and encompasses everything of value, such as incentives, benefits, perks, vacation time, and the like.
What is the average IT compensation package?
An article by Women Who Money 2021 indicated that an average benefits package is at least 30% of an employee’s monetary compensation. That said, someone with an annual IT salary of $65,000 should have a benefit plan that totals up to $84,500. Full-time employees also have nonfinancial IT compensation such as Insurance, Leave Time, Retirement Savings, and even Stocks in addition to benefit plans.
What are Factors that Affect the IT Compensation Package?
CareerBuilder 2020 listed Education, Experience, Industry, Location, Skill Sets, and Supply and Demand as essential factors influencing IT compensation. Most of these are directly proportional— the greater your educational attainment, experience, and skill sets, the better compensated you will be. The remaining factors vary almost arbitrarily. For example, an IT salary for a technician in California is paid $69,419, nearly 22% higher than the $54,722 compensation in Arkansas.
Jobs in IT with Competitive Compensations
As of January 2022, Glassdoor reports that Jobs in IT as a whole sector have an annual national average IT compensation of $75,971 in the US; this is significantly higher than the standard compensation for most employed Americans, at $51,480, according to PolicyAdvice.
The trends in compensation and benefits for Jobs in IT are in a very lucrative position. Below are some of the current 7 Competitive IT Job Compensations you can consider applying for.
Desktop Support
Desktop Support technicians are information technology professionals specializing in repairing a desktop system and hardware and software maintenance. They differ from IT Engineers as they focus on repair and maintenance, whereas the latter has the additional skills and credentials to design new information technology systems.
As of 2021, a Desktop Support technician can expect an entry-level IT salary of $49,294 and a national average of $55,126. In Los Angeles, the standard is even higher at $63,886. What’s even more impressive is that seasoned technicians can expect to earn up to $114,553.
January 2022 also revealed that Desktop Support Technicians earn a variety of nonfinancial IT compensation. The usual healthcare riders such as:
- Insurance for health
- Disability
- Dental
- and vision
Paid time off and a flexible spending account are also given. Some companies even go the extra mile and offer their employees gym memberships and mileage reimbursements.
Helpdesk
A Helpdesk technician is usually the first to provide aid and support to customers who have technical queries. They communicate either remotely through phone, email, or in-person and address computer systems, hardware, and software problems. Helpdesk technicians are one of the notable jobs in IT that perform remote troubleshooting and diagnostics to assess a solution based on the details provided by the customers.
As of January 2022, The average IT salary of a helpdesk technician is at $42,169 per year for the base pay. The median is higher in Los Angeles with $61,741 per annum. The IT compensation can vary depending on which tier the job is considered. Often, a part of the salary is converted to non-monetary compensation.
Some common benefits of an IT help desk technician are
- Mobile allowances
- Internet allowances
- Company Laptop
These benefits are essential so that the job of the help desk technician goes seamlessly. 401k is often provided if the employee is tenured in the company. This would lower the taxable income which means you would owe less income tax.
Systems Engineering
Systems engineer deals with methods and processes of a company. The priority task for this role is optimizing the operations to achieve ideal productivity. In a more technical aspect, the job integrates the use of computer software to eliminate unnecessary tasks and create sustainability in the process.
The national average IT compensation for a systems engineer is $96,476 per year. However, in Los Angeles, the median goes up to $121,500. This is achieved by years of hard work and continuous improvement. The current entry level IT salary for the position is $78,818 plus bonuses.
Outside the IT Salary, benefits make the deal sweeter. Some of the common employee benefits of a systems engineer include:
- Paid holidays
- Paid off days
- Vacation leaves
- Health insurance
- 401k
- Pension Plans
Often, there are extrinsic benefits for systems engineers especially when they have highly optimized a company’s processes. Some companies even give out automobile incentives and timeshares.
Security
One good example of IT in security is a cyber security specialist. The job entails essential responsibilities such as preparation for threats that might jeopardize the company’s system, developing risk mitigation strategies, and creating security policies and procedures
A job with this kind of responsibility would definitely have IT compensation packages fit for the role. The average IT salary for a cyber security analyst is $109,260. The average salary for this role in Los Angeles higher with a $121,143 median
The employees that deal with security are often valued by the company because they hold valuable information and access. This is why they are given great benefits such as:
- Company computer
- Expense account
- 401k
- Personal Insurance
- Health insurance
- Dental and Vision Insurance
To sweeten the deal, some companies would even provide housing, automobiles, and paid vacation leaves. Basically, the longer the cybersecurity specialist stays with the company, the more valuable he/she becomes. Of course, this comes with learning the latest trends and updates in the industry. More about cyber security.
Project Management
IT Project Managers deals with the planning, monitoring and execution of a company’s goals and objectives. The scope of the job can vary greatly. The job might be managing an internal project or working towards building a large SaaS system. The ability to control the quality of output in a timely manner should be non-negotiable in this field.
An IT project manager salary in Los Angeles would be around $70,000.00 to $157,000.00 per annum. The average gross IT compensation for the said position is about $104,740.00 according to Glassdoor as of December 2021. For entry level IT project management jobs in Los Angeles, the average salary is around $84,765.00 with a bonus of around $13,500.00 depending on the company
Aside from the IT salary for a project manager, employee benefits are often added in the contract. Some benefits include:
- 401k
- Health insurance
- Medical, Dental, and Vision
- Flexible Expense Account
Most companies would give automobile benefits with gas allowances to IT project managers because they are often required to go on fieldwork to align with clients.
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