IT Pros to Seek New Jobs in 2018 in Search of Pay Hikes, Training

The majority of IT professionals are dissatisfied with their salary—and many will look for a new employer in 2018 as a result, according to a recent survey from Spiceworks. The survey’s findings convey a “state of the tech worker” snapshot as we head into the new year, with findings reflecting generational differences and similarities. Whether they’re Baby Boomers, Gen Xers or Millennials/Gen Y, for example, a significant share of IT pros will seek salary increases and expanded skill sets through a new company. They also want greater work-life balance. More than 2,100 IT professionals from North America and Europe took part in the research. The following slide show presents highlights of the survey, with charts provided courtesy of Spiceworks.

Baby Boomer tech professionals make $70,000 in median annual pay, while Gen X IT pros make $65,000. Millennials/Gen Y tech employees make $50,000 in median annual pay.

Nearly seven of 10 Millennials/Gen Y tech professionals are dissatisfied with their salaries. Three of five Gen X/Baby Boomer IT pros feel the same way.

Just over one-half of IT pros expect to get a salary raise from their current employer in 2018. About one-fifth anticipate a promotion from their current employer.

Spiceworks reveals that 26 percent of IT employees plan to begin looking for a job with a new employer in 2018. A total of 18 percent expect that they’ll actually accept a position with a new employer.

More than four of five Millennial/Gen Y IT workers who will seek a new employer in 2018 said they will do so to get a salary increase, and 70 percent of Gen X tech workers seeking a new employer cited the same reason. Among Baby Boomer tech pros who will look for a job with a different company next year, 64 percent are motivated by prospects of greater compensation.

Career development looms large with respect to potential turnover, as 79 percent of Millennial/Gen Y workers who will seek a new employer in 2018 said they will do so to advance their IT skills, and 63 percent of Gen Xers looking to join another company agree. Nearly one-half of Baby Boomer tech pros who plan to look for a new position with a new employer said they want to boost their IT skills as well.

Spiceworks has found that the need to “work at a company that makes IT more of a priority” has emerged as a top motivator for IT pros to leave their current companies in 2018, as cited by 41 percent of Millennial/Gen Y and Gen X tech pros. Just over one-third of Baby Boomer IT workers who plan to look for a new employer agree.

Work-life balance, not surprisingly, could be better for a large number of IT pros—it’s a motivating factor for 32 percent of Millennial/Gen Y and 43 percent of Gen X tech pros who plan to land a job with a new employer in 2018. Nearly two of five Baby Boomer IT workers who expect to seek a position with a different organization next year feel the same way.

Among all survey respondents regardless of their generation, 81 percent ranked cyber-security as the most important area of expertise for IT pros going into 2018. Among other top-priority skills listed were networking (as cited by 80 percent of survey respondents), infrastructure hardware-focused capabilities (79 percent), end-user device-related expertise (76 percent) and storage/backup skills (75 percent).