Wages in the IT Industry

[markymicro]

I work at a University as an IT Support Officer, I support 371 machines, 20 printers and 14 photocopiers, I also support future applications (software and hardware)
I started on 23k 2 years ago, I am now on my grade 2... But I am not a Manager.

[jamin]

Generally the more skills an IT job requires, obviously the wage rises. I surf the jobsites a bit and have seen IT support jobs paying 16k but the skills required are a good phone manner, experience of windows and ability to use MS office. This is the low end as its a helpline job and your role is to screen the really easy calls and pass the tech stuff to the 2nd line tech guys who get paid 10k more but never answer the phone.

Manager roles are harder to say, what are your roles, do you manage a team? Or are you a technical manager who has to account for 2 seconds of network downtime with blood?

IT people managers get paid far less than the techy managers who take responsibility for their networks and dream of the day when users are replaced by solaris based droids.

In short, responsibilty maketh the pay packet. Although location helps! London based roles have a higher wage normally.

[Stoo]

Oh that's fun.. according to that I'm being underpaid by around £12-15k per annum..

*mutters*

[jamin]

Ouch! Demand a raise mate, or threaten them with handing your notice in!

Of course, the only downside with that is if they turn round and say "Ok bye then!!"

I once went into a previous managers office with an empty envelope that I had written his name on and told him I was leaving as I couldn't afford to work there any more. I was sick of being lied to amongst other things! (I was being paid £3-4k less than the other guys I worked with who were a paygrade below me, and I had been promised a raise for 6 months which it never happened) It was the biggest bluff I had ever made but I was really narked. But the bluff worked and I got what I wanted, backdated, then and there, with an apology too! But I guess if it had backfired I would have looked like a rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish with an empty envelope and would have had to pursue my beackup career choice of burger flipping! By now I could have had a badge with 4 stars on it! Now thats career development for you!

Looking back, I was 21, hotheaded and fairly arrogant. Now I realise I had seriously overestimated my importance in department and the whole stunt could have ended really badly for me. Man was I lucky!