IT salaries in Australia are largely static at the moment, but there are areas where salaries are falling (and a handful where they are improving). We’ve drilled through the latest Peoplebank Salary Index to find the at-risk positions.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
The overwhelming finding of the latest index is that salaries are virtually unchanged since the last quarter across all roles. In the positions which the organisation tracks, there were no changes at all for any permanent roles outside of Sydney and Melbourne.
As Peoplebank CEO Peter Acheson noted: “The downward swing in ICT projects has meant there are more skilled ICT professionals looking to fill available roles. While this is exerting downward pressure on salaries and contracts, we are not seeing a fall in payscales. Rather, employers are taking advantage of the increased talent pool to hire industry’s most skilled and experienced ICT professionals at standard rates.”
However, there were a handful of jobs where salaries fell, and an even more select group where salaries rose. If you’re a project manager in Melbourne, switching employers is unlikely to be wise right now. Conversely, project co-ordinators in Sydney are doing a little better.
| CITY | RANK | ROLE | THIS SURVEY | PREVIOUS SURVEY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | Intermediate | Project Coordinator | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Sydney | Senior | Project Coordinator | $80,000 | $85,000 |
| Melbourne | Junior | Business Analyst | $80,000 | $70,000 |
| Melbourne | Intermediate | Business Analyst | $120,000 | $100,000 |
| Melbourne | Senior | Business Analyst | $120,000 | $140,000 |
| Melbourne | Intermediate | .Net Developer | $85,000 | $80,000 |
| Melbourne | Senior | .Net Developer | $130,000 | $120,000 |
| Melbourne | Intermediate | Java Developer | $55,000 | $60,000 |
| Melbourne | Senior | Java Developer | $130,000 | $115,000 |
| Melbourne | Senior | J2EE Architect | $160,000 | $150,000 |
| Melbourne | Intermediate | Oracle Developer | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Melbourne | Intermediate | Solutions Architect | $120,000 | $130,000 |
| Melbourne | Junior | Test Analyst | $70,000 | $60,000 |
| Melbourne | Intermediate | Test Analyst | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Melbourne | Senior | Test Analyst | $110,000 | $100,000 |
| Melbourne | Intermediate | Test Manager | $130,000 | $140,000 |
| Melbourne | Senior | Test Manager | $150,000 | $160,000 |
| Melbourne | Junior | SAP Basis Administrator | $85,000 | $80,000 |
| Melbourne | Intermediate | SAP Basis Administrator | $110,000 | $120,000 |
| Melbourne | Senior | SAP Basis Administrator | $130,000 | $140,000 |
| Melbourne | Junior | Security Engineer | $85,000 | $90,000 |
| Melbourne | Intermediate | Web Developer – Front End | $80,000 | $75,000 |
| Melbourne | Junior | Project Manager – Applications | $100,000 | $95,000 |
| Melbourne | Intermediate | Project Manager – Applications | $120,000 | $115,000 |
| Melbourne | Senior | Project Manager – Applications | $160,000 | $150,000 |
| Melbourne | Junior | Project Manager – Infrastructure | $100,000 | $95,000 |
| Melbourne | Intermediate | Project Manager – Infrastructure | $120,000 | $115,000 |
| Melbourne | Senior | Project Manager – Infrastructure | $160,000 | $150,000 |
Evolve is a weekly column at Lifehacker looking at trends and technologies IT workers need to know about to stay employed and improve their careers.
Glad to see Intermediate Java Developers got an increase. What about Graphic Designers?
Not exactly I.T. I know, but these days you're expected to do all sorts of stuff beyond your level
for crap money
Wow, decrease sorry. I guess we are the scum of the earth
If your a GFX artist with no motion graphics skills or 3d skills- your pretty useless these days.
Everyone can use photoshop.
there have also been some redundancies in the last year or so which has increased the pool in some areas (I can think of one company that made their PMO redundant)
Brisbane IT Salaries are going backwards
glad to see corporations putting downward pressure on salaries when there is an exponential increase in living costs.
Is no one else incredibly tired of companies trying to minimize lower end salaries while maximizing upper tier pay packages? so much rage....so few things...can..do..about...it....gyarr...
Yeah!
I'd much rather these companies just pay their employees unsustainable amounts, run at a loss, go under and shove their poor (un)employees back into the labour market!
Can you point out the data source or research showing city wide maximizing of upper tier pay packages in the cities above please? Otherwise, i'll just assume you're making it up.
You mean the Peoplebank Salary Index they referenced in the first paragraph ? You might want to ask Peoplebank where they get their research from. Or you could just assume they're making it up.
I said upper tier, referring to the original post by Hazboticus.
Not those in various levels and segments of IT, as referred to in the actual research, but y'know, the people running the companies he is complaining about.
I don't have a problem with where Peoplebank get their research from, or their methodology (i've looked at it before), they publicise and explain it, and if it were to be criticized, be able to defend it.
I'm questioning where hazboticus gets his information from regarding corporations putting downward pressure on salaries while complaining about the "COSTS OF LIVING ZOMG!", while also stating, i'd rather a few positions across an entire company get paid less, and remain employed, rather than entire companies going under and shoving their newly unemployed into the street.
What Peoplebank don't do, is run an index on the "upper tier pay packages". And until they do, or until hazboticus provides an alternate and valid data source, with adequate evidence to back up his statement, i'm going to take it for what it is, unfounded whinging.
It was just unfounded whinging to be honest, doesn't make it any less true. Downward pressure on salaries is most likely due to the market being flooded and supply over weighing demand for particular positions or fluctuations in technical skill relevance, not upper echelon salary packages. That does not change the fact that there is a disproportionate amount of money paid to a few top tier personnel on a scale that defies reasonable compensation. And before you pull out the argument of 'anti-capitalism, no incentive for promotional growth etc. etc.' let me remind you that there is a difference between an incentive and a gross incentive. Either way my rant is over - just felt like coming back at you cause I could. Also please unless you are living in Sydney Australia you loose the right to comment sarcastically on cost of living.
Is there such a thing as a Junior Security Engineer? I'm still trying to get into the industry and all signs point to no, you're either senior or just below senior.