IT support: it’s a role few people enjoy, but it’s a seemingly inevitable first step on the road to being an IT pro. What really sucks? The fact the pay rarely gets any better.
IT support picture from Shutterstock
Here are the annual support salaries paid for general help desk roles and desktop PC support roles in each of Australia’s capital cities, according to the most recent Peoplebank Salary Survey. Those figures are based on appointments made in the three months to July 2013.
Contractor rates are daily (based on an eight-hour day for cities where an hourly rate is typical), and don’t include superannuation or other extras. (There were no contractor rates quoted for Brisbane.)
Junior figures reflect less than three years in the role; intermediate is three to five years; senior is more than five years.
| Role | City | Junior | Intermediate | Senior | Contractor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop/PC Support | Sydney | $50,000 | $70,000 | $80,000 | $240-$450 |
| Help Desk Support | Sydney | $45,000 | $60,000 | $70,000 | $200-$300 |
| Desktop/PC Support | Melbourne | $50,000 | $65,000 | $80,000 | $300-$400 |
| Help Desk Support | Melbourne | $40,000 | $50,000 | $60,000 | $200-$300 |
| Desktop/PC Support | Brisbane | $54,500 | $63,500 | $72,500 | – |
| Help Desk Support | Brisbane | $50,000 | $59,000 | $68,000 | – |
| Desktop/PC Support | Perth | $50,000 | $60,000 | $70,000 | $240-$360 |
| Help Desk Support | Perth | $40,000 | $48,000 | $55,000 | $200-$280 |
| Desktop/PC Support | Adelaide | $55,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 | $360-$480 |
| Help Desk Support | Adelaide | $50,000 | $70,000 | $75,000 | $200-$280 |
| Desktop/PC Support | Canberra | $40,000 | $45,000 | $55,000 | $240-$440 |
| Help Desk Support | Canberra | $45,000 | $55,000 | $60,000 | $240-$360 |
What are the conclusions we can draw from this information?
- These numbers undoubtedly represent the upper end of the market, since these are roles where a recruiter has been involved.
- The figures are entirely unchanged from the previous quarter. That said, IT salaries in general are also flat, so having a higher level of skills wouldn’t make any difference right now.
- The variation between cities is not as pronounced as you might think. Note in particular that rates in Adelaide are similar to those in Sydney, despite the latter being a more expensive city to live in. Any evidence of the mining boom improving salaries in Perth also seems to have evaporated.
If you work in support, we’d love to hear your own career experiences in the comments.
Comments
7 responses to “IT Support Salaries Are Not Going Up”
Some of those seniors rates are acceptable as far as I am concerned. I used to work in a trade that was a lot harder and longer hours and I couldn’t even afford to dream to earn that much. I am in desktop support and think that I am paid pretty well…. as per human greed, I want more.
Can confirm the Canberra rates for support are relatively correct.
It does depend where you are working (aswell as clearances), but i would completely agree with the above estimate.
Source: 3 helpdesk positions in Canberra.
Agreed, Though a lot of jobs (thankfully mine included) also pay higher than the senior amount listed.
I work as an intermediate desktop/PC support in Melbourne, and can safely say that above is pretty spot on. But it does vary, as I was earning the same as an intermediate desktop/PC support in Canberra for doing the same job, with same workload in Melbourne as well.
I guess some can say that’s all we are worth, others might think we deserve a little more with the amount of work we do.
Try the NT, I’m desk based and on 30k, course im on site and not part of a firm.
That’s why I left. Pennys compared to what it cost to live there.
Hmm, I work for an ISP on junior wage, only around 35k. Not in a city though.
Misread ^_^. Seems fairly legitimate, though a source link is always good Mr Angus.