IT Pro Salary Survey: What You Earned in 2020

Did you get a pay raise during the pandemic? Or were you just happy to still have a job? The year 2020 is one that none of us will probably ever forget, and the impact that the pandemic had on our jobs and careers really varied depending on industry and job function. Some people were busier than ever, and others saw their work hours cut back or their jobs eliminated.

But for the most part, IT workers and management were considered essential. IT was key to helping their organizations pivot to digital business and transactions and helping office workers set up for working from home.

But how did all these factors impact IT salaries during 2020? Were IT managers and professionals satisfied with their compensation and their work during this disruptive year?

InformationWeek has released the 2020 edition of its annual Salary Survey, providing a snapshot in time of IT salaries at the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. It's essential reading for any IT worker looking to benchmark their compensation against their peers during the turbulent year of 2020. It's also essential for those looking to new opportunities in 2021 and beyond as industries and job markets recover with a potential boom ahead, even as our economies and ways of operating seem forever changed.

The following are some quick highlights of this year's survey:

• While the median compensation package for IT pros increased overall in 2020 compared to 2019, just under half of IT pros (48%) saw their compensation increase during the most recent 12 months. That was a big change from the year before when 71% enjoyed a compensation increase.
• How IT pros felt about that compensation also changed during 2020. Base pay was the top factor that mattered most to IT pros about their jobs in 2019. But during the pandemic year of 2020 IT pros reported that what matters most to them about their jobs was that their opinion and knowledge were valued.
• The InformationWeek survey continued to find that the IT industry is overwhelmingly male, with 85% male, 12% female, 1% non-binary, and 3% declining to state a gender.
• The IT gender wage gap increased in our 2020 survey to $20,000 per year, up from $15,000 in 2019.
• Like last year, opinions on whether a wage gap exists in IT depended on the respondent's gender. A full 34% of male IT pros said there was no gender wage gap (the same percentage as in 2019.) Just 24% of female IT pros said there was no gender wage gap (compared to 12% in 2019.)
• For the first time this year we also asked respondents to describe their race. Most of the respondents to this year's survey were white (71%). Another 9% are Asian, 4% are Black/African American, 3% are Hispanic/Latino, 1% are Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and 1% are American Indian/Alaska Native.
• Most IT workers worked remotely during 2020, either temporarily (41%) or permanently (18%). In individual follow up phone interviews with a selection of IT pros, we learned that some were seizing on the opportunity remote work provided to move to locations that better suited for their personal preferences.

Read the full article on InformationWeek.