I have finally had time to review some of the most recent Global Knowledge survey data and I wanted to share some key findings with my readers here. Remember, none of this is my opinion – it is data pulled from the report that I thought you would be interested in. Don’t shoot the messenger – and never freak out when you see something in a report like this! Learn what you can from it – that is it!
Who is this Data From?
There were 16,200 worldwide that completed the survey. 98% said they were IT Pros.
The Skills Gap!
Did managers think that their teams possessed the skills needed to keep up with organizational goals? The short answer is NO! Globally, 70% of managers felt their employees fell short. In the US and Canada – it was 75%!
This skills gap issue continues to get worse according to the opinions of the managers and that statistics. This is the second straight year this percentage has increased.
What is the biggest part of the problem according to this 70% of managers? By far the biggest problem most identified was the problem of attracting talent. This was especially true in areas that have lagged in technology like healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and hospitality.
Cloud Computing and Cybersecurity are Red Hot
These areas continue to crush competing areas. In fact – the gap is getting larger. For example, virtualization is falling farther and farther back as a hot topic for management staff. Of course, we need to be careful here because we all know we cannot have Cloud without virtualization! Even further behind are the following areas:
Where are the Cybersecurity Peeps?
The toughest area to fill for employers is in the area of Cybersecurity. This is the main reason that these jobs tend to pay the most! Check out these facts regarding salary:
- Cybersecurity certifications hold 6 of the top 20 paying spots
- Annual salary in Latin America for Cybersecurity pros – $34,471
- Annual salary in North America for Cybersecurity pros – $100,650
- Cybersecurity offers the highest average global pay at $81,536
- Second place would be Cloud at $74,064
Certifications Continue to Translate to Results!
Staff members pointed to the following regarding their passion for Certification:
- Compensation
- Job satisfaction
- Promotion
- Agility for finding employment
Management had this to say:
- Increased productivity
- Faster troubleshooting
- Fewer skills gaps
The difference in salaries for certified vs non-certified averaged $15,000 in the US and around $30,000 in Asia-Pacific.
People that hold at least one cert – tend to be pursuing a second or more. This causes a further lift in pay!
The US Leads in IT Pay
IT Pros average $87,333 in the US compared to the global average of $64,206. I personally do not read too much into these kinds of numbers since the cost of living can also vary so dramatically. We see this even within the US. For me personally, I tend to “make out like a bandit” as I am paid by a company based in Oregon, yet I live in Florida. This means my pay tends to reflect the cost of living for Oregon, which is much more than my actual cost of living in Florida. I sure hope my Manager at CBT Nuggets does not read this!
