Data analysts/report writers
$60,000 to $85,250
Source: Robert Half Technology
Related to the growing emphasis on business analysis, positions are emerging for report writers, report developers and those with IFRS skills, noted Abramovitch.
Help desk analysts
Tier 1 $33,750 to $44,000
Tier 2 $41,250 to $53,750
Tier 3 $54,750 to $71,250
Source: Robert Half Technology
Skills in basic administration, Cisco network administration, Linux/Unix administration, Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista, Windows Server 2008 and virtualization can add seven to 10 per cent on top of base salaries in tech services, according to Robert Half.
But “you can’t just take a techie and throw them on a help desk. You need somebody who’s got those soft skills,” said Perrier-Knox. Help desk roles are service-oriented, require a blend of soft and hard skill sets – including communication, problem analysis and a comfort level with a range of end-user technologies, she said.
These roles also tend to be the lowest-paid, according to Perrier-Knox, who estimates the salary range between $30,000 and $55,000. An entry-level position can start even lower than $30,000 and heavy-duty roles that require a lot of technical expertise often blend into other positions such as systems engineers, she said.
Help desk positions are open to a broad range of people who want to get into IT but don’t know how, said Perrier-Knox. “It’s a mixed role, but it’s a good opportunity for people who might not have tons of formal, hands-on IT, but are really comfortable with it,” she said.
Network administrators and analysts
$64,000 to $75,000
Source: Sapphire Canada
Sapphire Canada includes systems and security administrators within this group, but not Web or database administrators.
Network administrators
$54,750 to $73,250
Source: Robert Half Technology
Specialized skills in Cisco network admin, Linux/Unix admin, VoIP admin and Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista or Server 2008 can add 7 to 10 per cent on top of the base salaries for networking and telecommunications positions, according to Robert Half. The firm also anticipates a 4.1 per cent increase in salary ranges for network administrators in 2010.
Project managers
$77,500 to 105,000
Source: Sapphire Canada
Salaries for project managers in applications development range from $77,500 to $90,000, those in infrastructure see between $81,000 and $92,500, while others can earn up to $105,000, according to Sapphire.
System administrators
$53,750 to $76,750
Source: Robert Half Technology
Problem-solving, analytical and communication skills plus an in-depth technical knowledge of systems hardware and software are needed for these roles, according to Robert Half. “Three to five years of experience working with the specific types of hardware and software systems used by the company are generally required,” states the company’s Glossary of Job Descriptions.
Systems analysts
$62,750 to $91,250
Source: Robert Half Technology
Specialized skills can provide an additional 4 to 13 per cent on top of base salaries in application development, according to Robert Half. These include: .NET development (9 per cent), Java development (7 per cent), LAMP skills, which includes Linux, Apache, MySQL and Perl/PHP/Python (7 per cent), AJAX (6 per cent), Visual Basic (4 per cent), SharePoint (13 per cent), SAP (9 per cent), Hyperion (7 per cent), Business Objects (7 per cent), PHP (8 per cent).