Pay rates for techies skyrocket

Pay rates for IT workers are skyrocketing at five times the national average as demand for techies outstrips supply.

As a result nearly half (49 per cent) of all IT workers are now either seriously looking for a new job, or open to opportunities.

That's compared to a quarter (24 per cent) this time last year, according to a survey of 6,600 IT workers by the SkillsMarket/ATSCo.

Pay for IT workers is rising at a rate of 18 per cent per year - nearly five times the national average earnings growth which stands at 3.7 per cent. The average wage for a techie is now £34,500, it said.

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Recruitment companies trade association ATSCo said demand for IT staff is now at its highest level since the dot-com boom. Recently it was revealed that some superstar IT workers are so in demand they are hiring their own Hollywood-style agents.

Chief executive of ATSCo, Ann Swain, said that despite the availability of candidates the industry is unable to meet demand, which is driving pay growth.

While employers looking to build up their IT staff can draw from a large pool of technology workers eager for new challenges, they will also have to put in place measures to retain the employees they already have in place, she added.

Staffing companies are reporting increased demand for roles such as project managers and infrastructure architects, which ATSCo said is evidence organisations are kick-starting new IT projects.