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people talking
people talking

introduction

The technology sector is no stranger to disruption, but the tech field found itself being disrupted over the past few years — thanks largely to sky-high demand for skilled talent. This has led, among other things, to rising salaries and increased competition for workers. How can your organization compete in this contentious climate? Find out here, and see tech salaries for dozens of today's most in-demand roles.

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During the last few years, businesses have seen record growth leading to an uptick in hiring, implementing new projects and investment in innovation. However, rising economic uncertainty has led many companies to focus on efficiency as they seek to cut costs. Organizations will be committed to finding new ways to complete necessary projects, which will likely cause an increase in contract and project-type work.

With the rapid adoption of digital technology by most employers and others searching for processes to increase automation, new digital roles have emerged, resulting in a shift in the recruiting process. As a result, traditional roles are declining, and companies must take steps like updating team structures, organizational needs and recruitment practices to align with the changing times.

It’s no secret that jobs in the technology sector are in high demand and, as a result, command top salaries. Today’s employers want the best and brightest on their teams to ensure innovation, transformation and excellence. Still, finding skilled STEM talent has remained a challenge. It is vital to ensure you have the right talent, in the right place, at the right time.

As the competition for STEM talent in the coming year will be fierce, leaders have to tap into different ways to find and build a skill-based organization. Organizations should invest in skilling and upskilling initiatives in the coming year to combat this obstacle.

It’s critical to anticipate talent shortages and take steps to retain your workforce. Understanding the needs of these workers is paramount in providing them with an experience that mirrors their new priorities. This must be backed by competitive compensation.

Alisia Genzler
Group President and Chief Client Officer, Randstad Technologies

job seekers in the driver’s seat

Job seekers control the state of hiring today, and nowhere more so than in the tech sector, thanks to a combination of skyrocketing demand and hard-to-find skill sets. That is, the sector added north of 175,700 new jobs in 2022 without any corresponding gains in the size of its workforce. As countermeasures, tech employers should look to differentiate themselves from their competitors by elevating their employer brands and aligning their values with those of today’s tech workers. And considering just how long hiring tech talent can take, companies may want to consider streamlining their hiring processes wherever possible (but more on that below).

Meanwhile, employers may want to consider evaluating talent from a broader geographic footprint as well. Interestingly, recent data shows that while employers interviewed candidates from two different markets on average for open roles in 2022, they only looked at candidates from two different time zones. Given the ongoing shortage of tech talent for business-critical positions, that’s likely going to change in the future, and fast.

lengthy hiring processes

Lengthy hiring processes continue to hamper tech companies when they bid for top talent. Despite their eagerness to land mission-critical engineers, for example, 49 days lapse on average between when candidates submit their job applications and when they actually start working. Unfortunately, in the context of ever-increasing demand — net employment in the tech industry climbed 46 percent in 2022 versus 2021, for example — that kind of timeline simply doesn’t cut it. Going forward, those tech companies able to significantly streamline and expedite their hiring processes will be able to compete for top talent much more effectively.

rising salaries

For most of 2022, tech employers demonstrated an unmatched willingness to shell out cash in order to lure or secure in-demand talent. Nowhere was this more apparent than at the top: Google rolled out a new bonus plan, for example, while Amazon doubled its salary cap for corporate employees. However, blue-chip tech companies weren’t the only ones getting in on the action. In fact, one report found that companies across the board are now paying 20 percent compensation premiums on average to secure the new talent they need. The key takeaway for tech employers, then, at least where talent is concerned, is that it’s going to be a pay-to-play environment in the year ahead.

greater need for upskilling and reskilling

As demand for skilled tech talent grows, with newly minted skills and specialties emerging almost monthly, employers should consider every workaround that they can use to stay relevant and competitive. Upskilling or reskilling existing workforces is a case in point. Not only does it spare organizations the time and expense of hiring talent from a dwindling pool of skilled candidates, it can also boost morale, increase engagement and deepen employee loyalty.

It may also be a smart time to explore the partnership ecosystem. Initiatives like Randstad’s own Talent Development Program, for example, can help employers train workers for highly in-demand tech functions, including AEM development, Salesforce development, embedded engineering and more.

increasing diversity and inclusion in STEM

White workers continue to constitute the majority of the tech workforce, accounting for 62 percent of all employees, so it should come as no surprise that the majority of leaders report a lack of diversity in the space. This is problematic for many reasons, not least of which is the documented evidence that women in STEM fields continue to be not only underrepresented but also underpaid. Fortunately, there are also signs that change is underway: One report found that the frequency with which senior leaders addressed issues of equity, fairness and inclusion has leapt 658 percent in the past four years alone, for example. However, to drive more concrete progress in the year ahead, tech companies should adopt approaches that have proven to be successful and seek out support from strategic partners.

national salaries

Let's review the national averages for salaries across the country.

data
data low mid high
data warehouse/business intelligence developer $95,466 - $105,516 $109,202 - $120,696 $121,706 - $134,518
ETL developer $95,466 - $105,516 $109,202 - $120,696 $121,706 - $134,518
Hadoop developer $110,664 - $118,312 $120,361 - $128,031 $129,191 - $142,790
Oracle database administrator $94,983 - $103,981 $104,423 - $115,415 $116,018 - $124,914
Oracle developer $121,135 - $133,887 $134,176 - $142,194 $144,138 - $159,310
software development architect $106,622 - $117,846 $133,665 - $147,735 $163,974 - $181,234
SQL-server database administrator $95,380 - $105,420 $107,160 - $116,440 $117,886 - $130,295
SQL-server developer $78,798 - $87,092 $100,456 - $111,030 $157,312 - $173,872
emerging technologies
emerging technologies low mid high
blockchain developer $102,393 - $113,171 $117,688 - $130,076 $131,613 - $145,467
game designer $70,823 - $76,279 $77,656 - $82,830 $93,876 - $102,706
AR/VR engineer $92,538 - $102,278 $103,340 - $113,112 $114,265 - $122,977
enterprise software
enterprise software low mid high
Oracle applications developer $119,035 - $130,565 $131,480 - $141,320 $142,811 - $157,843
PEGA developer $101,200 - $111,852 $112,187 - $121,997 $122,192 - $135,054
Salesforce administrator $81,000 - $86,526 $98,204 - $121,384 $92,854 - $102,628
Salesforce developer $94,121 - $104,0028 $126,137 - $137,310 $148,078 - $179,403
SAP apps developer $107,540 - $118,860 $119,320 - $131,880 $143,277 - $158,358
SharePoint administrator $92,754 - $102,518 $105,549 - $116,659 $117,199 - $129,535
SharePoint developer $85,021 - $93,971 $105,036 - $115,040 $116,155 - $125,119
functional areas
functional areas low mid high
agile coach $113,810 - $125,790 $126,400 - $138,600 $149,952 - $170,262
automated QA tester $108,489 - $119,909 $124,023 - $137,078 $138,164 - $152,708
business analyst $118,302 - $126,754 $127,704 - $135,146 $136,264 - $150,608
data analyst $74,378 - $82,208 $85,184 - $94,150 $95,022 - $105,024
enterprise architect $143,452 - $158,552 $159,911 - $176,743 $177,894 - $200,304
instructional designer $72,761 - $79,420 $80,266 - $88,715 $98,099 - $120,267
manual QA tester $95,675 - $105,746 $108,489 - $119,909 $138,164 - $152,708
performance engineer (QA) $115,900 - $128,100 $129,345 - $141,855 $142,676 - $154,378
product manager $120,584 - $133,277 $139,766 - $154,478 $157,230 - $173,780
product owner $128,450 - $141,971 $143,439 - $158,537 $160,085 - $173,621
program manager $135,486 - $149,748 $155,523 - $171,893 $173,765 - $192,057
project coordinator $73,434 - $81,164 $92,856 - $102,630 $112,917 - $124,803
project manager $105,221 - $116,297 $125,879 - $139,129 $145,407 - $160,713
scrum master $113,810 - $125,790 $126,400 - $138,600 $149,952 - $180,262
technical architect $106,622 - $117,846 $133,665 - $147,735 $163,974 - $181,234
technical writer $104,083 - $115,039 $116,459 - $125,403 $126,996 - $134,838
healthcare IT
healthcare IT low mid high
clinical applications - beacon analyst $93,575 - $103,425 $104,785 - $115,815 $116,045 - $127,155
clinical applications - certified beaker/lab analyst $94,920 - $104,770 $105,130 - $116,160 $117,380 - $128,150
clinical applications - certified willow analyst (pharmacy applications) $93,575 - $103,425 $104,785 - $115,815 $116,045 - $127,155
Epic ambulatory analyst $93,575 - $103,425 $104,785 - $115,815 $116,045 - $127,155
Epic BI/cogito developer/analyst $104,267 - $111,032 $104,267 - $123,138 $124,251 - $134,120
Epic certified clarity reporting (data) $101,286 - $110,895 $111,451 - $122,130 $123,705 - $132,359
Epic certified trainer $98,609 - $106,883 $107,105 - $116,695 $122,482 - $133,270
Epic HB analyst - certified (revenue cycle) $104,011 - $112,855 $113,920 - $123,806 $104,941 - $113,777
Epic prelude/cadence analyst - certified (revenue cycle) $105,301 - $116,385 $117,599 - $127,767 $128,974 - $138,130
HIT EMR - project manager (clinical or revenue cycle) $60,112 - $66,440 $71,540 - $79,070 $81,944 - $90,570
HIT integration analyst - certified Epic bridges $131,807 - $145,681 $148,768 - $164,428 $166,210 - $181,496
PACS analyst - radiology $90,792 - $100,350 $101,164 - $111,812 $112,607 - $122,249
infrastructure
infrastructure low mid high
desktop/help desk support technician $51,560 - $58,040 $59,065 - $66,335 $77,898 - $83,888
Linux/Unix systems engineer $94,801 - $104,780 $106,866 - $118,115 $117,850 - $130,256
network administrator $93,387 - $103,217 $104,466 - $114,358 $115,643 - $124,501
site reliability engineer $102,980 - $110,820 $111,055 - $122,745 $156,407 - $172,871
storage administrator $93,148 - $102,954 $115,739 - $127,923 $137,161 - $151,599
virtualization engineer/cloud developer/cloud engineer $110,913 - $122,588 $123,006 - $135,954 $136,017 - $148,124
Windows systems engineer $94,801 - $104,780 $106,866 - $118,115 $117,850 - $130,256
security
security low mid high
certified ethical hacker (CEH)/penetration tester $138,985 - $153,615 $154,620 - $167,580 $170,124 - $180,294
cybersecurity engineer $124,610 - $137,726 $166,250 - $183,750 $190,782 - $205,548
network engineer (Cisco or Juniper) $124,101 - $137,165 $138,999 - $152,525 $153,652 - $166,510
network security engineer $130,790 - $144,558 $145,534 - $159,748 $160,046 - $173,578
security analyst $110,139 - $121,733 $125,654 - $138,880 $139,779 - $154,493
software development
software development low mid high
.NET developer $92,976 - $102,762 $106,666 - $117,894 $119,130 - $131,670
Android developer $85,789 - $94,819 $96,759 - $106,945 $117,748 - $127,984
applications architect $137,833 - $152,341 $153,611 - $167,570 $168,154 - $181,434
artificial intelligence (AI)/applications engineer $109,259 - $120,759 $122,202 - $135,066 $136,986 - $148,090
build and release engineer/configuration engineer $104,500 - $115,500 $116,950 - $127,050 $128,464 - $137,566
data scientist $106,376 - $117,574 $118,572 - $131,054 $132,676 - $143,326
devops developer $128,535 - $142,065 $143,930 - $156,870 $157,125 - $170,349
embedded engineer $105,692 - $111,818 $112,399 - $124,231 $125,506 - $130,980
full-stack web developer $95,880 - $104,762 $106,863 - $117,007 $119,754 - $130,866
graphic designer $62,190 - $68,736 $69,514 - $76,832 $77,183 - $84,203
iOS developer $101,723 - $112,431 $114,279 - $126,309 $127,711 - $138,943
JavaScript developer $93,880 - $103,762 $105,863 - $116,007 $117,774 - $129,066
machine learning engineer $114,140 - $126,154 $127,658 - $141,096 $142,966 - $154,700
mobile developer (iOS, Android, W8) $117,427 - $129,787 $130,422 - $143,046 $144,344 - $155,117
native mobile developer $93,342 - $103,168 $106,552 - $117,768 $118,579 - $131,061
PHP developer $84,041 - $92,887 $96,416 - $106,565 $107,682 - $119,016
Python developer $112,301 - $124,122 $131,060 - $144,855 $152,140 - $168,155
React developer $79,667 - $88,054 $94,121 - $104,028 $114,228 - $126,253
Ruby developer $91,526 - $101,161 $112,519 - $124,363 $125,552 - $135,453
software architect $106,507 - $117,719 $133,623 - $147,689 $163,858 - $181,106
software development engineer in test $90,716 - $100,266 $111,089 - $118,415 $119,801 - $125,833
software/back-end engineer $110,664 - $122,312 $123,361 - $133,031 $134,191 - $142,790
solutions architect $122,037 - $134,883 $149,994 - $165,782 $178,638 - $197,442
UI/visual designer $97,119 - $107,343 $108,322 - $118,619 $119,610 - $128,884
UX/interaction designer $111,978 - $123,766 $124,741 - $136,767 $137,451 - $148,603

regional variance

The variance percentages can be applied to the national averages to calculate the salaries in your area.

city variance to national AVG
AR: Little Rock -8.0%
AZ: Phoenix 7.0%
CA: Los Angeles 57.6%
CA: San Diego 42.2%
CA: San Francisco 64.8%
CO: Denver 15.3%
CT: Hartford 25.8%
CT: Stamford 45.0%
DC: Washington, D.C. 31.3%
DE: Wilmington 17.0%
FL: Jacksonville 4.1%
FL: Miami/Fort Lauderdale 10.8%
FL: Orlando 0.9%
FL: Tampa 3.0%
GA: Atlanta -4.1%
IL: Chicago 2.5%
IN: Indianapolis -1.9%
KY: Louisville -2.9%
LA: New Orleans 0.6%
MA: Boston 34.5%
MD: Baltimore 17.4%
MN: Minneapolis 4.5%
MO: Kansas City -6.1%
MO: St. Louis -2.1%
NC: Charlotte -1.7%
NC: Raleigh -2.9%
NV: Las Vegas 9.5%
NY: New York City 37.2%
NY: Rochester 5.3%
NY: Syracuse 3.8%
OH: Cincinnati -3.2%
OH: Cleveland -3.1%
OH: Columbus -5.1%
OH: Toledo -5.8%
OR: Portland 21.1%
PA: Harrisburg 3.8%
PA: Philadelphia 17.0%
PA: Pittsburgh 3.0%
RI: Providence 27.7%
TN: Nashville -4.1%
TX: Austin -3.4%
TX: Dallas -1.2%
TX: Houston -3.1%
TX: San Antonio -2.2%
UT: Salt Lake City 4.4%
VA: Richmond 3.9%
WA: Seattle 22.6%
WI: Milwaukee 7.4%
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