IT Salaries on the Rise in Defense Industries

Overall salaries for tech professions declined last year to levels not seen since 2001, but those working in the defense and government-related industries were immune to the trend, according to a new survey released last week.

According to an article by Johan Bostrom on the Network World Fusion website, the Dice survey of 23,000 technology professionals said the average salary for IT workers decreased 2.6 percent from $69,900 in 2003 to $67,800 last year. However, the survey also found that IT professionals in the government and defense sectors, as well as affiliated industries, saw their salary rise from $64,600 to $66,500.

"The spending for Homeland Security and defense is the main factor," Scot Melland, CEO and president of Dice, told Bostrom. "The vast majorities are federal contractors and consultants for companies like, for example, Lockheed Martin and Northman Grumman."

Bostrom also says the growth in the defense technology market was mirrored by changes in geographical statistics. "Survey respondents in San Diego and Los Angeles, as opposed to their colleagues in Silicon Valley, enjoyed an increase in their average salaries," he says. "Several defense-related companies are located in Southern California."

To read the full article, click here: http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/0203salarsurve.html