Northern Ireland’s IT Sector Sees Salaries Rise By Up To 10% In Past Year

Salaries have risen by up to 10% in IT jobs as employers seek to hire and retain top talent, according to a new survey by a recruitment firm.

Brightwater’s annual professional salary survey for 2015, based on data gathered from hundreds of employers, showed that IT, legal, accountancy and human resources ranked as the best performing sectors in terms of payment increases, benefits and job opportunities. Benefits include bonuses, up from between 5% to 20% dependent on individual and company performance as well as pensions, healthcare for staff and family, car or car allowance, free parking, paid professional membership, phones and laptops.

Other benefits include subsidised lunch, and 36% of respondents said their company offered some form of flexible working.

Over the last 12 months, the report said the IT sector has become the most competitive industry within Northern Ireland, continuing to expand and develop with further demands within mobile and web software development.

David Bloch, managing director of Brightwater, said that with Northern Ireland now attracting some of the top multi-nationals into the region, pressure to attract and keep key professionals will increase.

New entrants into the Northern Ireland business world in 2014 have included US firms ShopKeep, WhiteHat and Puppet Labs, London-based Chelsea Apps and international law firm Baker and McKenzie.

The banking group Citi and business advisory firms EY, PwC and Deloitte have all announced expansion of their Northern Ireland bases in recent months.

“The employment market is feeling more pressure, forcing remuneration up,” Mr Bloch said.

“Companies are growing again, not just the multinationals but in the SMEs, which is a great indicator for the market as a whole.

“The accountancy, IT and legal sectors have publicised their plans to expand their headcounts at all levels and it’s really encouraging to see plans for real growth and the advent of justified optimism in the market for 2015.”

Source: belfasttelegraph.co.uk