Sizzling IT Skills And Salaries

With all the changes in the industry, IT pros are under tremendous pressure. The rise of software-defined infrastructure, DevOps, and automation, alongside the constant barrage of cyberattacks are all combining to make for a tumultuous IT environment. In these changing times, companies are putting a priority on certain skills, and having those skills can pay off handsomely for IT pros.

According to the 2016 IT Skills and Salary Report from Global Knowledge, IT security tops the list of IT skills that hiring managers are looking for, followed by cloud computing skills. IT architecture, network engineering, and network operations round out the top five.

Average salaries for IT pros and IT decision makers dropped some from Global Knowledge's previous survey – from $88,835 to $86,545. However, for the second year in a row, the percentage of respondents reporting a raise reached 75% and the highest percent ever -- 66% -- said they received a bonus.

Considering the IT skills that are in demand, it's no surprise that survey respondents with jobs in those areas reported higher average salaries than IT pros in other areas. Cloud computing, IT architecture, and IT security came in as the areas with the highest pay, according to Global Knowledge.

The Global Knowledge report is based on a survey of more than 10,000 IT and business professionals in North America.

Continue on for more details on what this year's study revealed about IT skills and salary trends, including factors on salary such as geographic location and certification.

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