Professionals and Managers Working with AI See Compensation Rise
Professionals and managers working directly with artificial intelligence (AI) solutions are seeing their compensation shoot upward. These workers also experience greater job satisfaction.
The research also shows how tech workplaces are evolving. Women respondents, who trailblazed in a male-dominated field, say that opportunities and workplace cultures have opened up. Female professionals who have worked in tech for more than two decades are 1.5 times more likely than men to say tech culture has improved over the past 20 years (64% versus 46%).
Salary and Rate Increases
The average technology professional now earns $112,521 a year across all disciplines, reflecting a 1.2% year-on-year increase. IT executives and managers lead the pack by a wide margin, earning almost $170,000 annually on average. Developers tend to earn close to $130,000 annually.
Average Annual Earnings by Job Title
- IT management (CEO, CIO, CTO, VP, and director): $168,345
- Software developer: $128,386
- Project manager: $121,237
- Other IT: $114,423
- Business analyst/intelligence analyst: $102,500
- QA engineer/tester: $96,917
- Systems administrator: $93,783
- Data analyst: $83,990
- IT support: $67,746
- Helpdesk technician/computer or desktop support specialist: $57,234
Skills with the Largest Average Salary Increases
At the same time, salaries and rates of increase vary considerably by specific skill areas. It comes as no surprise that compensation for AI and cloud-related skills is rising quickly. Salaries for people skilled in natural language processing rose 21% over the past year, followed by increases for those with Amazon and AWS-related capabilities.
- Natural language processing: $131,621 (+21%)
- AWS CodeWhisperer: $117,821 (+16%)
- Amazon Redshift: $134,103 (+15%)
- BigQuery: $120,434 (+15%)
- COBOL: $130,243 (+15%)
- Ruby: $136,920 (+13%)
- AI: $130,277 (+12%)
- Blockchain: $113,143 (+12%)
- Oracle eBusiness: $121,227 (+12%)
- Application delivery: $123,336 (+11%)
Higher Job Satisfaction
Tech professionals involved in AI initiatives also have “notably higher job satisfaction compared to their counterparts, even when controlling for salary levels,” the Dice team said in their analysis. “This satisfaction gap persists even as non-AI focused roles see salary increases, suggesting that involvement in AI work may offer intangible benefits beyond monetary compensation.”
The Goldilocks Zone
The survey also suggests a “Goldilocks Zone” for job hopping — not too frequently, not too static, but a more rewarding middle ground. Professionals who changed jobs six to nine times over their careers showed the highest earning potential, with average salaries reaching approximately $142,000.
Conclusion
The report highlights the growing importance of AI in the tech industry, with professionals working in AI-related fields experiencing higher compensation and job satisfaction. The survey also suggests that strategic job changes, rather than excessive job hopping, may be the key to maximizing earning potential.
FAQs
Q: What is the average salary for technology professionals?
A: The average salary for technology professionals is $112,521 per year.
Q: Which job titles have the highest average salaries?
A: IT management (CEO, CIO, CTO, VP, and director) and software development have the highest average salaries, with earnings of almost $170,000 and $130,000 annually, respectively.
Q: What skills have the largest average salary increases?
A: Skills related to AI and cloud computing, such as natural language processing, AWS CodeWhisperer, and Amazon Redshift, have seen the largest average salary increases.
Q: Do professionals working in AI-related fields experience higher job satisfaction?
A: Yes, tech professionals involved in AI initiatives have “notably higher job satisfaction compared to their counterparts, even when controlling for salary levels.”
