Careers in IT sector becoming more lucrative

There are only a few IT professionals in the talent pool who are knowledgeable in programming Python versus other software such as Java and PHP.

With demand for the expertise of information and technology (IT) professionals on the rise, the salary scale in this sector has correspondingly increased, according to an IT job portal.

ICTjob.ph, a Philippine IT job portal, has released its IT salary barometer for the first half of 2019 with data showing an 85.63 percent increase in the salary of senior-level Oracle developers, from P87,000 in 2018 to P161,500 at present.

Likewise, due to strong demand for information on the net, HTML/CSS developers have also registered a 71.69 percent increase in their salaries during the period.

Similarly, Android developers, both mid- and senior levels, had a 21.56 percent and 50 percent salary increase, respectively, on the back of rapid advancements in mobile software technologies.

ICTjob.ph’s ICT (information communications technology) Barometer 2019 provides data on estimate gross monthly salaries of different IT professions based on the corresponding role, specialization, skill, and level of expertise. It is based on data gathered from ICTjob.ph’s clients and their requirements versus the IT talent’s asking salary and skills from January to June 2019.

Fred Tshidimba, founder and chief innovation officer of ICTjob.ph, said that based on their study, the more complex and in-demand the skill, the higher the base salary one can expect from employers even if one has just started working for the ICT industry.

“We also realized that some roles like DevOps and business analysts were highly searched by the market. It’s time for job seekers to upskill,” he said.

The study indicated that the ICT sector remains one of the fastest-growing industries in the country. As such, it has a strong demand for manpower with specific skills and experience. It is this stringent requirement for complex and very different skill sets that contributes to the talent gap, a hot topic, and concern for ICT companies in the Philippines.

“There are only a few IT professionals in the talent pool who are knowledgeable in programming Python versus other software such as Java and PHP. But this does not mean that Java professionals are easier to hire. What it means is that there is more Java/PHP-equipped talent compared to those who are experienced in Python,” Tshidimba added.

ICTjob.ph notes the emphasis today is on data knowledge and application and soft skills such as project management and communication. When it comes to reviewing the salary package and planning the career development of the IT talent pool, a good combination of software and management skills is a huge advantage.

“When it comes to working for big ICT companies, the years of experience and skills are important. But knowing how to communicate and project management is an advantage. This is why project and IT managers and other managerial and operational work get significantly higher pay.