As some of the fastest growing and most indemand professions in the digital age, I.T. and web development have seen a spike in salary over the last few years. This can largely be put down to the growth of online purchasing and mobile device usage.
While competition amongst job seekers in these industries can be fierce, for many skilled frontend developers it really is a seller’s market. Those who know CSS3, HTML5 and JavaScript frameworks such as BackboneJS and AngularJS are highly in demand.
The high industry demand for skilled workers means the current job market remains very mobile for those in I.T. and web development. With the industry evolving at a rapid pace and new job titles being created to keep up with innovations, staying up to date with emerging skills and experience is a must if you want to command a high salary.
So, which jobs are well paid and which additional skills can help you get the salary boost you’re after?
| Job | Average salary (incl. commission) | Entry-level | Mid-career | Experienced | Skills that increase salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IT Manager | A$90,447 | A$50,568 – A$130,888 | A$60,195 – A$141,262 | A$69,811 – A$162,323 | UNIX |
| IT Consultant | A$81,144 | A$43,385 – A$99,085 | A$60,312 – A$129,825 | A$69,812 – A$175,881 | Business Analysis |
| Web designer | A$50,835 | A$35,463 – A$71,019 | A$40,696 – A$100,762 | A$42,220 – A$120,249 | User Interface Design skill |
| Web Graphic Designer | A$50,226 | A$35,749 – A$64,256 | A$42,857 – A$72,858 | A$42,220 – A$120,249 | Web design |
| Web Developer | A$55,627 | A$38,298 – A$72,951 | A$45,833 – A$90,714 | A$54,152 – A$126,089 | .NET Linux |
| User Interface Designer | A$61,931 | A$49,610 – A$56,449 | A$53,029 – A$71,961 | A$87,201- A$100,149 | Web Design |
| Multimedia Designer | A$51,472 | A$41,379 – A$64,481 | A$44,440 – A$71,483 | ||
| Support Technician IT | A$48,559 | A$36,575 – A$62,580 | A$40,534 – A$73,778 | A$41,410 – A$75,332 | Windows Server 2012 R2 Help Desk / Desktop Support |
| Business Analyst, IT | A$80,554 | A$54,099 – A$101,507 | A$67,945 – A$130,108 | A$73,234 – A$157,409 | Requirements Analysis Microsoft SQL Server |
| Project Manager, IT | A$100,142 | A$54,865 – A$138,956 | A$75,020 – A$158,741 | A$79,944 – A$180,680 | SQL, Agile,business analysis |
| Desktop Publisher Graphic design) | A$50,868 | A$40,906 – A$45,900 | A$40,906 – A$56,160 | A$71,280- A$81,466 | Adobe Illustrator Adobe Photoshop Adobe InDesign |
| PHP Web Developer | A$59,010 | A$37,596 – A$80,562 | A$39,152 – A$87,836 | A$63,494- A$110,833 | HTML, CSS, PHP |
The above infographic and the table shows the average Australian salaries in I.T. and web development for 2016. It covers what you can expect to earn in different job roles, from I.T. manager to support technician and desktop publisher.
Contributing Factors to Salary
Salaries range from $35,463 for an entrylevel web designer to $162,323 for an experienced I.T. manager. How much you can expect to earn in this field will depend on a variety of factors such as location and how much experience you have.
Additional factors to affect salary include things such as the exact functions required for the company or clients, the type of experience you have, as well as the size of the company.
The infographic also shows which relevant skills can help to increase your salary. Having experience using high demand tools and technologies can result in earning more money; This includes web design skills for a user interface designer, HTML and CSS for a PHP web developer and Linux and .NET for a web developer.
We can also see the ratio of males to females for different jobs, most of which are still dominated by men. Previous research has shown that lack of flexibility, long hours and unconscious bias from already male dominated teams are all contributing factors to the lack of females being driven to these roles.
When it comes to the top 5 highest paying countries, Australia makes the list for the following jobs:
- Web Designer
- Web Developer
- PHP Web Developer
If you are interested in a career in I.T. or web development, this infographic will demonstrate exactly how much you can expect to earn in Australia for each role, as well as what you need to know in order to demand a higher salary.
