ACS finds pay rise slowdown

Almost half of ICT professionals in the Australian private sector did not receive a pay rise in the 12 months to May 2010, the Australian Computer Society has found.

According to the society's 2010 Remuneration Survey, the global financial crisis brought about the lowest level of ICT salary increases since 2003.

Private sector ICT professionals had an average salary increase of three percent, down from 3.9 percent the previous year.

In the public sector, ICT professionals reported an average increase of 4.2 percent, down from 4.6 percent in the previous year.

The society noted that most professionals had received pay rises greater than the 2.9 percent Consumer Price Index increase, but less than the 5.9 percent increase in average weekly earnings reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics that year.

Professionals in business services, insurance, retail, public administration and defence received the largest pay increases, while those in manufacturing, transport, storage, banking and finance received the least.

CIOs and general managers received the largest pay packets, averaging between $150,000 and $240,000 per annum including base salary, bonuses, superannuation and fringe benefits.

As the economy recovered, ACS president Anthony Wong expected the rate of pay rises to increase.

"The rate of increase will depend on the competitiveness of local ICT providers and professionals as this will have an impact of the use of offshore providers of ICT services, putting downward pressure on local salary outcomes," he said.

"Recent infrastructure announcements concerning the development of a National High Speed Broadband infrastructure and on-going development of electronic systems in the health and security sectors are anticipated to provide significant job opportunities in the medium term."

Respondents of the survey were renumerated as follows: