InformationWeek

lthough the West Coast and, to some extent, the East are homes to the largest constituencies of failing dot-coms, IT professionals in those regions still earn the most.

Based on InformationWeek Research's IT salary survey, coastal companies are a pretty even match in IT staff pay--the median total cash compensation for East Coasters was $75,000 while West Coasters earned $74,000. IT staff in the San Francisco, New York, and Boston areas earn the highest base salaries among 10 metropolitan areas. For managers, top pay is offered in San Francisco and New York. But that could all change quickly. On the West Coast, "everyone is scared right now," says Victor Janulaitis, CEO of Janco Associates Inc., an IT consulting firm. Even bellwether companies are getting battered, he says. "Before, there was a slam dunk at Cisco. But now, things are slowing down everywhere."

East Coast companies and their IT professionals aren't immune, either. "Building projects are slowing down" in the Northeast, says Chris Armen, VP of technology at a custom woodworking and cabinetry company in Avon, Conn. Armen's compensation this year will likely be hit because "bonuses and profit sharing are tied to the company's performance."

The least-generous pay packages were in the South and Midwest, but lower costs of living in those regions tend to stretch dollars farther. IT staff in Dixie earned a median of $70,000, while IT managers earned $93,000.

In the Midwest--where the IT skills shortage had been most severe in recent years--companies paid a median of $68,000 to IT staff and $91,000 to IT managers. Minneapolis-St. Paul ranked last on the salary list.