If you're a job-seeking Microsoft certified systems engineer, better brush up on your negotiating skills. The average base salary for MCSEs is down 7% over last year, dropping from $67,800 to $63,400, according to a survey of 6,500 U.S. Microsoft certified professionals conducted by Wilson Research Group.

The decrease in base pay doesn't surprise Felix Cruz, president of IT recruiting company Felix Cruz Associates Inc. "Salaries seem to have tapered off. We're starting to see more candidates available than there are jobs," he says. Bonuses are down as well, say 63% of survey respondents who receive them. The average expected bonus this year is $2,456, down 40% from last year. There's some good news for those with Windows 2000 certification, though: Their average annual income is $4,400 higher than those certified in Windows NT Server 4.0, according to the survey, which was conducted for Microsoft Certified Professional magazine.

Current skills--namely, Windows 2000--can enhance earning potential, especially since many large companies need IT talent to help them upgrade, says Cruz. Still, it's not a must-have certification for job seekers. "There are plenty of companies that are satisfied with NT 4.0 or have other things on their plate more important than upgrading to Windows 2000," he says. And large companies that are upgrading may find they can make the transition with their current staff. "They might have existing talent on NT 4.0, and they're not going to fire them just because they don't have Windows 2000 certification," although they would like employees to upgrade their skills, says Cruz.

Perhaps that helps explain companies' growing support of IT education. The survey showed that the percentage of companies covering all IT training and certification costs increased to 46%, up from 39% last year.