Welcome Guest. | Log In| Register | Membership Benefits
  • Email this page E-mail this page
  • |  Print Print this page
  • |   Bookmark and Share
  • |  icon
  • | 

IT Workers Find Experience Counts


Survey shows younger IT workers took salary hits last year, while older staffers' checks stayed the same or increased slightly.

By Eric Chabrow
InformationWeek
February 28, 2003 12:00 AM

Call it the revenge of the middle-aged nerd.

More CIO Insights

White Papers

Reports

Videos


Learn how GM is building a global IT environment and what it takes to be labeled a dinosaur around his organization. Redshaw sees a resurgence in software innovation and talks about the benefits of software as a service and SOA at Motorola. Fritz Nelson spoke with Kent Kushar, the CIO of E&J Gallo Winery about what it takes to be the best and what qualities tomorrow's CIO should possess.
Redshaw sees a resurgence in software innovation and talks about the benefits of software as a service and SOA at Motorola.
During the dot-com boom of the late '90s, experience didn't seem to count for much. Twentysomethings, with the ink on their diplomas barely dry, captivated IT hiring managers with their newfound New Economy ideas and Internet skills, which were seen as requisites for success. Many pooh-poohed the legacy know-how of veteran IT staffers.

Now the young guns are gettin' their comeuppance, at least in their wallets. As the economy recovers and companies begin to beef up their IT staffs, older IT workers are the ones being rewarded.

According to a study of 21,000 IT professionals by Dice Inc., an online high-tech employment service, IT workers age 30 and under have seen their salaries slip this past year by an average of almost 7%; those under 24 saw their wages slide by nearly 9%. Paychecks issued to IT workers age 40 and over hardly budged between 2001 and 2002, but workers 50 and older actually saw a 1% bump on their pay stubs last year.

Why so? IT managers now are demanding that the people they hire have multiple technical skills to go with their business insight, says Dice CEO Scot Melland. Older workers also are more likely than their younger compatriots to know the technologies that run back-end systems that keep their companies afloat. Says Melland, "Age and experience are back in fashion."



Subscribe to RSS


Advertisement

CAREER CENTER
Ready to take that job and shove it?



TechCareers

SEARCH
Function:

Keyword(s):

State:
SPONSOR
RECENT JOB POSTINGS
CAREER NEWS
10 Search Engines You Don't Know About
Go beyond Google and get vertical. These specialized search sites will help you find the business information you need -- fast.

Yahoo Profits Fall 23%, Cuts 1,000 Jobs
Ari Balogh was named to the post of chief technology officer as the companys for a "realignment" of employees.

More articles from our career center





Subscription Info
Apply for a free 52-week subscription to InformationWeek (a $199 value)

Last Name:

First Name:

Title:

Company Name:

City:

Business Address:

Zip:

State:

Email Address:

NOTE: Offer valid for U.S., U.S. possessions, & Canada only

            

Join economist Chris Cornell and 3 CIOs in an Exclusive Online Exchange for Senior IT Executives: Using IT to Drive Value in a Turbulent Economy. November 5th only.