Professionals in IT security or data analytics roles should expect to see significant pay rises in 2017, according to research.
A study by recruitment firm Robert Walters found that salaries for IT security professionals would increase by 8% over the next year, and data analysts would see a 4% pay rise over the same period.
James Murray, associate director at Robert Walters, said this could be due, in part, to an increase in high-profile data breaches and the need for data insight.
“Senior stakeholders are acutely aware of the impact data breaches can have on a company’s image and their finances and, as a result, they are willing to offer high salaries to top-calibre candidates,” he said. “Senior business leaders are also increasingly coming to recognise the pivotal role that data science and analytics can have on driving cost efficiencies and allowing businesses to grow in a sustainable way.”
But there is still a shortage of skilled workers in the tech sector, and firms often complain that graduates are leaving university without the necessary skills to fill a role.
Industry body Tech UK recently called on the government to implement a plan to tackle the growing skills gap in big data, while cyber skills shortages are putting firms at increased risk of attack .
