Tech job market coming back

Australia’s ICT job market has picked up over the past quarter with the market for new skills standing at its highest point for more than a year.

The uptick is being driven by organisations looking to rollout digital strategies before the end of the financial year, according to recruiter Peoplebank.

“Demand is strong for data analysts, those with specialist skills in business intelligence and cloud-based operations, as well as for business analysts and project managers focusing on turning big data into opportunities,” said Peoplebank CEO Peter Acheson.

Demand, particularly in the ACT, NSW and VIC – which represent 75 per cent of Australia’s ICT jobs market – is mirroring stronger-than-expected job growth rates in the broader economy.

Most salaries and rates were unchanged but with many projects in the pipeline, companies may need to offer increases to attract skills later in the year, Acheson said.

“Interestingly, there are also early signs of ICT hires being made by business units, rather than the organisation’s IT department. The implications of this trend include that industry professionals will increasingly need to speak the language of marketing and other disciplines to advance their careers,” he said.

The median salary for CIOs or IT directors in Sydney is $250,000 per annum, $170,000 in the ACT, and $240,000 in Melbourne. Senior IT managers in these areas are worth $180,000, $120,000, and $150,000 respectively.

Senior business analysts in Sydney are commanding $120,000, $95,000 in the ACT, and $130,000 in Melbourne.