5 Steps to Boosting Your Salary in the IT Sector

Finding a career you love is something we all hope to achieve, and a career in IT is a popular choice for many. Working in IT boasts a whole range of benefits, from lots of career development opportunities to flexible working patterns, but one of the first things most people consider is the potential to earn a lot of money.

It is true that IT manager is among the 20 most highly paid jobs in the world, with the demand for IT professionals set to increase rapidly in 2022 according to Insider. So with the salary of IT managers at an all-time high and the demand for IT professionals increasing, how can existing IT professionals make sure they get paid what they’re worth? Discover how you can boost your salary as an IT professional with our expert guide below.

Before embarking on Blockchain courses to boost your CV or jumping into a meeting with your manager, take the time to step back and consider your current strengths. Think about the things you have done in your IT career so far, including the tasks you have performed, the knowledge you’ve gained, and the skills you have developed. 

Don’t forget to add soft skills too, such as communication skills, team working skills, and time management, as these are essential qualities that can make an employee irreplaceable. This will enable you to highlight to management why you deserve a boost in salary with concrete examples of what you bring to your role, and it will also help you identify any gaps in your skills or knowledge base. 

If you do have gaps that you want to fill, then the next step can help you build up those skills and add to your list of strengths.

Once you have a list of your strengths, see what new areas of IT you would like to explore. Suppose you are not very confident in Adobe, for example. In that case, you can explore online Adobe courses, or if you think gaining more knowledge of programming would be useful in your role or a role you are looking to move into, then there are a range of Programming courses you can take. 

Exploring new areas of IT in which you have little or no experience can not only be personally interesting and helpful for you but broadens your knowledge base, making you a more skilled employee. 

There are a variety of online courses which can be taken flexibly so you can study around your work schedule, and several of these courses involve key knowledge which can be useful to your present role as well as any roles you want to take on in the future. 

Some of these skills are also becoming even more needed as technology progresses, for example, Machine Learning courses are very popular right now as machine learning is set to be one of the biggest tech trends for 2022 alongside AI.

As new technology trends develop and the technological world changes, in-demand skills also change. Knowing what skills employers are looking for right now means that you can get ahead of the game and make yourself a highly desirable employee deserving of a salary boost. 

Whether you plan to stay in your current role, change positions or apply for jobs elsewhere, increase your desirability to employers by knowing what they are on the lookout for. For example, many organisations are now on the hunt for cybersecurity experts due to the huge increase in cyberattacks with a 50% increase from 2020-2021, and those numbers are set to increase this year. 

Therefore Cybersecurity courses are not only becoming increasingly popular among employees looking to upskill but also among employers wanting their employees to have a greater understanding of cyber security. 

Furthermore, obtaining a qualification through Ethical Hacking courses can make you even more of an asset, with certified ethical hackers in high demand due to the increase in hackers holding data to ransom. 

Getting ahead of the game and undertaking a cyber security course will make you a more valuable employee that does not need additional training and can provide much-needed cyber safety to the organisation.

It is not just the new skills areas you will want to focus on when wanting to increase your salary, but also the skills you currently have. 

Now that you have a list of your strengths, as well as some new skills and in-demand skills and knowledge that you want to add to your skill set, consider levelling up your established skills. 

Online learning such as Microsoft courses are available to people of all skill levels, from introductory courses in Microsoft Project introduction courses to intermediate and advanced level MPS Project packages, so you can study at the next level up to gain a more in-depth understanding. Other course areas such as Computer courses offer qualification levels from Functional Skills IT Level 2 all the way up to Bachelors in Computing, a Postgraduate Certificate in Computer Science, and a Masters in Computing and Technology. 

As well as in-depth qualifications, there are a variety of shorter courses you can study at various levels, such as Software Development courses in DevOps, where you can study the DevOps foundation and then the DevOps leader course.

The final step to boosting your salary after noting your current skills, levelling up your skills, and adding a range of new skills and knowledge to your repertoire, is to know what you are asking for. 

Whether you want to discuss a salary increase with your current manager or are keen to explore new jobs elsewhere, knowing what you bring to the table and how to communicate what you want is key. 

Before discussing salary with your new or current boss, see what the Do’s and Don’ts of negotiating a pay rise are, and make sure you have researched what the usual salaries are for people with your experience and knowledge. 

Remember, don’t downplay your hard work in gaining new qualifications and upskilling, and show your worth, so you get the salary you deserve.