IT job market sees gradual improvement

Salaries for IT roles are rising, and existing and new implementations in UK organisations are keeping IT staff in jobs.

According to recruitment firm Badenoch & Clark's latest Talent Spotlight report, salaries for permanent IT staff are up 0.8 per cent compared with July 2011, and up 6.15 per cent compared with August 2010.

Contract salaries have also risen 1.15 per cent since July and 5.4 per cent year on year, and database professionals' salaries increased too, by a modest 0.07 per cent compared with July 2011.

The average rate for an IT director has also risen since July 2010 by 3.8 per cent to £96 per hour.

However, the number of permanent IT vacancies has declined slightly, by 0.17 per cent compared with last month, to 15,470 roles, although contract vacancies are up 0.07 per cent month on month to 6,057.

The firm highlighted key areas where IT skills are in demand. In the public sector, experience with clinical information systems such as Cerner and RiO are in demand – particularly in London, where trusts look to complete major projects such as patient administration system upgrades and implementations.

Meanwhile, in the private sector, testing roles are also in demand.

"As employers move to an automated test environment, more and more development projects are moving to the delivery stage. There are more vacancies for testing roles at all levels as a result," the company said.