In an age where people are producing more digital information than ever before, employers are battling it out for the talent that can unlock business insight from big data. As a result of the hot competition, this latest Tech Cities Job Watch report from Experis (a global leader in professional IT resourcing) also revealed that big data IT professionals are commanding the highest salaries of five core tech disciplines – averaging £67,399 per year.
At a time when businesses are facing a significant tech skills deficit, and the Government has introduced new T-Levels with a boost in funding for STEM subjects to tackle this, tech skills will be top of businesses agenda moving towards the General Election.
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Demand for big data IT professionals has increased by 51.7% in the past year, according to the report from Experis, the professional IT resourcing company.
The year-on-year increase from Q1 2016 to Q1 2017, highlights the growth in demand for individuals with big data skills.
The quarterly report tracks IT jobs advertised (within the five technology disciplines: big data, cloud, IT security, mobile and web development) across 10 UK cities. While the number of big data roles has seen a sharp increase, the discipline has also become the highest paying of the five core areas.
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Professionals in this field commanded the highest average salaries by far – £67,399 per annum for permanent roles and £528 per day for contractor roles, compared to £41,578 and £332 for Web Developers, who had the lowest rates of all.
Organisations are increasingly recognising the need for long-term and ongoing investment in big data skills to drive more business value from their information. Not only is demand for permanent big data professionals up by 51.8%, but the average salary has also risen sharply (up 4.03% YoY), with competition in the market heating up to recruit the best permanent talent.
In comparison, while demand for IT contractors in big data has risen by a similar level (up 51.1% YoY), day rates have actually decreased in value, down 1.3% from £535 in Q1 2016 to £528 in Q1 2017.
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Geoff Smith, managing director, Experis UK & Ireland, commented: “These results show that businesses are prioritising long-term investment in big data technology, with demand for contractor roles slowing. That said, the new GDPR legislation – coming into effect from May 2018 – will have a significant impact on businesses and contract support should not be dismissed. While companies are already in need of big data talent, this demand is set to increase exponentially from next year and will also require professionals to upskill in IT security to ensure compliance. Employers will benefit from supporting their workforce by providing them with regular development opportunities to cross-skill.”
“With companies in dire need of big data talent at this pivotal time, businesses should not miss out on the opportunity of hiring contractors who have the necessary expertise to help with upskilling their permanent talent in the long run.”
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