Dive Brief:
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Average CIOs in the U.S. earn just under $180,000 a year, according to CIO's 2017 National IT Jobs Report. CIOs in the Northeast, Southeast and Pacific regions earn closer to $190,000 a year, while CIOs in the Southwest, North Central and South Central regions earn less than the national average.
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Application developers earn a national average of $106,000 a year. Regional breakdowns above and below this average mirror that of CIOs.
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One constant across geographic lines was a blossoming job market. Highly skilled tech workers in many regions are afforded greater license in their job selection as well as higher salaries.
Dive Insight:
It should come as no surprise that the tech industry is struggling to find enough talent to fill open positions. Inadequate salaries and lengthy hiring processes make it hard for companies to hire, and a shortage of talent makes the process even more difficult.
Computer science is the highest paying field of study, and tech positions continuously make it to the top of the list of best paying entry and mid-level jobs. At the C-suite level, the prowess of technology jobs is clear: female tech executives secured nine of the 51 spots on Fortune's Most Powerful Women list this year.
IT jobs are certainly not without challenges. Incredibly complex fields like the IoT are demanding such wide-ranging skills sets from workers that companies cannot fill the positions. Cybersecurity may be a priority for companies, yet understaffed security teams, skills gaps and a lack of certification plague many organizations.
