Tech workers pull in close to 50pc more than average wage

strobe · 13-11-2013 09:10AM

The average industrial wage is always reported but does anyone know what the rough mode is? What's the most common wage in the country?
Or anyone know what percentage of the population earn roughly the average?

KilOit · 13-11-2013 09:17AM

This thread is pretty depressing! You'd swear most of country is on a higher wage than yourself

Menas · 13-11-2013 09:20AM

Elessar wrote: »

What if you've no experience though? You will be hard pressed to find a job in IT.

I recently started an IT degree part time. In 4 years when I have my degree I can only hope I get a graduate position or I'd start getting really worried.

Everyone wants the "cream of the crop". No one wants to take unexperience people anymore. Even jobsbridge places are looking for experienced people only!

Aside from a few years during the boom it has always been hard to get that first job as a graduate unless you are in one of the old school professional disiplines (law, medicine etc). I qualified with a degree in Electronic engineering and it took me 8 months to find my first job back in 1994. And my first job was not directly related to my degree.
And it paid £10k punts a year which was hard to live on when renting in Dublin.

Feathers · 13-11-2013 09:21AM

Doug89 wrote: »

The education rate surely only counts actual teaching hours - no prep or correcting.

Presumably like all the professional rates reported so, the wage being based on the contracted hours rather than hours worked or personal professional development.

bnt · 13-11-2013 09:49AM

Had the writer done any Statistics courses, she'd know that it's a bad idea to use an Average to describe this kind of situation. The average gets badly distorted by the "outliers" at the high and low ends, of which there are many. (House prices are another example.)

Average (mean) assumes that the thing being measured is distributed in a nice neat "bell curve" with the majority clustered around the centre, but salaries definitely aren't distributed that way. A Median (middle value) would make more sense here.

wexie · 13-11-2013 09:52AM

Trigger Happy wrote: »

I have been working in IT for 20 years now and love it. The conditions suit me (very family friendly flexible working hours) and I get to travel a lot too which I like and I work with clients and colleagues from many countries.
Luckily I earn a decent living from my job.
Interestingly I am not a 'tech' person in the IT sense. I understand what the techies do but could not do it.
Many people are not suited to the industry and that is like trying to put a square peg in a round hole.

Wouldn't underestimate that skillset, I know we could sure do with more people in my company that can understand what it is I do and explain it to people that know less. (keep them off my back asking silly questions all the time

)

carlmango11 · 13-11-2013 10:15AM

Elessar wrote: »

What if you've no experience though? You will be hard pressed to find a job in IT.

I recently started an IT degree part time. In 4 years when I have my degree I can only hope I get a graduate position or I'd start getting really worried.

Everyone wants the "cream of the crop". No one wants to take unexperience people anymore. Even jobsbridge places are looking for experienced people only!

Look into getting an internernship. They're almost always paid and make your CV look a whole lot better.

By the time I finished my degree I had worked for free for BNP Paribas and worked paid for a software company. Leaving college I had multiple options for employment.

Mr.David · 13-11-2013 10:16AM

bnt wrote: »

Had the writer done any Statistics courses, she'd know that it's a bad idea to use an Average to describe this kind of situation. The average gets badly distorted by the "outliers" at the high and low ends, of which there are many. (House prices are another example.)

Average (mean) assumes that the thing being measured is distributed in a nice neat "bell curve" with the majority clustered around the centre, but salaries definitely aren't distributed that way. A Median (middle value) would make more sense here.

+1

Especially since the minimum salary is 0 and the maximum is unbounded. This massively skews the average salary upwards (by individuals earning very high salaries).

You really need to see a proper distribution, 'average' in isolation tells you very very little.

intellectual dosser · 13-11-2013 10:21AM

I read this yesterday and I find it hard to believe that the AVERAGE salary in tech is €50k. Maybe there's a lot of management in Ireland drawing in high sums and pulling the number up, but I don't see how Microsoft, Intel, HP etc could maintain such a big presence in Ireland if that's the average salary for a worker.

Tar.Aldarion · 13-11-2013 10:25AM

brevity wrote: »

It seems I'm being had because I've 3 years software development experience and I'm not making those figures...

3 years is hardly the average experience for somebody working.

I dunno why it wouldn't be high, it's a hard job with a high entry barrier.
It's actually low paid compared to places like america where you see grad jobs for the likes of $65k

Mr.David · 13-11-2013 10:45AM

intellectual dosser wrote: »

I read this yesterday and I find it hard to believe that the AVERAGE salary in tech is €50k. Maybe there's a lot of management in Ireland drawing in high sums and pulling the number up, but I don't see how Microsoft, Intel, HP etc could maintain such a big presence in Ireland if that's the average salary for a worker.

If you have 1 person earning 620k/annum, and 19 people earning 20k/annum euro per anuum the average is 50k/annum.....

....the mode however would be 20k/annum as mentioned by a previous poster.

Wossack · 13-11-2013 10:46AM

intellectual dosser wrote: »

I read this yesterday and I find it hard to believe that the AVERAGE salary in tech is €50k. Maybe there's a lot of management in Ireland drawing in high sums and pulling the number up, but I don't see how Microsoft, Intel, HP etc could maintain such a big presence in Ireland if that's the average salary for a worker.

daily rate contracters bulking it out perhaps (though then it might be average 80k+ :P)

everdead.ie · 13-11-2013 10:52AM

Elessar wrote: »

What if you've no experience though? You will be hard pressed to find a job in IT.

I recently started an IT degree part time. In 4 years when I have my degree I can only hope I get a graduate position or I'd start getting really worried.

Everyone wants the "cream of the crop". No one wants to take unexperience people anymore. Even jobsbridge places are looking for experienced people only!

I would be very sceptical of taking up a technology related job through JobBridge, especially if it is centred around development or Support, both have a lot of vacancies.

I am working as a Java Developer at the moment but did 6 months in college doing Desktop support, a year as a consultant and have worked for an Irish Multinational since developing.

I get a good few emails through Linkedin looking for me to Interview for positions quite often the job spec these relate too will look for more experience than I have but that's because there aren't enough experienced people in the Industry, these jobs are based in Ireland and abroad so it isn't just here where there is a skills shortage.

Just because a job asks for experience doesn't mean they won't accept someone new thats something I learned anyway.

13-11-2013 10:55AM

intellectual dosser wrote: »

I read this yesterday and I find it hard to believe that the AVERAGE salary in tech is €50k. Maybe there's a lot of management in Ireland drawing in high sums and pulling the number up, but I don't see how Microsoft, Intel, HP etc could maintain such a big presence in Ireland if that's the average salary for a worker.

I have a good friend in IT and know a good few of his work friends through him. He and a few more are on close to 70k, others on around 50k and even graduates would be on close to 40k in his place add that to the fact these lads are mid to late 20's with no more than 6 years experience I would definitely believe there are enough out there on that and a lot more to bring up the average with all the older IT professionals in management etc.

intellectual dosser · 13-11-2013 10:57AM

George Wonderful Mush wrote: »

I have a good friend in IT and know a good few of his work friends through work. He and a few more are on close to 70k, others on around 50k and even new starters would be on close to 40k add that to the fact these lads are mid to late 20's with no more than 6 years experience I would definitely believe there are enough out there on that and a lot more to bring up the average with all the older IT professionals in management etc.

I work for one of the companies I listed above - and while there are people with specific skills getting paid hefty salaries, the number of people who are not is incredible. Starting salaries these days for a graduate position is very modest.

I take the point that we should be looking at mode and not mean.

wexie · 13-11-2013 11:01AM

intellectual dosser wrote: »

I work for one of the companies I listed above - and while there are people with specific skills getting paid hefty salaries, the number of people who are not is incredible. Starting salaries these days for a graduate position is very modest.

I take the point that we should be looking at mode and not mean.

It would also to be a very useful distinction to make between :
1) people that have had their jobs prior to say 2008
2) people with 5 (or 10)+ years of experience.

I think that would rather drastically change those numbers.

marketty · 13-11-2013 11:01AM

So how about teaching IT? megabucks and great holidays! Right?

wexie · 13-11-2013 11:03AM

marketty wrote: »

So how about teaching IT? megabucks and great holidays! Right?

Depends on what where and how.

Teaching in a college, probably not.

Independent MCT ot VCT or the likes.....I would imagine they're doing pretty well these days.

folan · 13-11-2013 11:04AM

thank god someone makes more than the average wage. reading boards.ie these days, sometimes one would think we are all making less than the average wage!

Sofiztikated · 13-11-2013 12:19PM

I know someone that just started working in a laundry for €14.25 an hour.

I'm in the wrong job.

Tiddlypeeps · 13-11-2013 12:20PM

brevity wrote: »

It seems I'm being had because I've 3 years software development experience and I'm not making those figures...

Have you tried shopping around?

Entry level salaries in software dev are pretty average but once you start adding years of experience it should go up fairly rapidly. If you are with the same company from the time you started your career they might be hesitant to give you such drastic pay rises, but moving from one job to the next can make a huge difference.

I'm just coming up on 5 years experience and am about to make a jump to a new job with a 10k pay bump. I'd never get that as a pay rise in one year sticking with the same company.

ted1 · 13-11-2013 11:37PM

intellectual dosser wrote: »

I read this yesterday and I find it hard to believe that the AVERAGE salary in tech is €50k. Maybe there's a lot of management in Ireland drawing in high sums and pulling the number up, but I don't see how Microsoft, Intel, HP etc could maintain such a big presence in Ireland if that's the average salary for a worker.

Intel and HP are manufacturing sites, can the staff there be regarded as working in IT?

I worked in Intel and reckon in my first year I pulled in about 50k euro.
Basic+ 23% shift allowance+19% overtime+ 3 different annual bonuses + health insurance+ pension. That was in 2000 when I only had a cert in elec eng.

siblers · 14-11-2013 12:07AM

I'm a third year computing science student and to get a degree out of it, you really have to work your balls off. Even then, your degree is more of a ticket into the I.T sector and you'll have to learn a whole new amount of languages, software etc. In my course we started with 80 or so, there's currently 25 or so of us left.

ted1 · 14-11-2013 12:13AM

siblers wrote: »

I'm a third year computing science student and to get a degree out of it, you really have to work your balls off. Even then, your degree is more of a ticket into the I.T sector and you'll have to learn a whole new amount of languages, software etc. In my course we started with 80 or so, there's currently 25 or so of us left.

In elec eng we had 150 started but only 20 finishing their degree ( hons).

K-9 · 14-11-2013 12:29AM

It's surprising they picked IT. Professional type careers are well paid in comparison to service industry jobs anyway, it's hardly that shocking.

Vincent Browne often goes on about how low wage levels are for the majority of people, and it is something that gets over looked.

http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/high-earner-ireland-755580-Jan2013/

A third of household have less than 30k gross.

56% less than 50k gross, so taxes on top of that..

62% have less than 62k which is the mean, again, taxes to come out of that.

50% of individuals have a gross annual income of less than €18,000

On average individuals in the Republic of Ireland have an annual gross income of €26,800
%
1.5 million individuals (40%) have a gross income between €10,000 and €30,000 per annum.

When you look at average mortgage/rent and childcare costs in this country, you'd wonder how the majority of families are surviving.

Media999 · 14-11-2013 12:31AM

ted1 wrote: »

In elec eng we had 150 started but only 20 finishing their degree ( hons).

Software Development

100 started. 8 left in 4th year. maybe 6 will graduate.

Tip. If youre older, get made redundant, have no interest in Software but hear "Theres jobs in IT" or believe stupid articles like this. Dont even bother applying. Youre just wasting your time and money. Truth comes out eventually and it just adds to the under supply problem by keeping people with a genuine interest but lower points out.

siblers · 14-11-2013 12:37AM

Media999 wrote: »

Software Development

100 started. 8 left in 4th year. maybe 6 will graduate.

Tip. If youre older, get made redundant, have no interest in Software but hear "Theres jobs in IT" or believe stupid articles like this. Dont even bother applying. Youre just wasting your time and money. Truth comes out eventually and it just adds to the under supply problem by keeping people with a genuine interest but lower points out.

The course i'm doing now, I knew nothing about programming or databases etc but I knew its where the jobs are and there are a few more in the same boat, we are all into technology etc but had no prior experience with the modules of our course. There were a lot of people who were totally out of their depth though (lots of them were straight from the leaving) and a lot of these people were guys who could build their own p.cs etc. Unless you go out of your way to learning programming languages, there's not much you can do to prepare yourself for these kinds of courses.
There is an I.T support course running parallel with out course which was made up entirely of people who were either made redundant or who were coming back for a new career. They'll all walk straight into jobs when they are done.

Media999 · 14-11-2013 12:45AM

siblers wrote: »

There is an I.T support course running parallel with out course which was made up entirely of people who were either made redundant or who were coming back for a new career. They'll all walk straight into jobs when they are done.

Better doing something like that alright. Work in a call center or something.

massive difference between Software development and IT support. The 100% mature student drop out rate speaks for itself.

siblers · 14-11-2013 01:22AM

Media999 wrote: »

Better doing something like that alright. Work in a call center or something.

massive difference between Software development and IT support. The 100% mature student drop out rate speaks for itself.

They wont be working in a call centre, they will be working in school, companies, hospitals etc maintaining infrastructure etc. We do some of the modules they do and it's no joke, they have some fierce tricky modules.
In my course, there's around 8 or 9 mature students left so I dunno where you're getting 100% from.

Media999 · 14-11-2013 01:35AM

siblers wrote: »

They wont be working in a call centre, they will be working in school, companies, hospitals etc maintaining infrastructure etc. We do some of the modules they do and it's no joke, they have some fierce tricky modules.
In my course, there's around 8 or 9 mature students left so I dunno where you're getting 100% from.

Im saying in mine it was 100% gone before graduation. As soon as the programming hit top gear they where gone.

Tech workers pull in close to 50pc more than average wage

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