Most UK IT professionals feel underpaid - survey

SolarWinds' National IT Professionals Day honours the 'venerable geeks of the world'

The majority of IT professionals said in a survey they feel they are worth more than they are currently paid.

SolarWinds – an IT management software vendor that works with 150,000 enterprises and SMBs worldwide – conducted the survey, which asked 213 IT professionals how they felt about their job.

Some 83 per cent said they felt they were not paid well enough, and of those, 36 per cent of respondents reckoned they deserved up to 20 per cent more. Another 18 per cent want up to 30 per cent more pay and four per cent even want up to a 50 per cent hike on their current salary.

As well as those who felt they are not paid enough, 35 per cent felt they were only moderately valued by their employer, and five per cent do not feel valued at all.

Regarding job security, 39 per cent of IT professionals feel that their job is safe, with only four per cent saying they were even slightly concerned.

Among those who admitted being worried about keeping their role, most (48 per cent) said it was because the company views IT as a cost centre, and their boss is always looking to cut costs. Forty-two per cent did not think company leadership understood the importance of IT.

To ensure IT professionals feel valued, SolarWinds has been a part of the establishment of a National IT Professionals Day, taking place on the third Tuesday of every September.

The day was introduced to “honour the venerable geeks of the world we all rely on to keep us connected”, as stated on the National Day Calendar website.

Kevin Thompson, president and CEO of SolarWinds, said: “We’re very excited to be a part of establishing IT Professionals Day as a way to honour all IT pros for the amazing work they do to keep business moving at the lightning speed required for success today.

“Considering all they do, IT pros truly are the unsung heroes of modern business. So, on behalf of SolarWinds, thank you to all the IT pros out there. And happy IT Professionals Day 2015 and beyond."