The best part about publishing an IT Skills and Salary Report every year is the ability to compare results from previous years.
Are salaries rising? Are budgets decreasing? Are budgets decreasing? Is talent recruitment still the greatest challenge for IT management professionals?
You quickly discover that the opinions, priorities, and salaries of thousands upon thousands of IT professionals around the world can differ from year to year or by region, tenure, or job role.
These five dates are from the 2020 IT Skills and Salary Report. They illustrate important trends in professional growth, skills gaps, hiring, and top-paying certifications.

1. Formal training is approved by 80% of IT decision-makers, an increase of 36% year-over-year.
This finding is a double-edged weapon. It’s encouraging to see that more managers approved training in the past year. Many decision-makers realize that it is easier to develop the skills of existing staff than to hire new employees in order to combat rising skill gaps.
Yet, 20% of decision-makers refused to approve training even though their organization offered it. Managers must do all they can to ensure that employees have the opportunity to learn the skills they need. Although 20% is less than last year’s, it still means that one out five decision-makers is wasting development opportunities for staff.
Some managers are afraid of increasing workloads, which has scared them away from prioritizing professional development for their team members. Managers may be worried about a temporary dip in productivity. But, they should also consider the long-term consequences of skills gaps. Our survey respondents indicated that skills gaps can cause residual harm to employees by increasing employee stress, higher operating expenses, and delays in development or deployment.
IT decision-makers will pay for training later if they don’t approve it now. We surveyed IT professionals who value career growth more than salary. If employees don’t have the opportunity to grow, they will not hesitate to look for other employment.
Investing in the employees’ future is the same as investing in the company’s future. It’s impossible to avoid it, especially as IT-skill requirements are changing too rapidly. Informal learning is not enough for keeping up with the times. For organizational success, formal training must be supported by management.

2. IT professionals who obtained new skills and/or certificates last year saw an average increase of $12,000 to $13,000
The average IT raise percentage in 2020 will be nearly six percent. The average IT professional was awarded a raise of around $5,000, with global IT salaries hovering at $85,115. Some earned much more.
The reason for the raise will impact the amount of the raise. 12 percent of those who received raises attributed it to learning new skills that added value. These same individuals earned almost $12,000 more in 2019 than they did in 2019.
Employees who contribute value to the organization are often recognized for their achievements. This is why it’s important to acquire new skills, particularly in areas such as cybersecurity and cloud computing. This year’s skills shortages are overwhelming IT decision-makers. Therefore, any employee who is proactive in developing their skills will be recognized and likely to be rewarded.
There are also financial benefits to obtaining a certification. IT professionals who have received a new certification have seen a nearly $13,000 salary increase.

12 percent of IT professionals who were awarded a raise attributed it to their ability to develop new skills that added value. These same individuals earned almost $12,000 more in 2019 than they did in 2019.
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Our report has shown that certifications often result in higher pay. On average, IT professionals who are certified earn more than their non-certified counterparts. The largest discrepancy occurs in North America, where certified IT professionals earn more than their non-certified peers.