The latest Dice Salary Survey offers a data-point likely to terrify employers: some 42 percent of tech professionals anticipate changing jobs at some point in 2018.
Why are nearly half of tech pros ready to jump ship? Reasons vary wildly. Some 63 percent said they wanted higher compensation; another 45 percent want better working conditions, and 30 percent want more responsibility. Check out the other reasons in this nifty chart:
Around 52 percent respondents said they were satisfied with their 2017 salary, a slight decrease from 2016, when 54 percent voiced satisfaction. In light of that, perhaps it’s no surprise that a majority of respondents anticipate changing jobs in search of a fatter paycheck.
Indeed, those who indicated “higher compensation” as their main reason earned an average salary of $79,889, noticeably below the incomes of those who cited other motivations. By contrast, the average salary of those who said “better working conditions” was $87,464, “more responsibility” averaged $86,696, and “anticipate losing current position” a sizable $104,870.
Salaries for tech pros in the U.S. stayed relatively flat year-over-year in 2017, increasing only 0.7 percent to $92,712. However, certain skills related to cloud, process management, and artificial intelligence can earn a hefty pay premium from employers, who are in desperate need of tech pros with certain specializations.
But tech pros aren’t just interested in money; they also want things like better work-life balance and the option to do their jobs from home. In 2017, some 71 percent of employers reported offering benefits and incentives beyond salary (up from 53 percent in 2009), suggesting that companies are doing whatever they can to keep their top tech talent happy.