BULGARIA is close to the bottom of the ranking for IT specialists' salaries in the world but IT sector jobs are better paid than other sectors in Bulgaria, according to a newly published survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting.
While graduates and school leavers all over the world are striving to start their professional career with an IT job, this is highly unlikely in Bulgaria.
Mercer's survey called "2003/2004 IT Function Salary Differentials Worldwide" includes pay data for more than 43 000 internal information technology professionals in nearly 3300 companies in 32 countries worldwide. The analysis of pay differences is based on IT jobs categorised into four levels of expertise, ranging from team leader to senior manager.
Bulgaria was ranked 28th in terms of pay rates for the Team Leader/Senior Professional segment, with gross salaries in the country reaching $10 400. It is ahead of other states like India, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. In the Senior Manager/Expert level, Bulgaria was ranked 29th, despite gross salary reaching $34 100, which seems quite high for a transition country.
Among the top-paying countries, there a significant differences in pay levels across those domestic sectors. For example, Mexico is the 10th highest-paying country for the top expertise level (Senior Manager/Expert), but ranks 20th for the lowest experience level (Team Leader/Senior Professional).
Obviously, IT pay levels are higher in Western Europe and North America, than in Asia and Eastern Europe. Switzerland was on average the highest paying country, followed by Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, the US, and Denmark. Average pay rates were lowest in the Philippines, with Vietnam, Bulgaria, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India paying slightly better in ascending order from the bottom rank. These lower paying countries also tended to pay more in the way of short term incentives to IT employees than the other end of the scale.
Indonesia, Bulgaria, India, and Japan recorded the largest percentage of performance-linked pay (10 to 15 per cent) for the lowest IT experience level. For high level IT experience, Brazil, Germany, and Canada place the largest percentage of pay at risk (18 to 20 per cent).
The so-called 'IT premium' is the difference in pay for the IT function compared to similar level jobs outside of the IT function. For example, the lowest IT experience level in Bulgaria, Australia, Poland, and Hungary is paid more than 20 percent higher, than jobs requiring basic and similar experience levels in other sectors. In Argentina and Sweden, IT professionals at this junior level still earn more than 10 per cent less than in other professions at junior level.
In countries where considerable premium are still paid for IT consultants and contractors, companies still find it very difficult to attract and retain talented internal IT staff. These countries include Bulgaria, Hungary, and Australia.
- Business Staff
While graduates and school leavers all over the world are striving to start their professional career with an IT job, this is highly unlikely in Bulgaria.
Mercer's survey called "2003/2004 IT Function Salary Differentials Worldwide" includes pay data for more than 43 000 internal information technology professionals in nearly 3300 companies in 32 countries worldwide. The analysis of pay differences is based on IT jobs categorised into four levels of expertise, ranging from team leader to senior manager.
Bulgaria was ranked 28th in terms of pay rates for the Team Leader/Senior Professional segment, with gross salaries in the country reaching $10 400. It is ahead of other states like India, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. In the Senior Manager/Expert level, Bulgaria was ranked 29th, despite gross salary reaching $34 100, which seems quite high for a transition country.
Among the top-paying countries, there a significant differences in pay levels across those domestic sectors. For example, Mexico is the 10th highest-paying country for the top expertise level (Senior Manager/Expert), but ranks 20th for the lowest experience level (Team Leader/Senior Professional).
Obviously, IT pay levels are higher in Western Europe and North America, than in Asia and Eastern Europe. Switzerland was on average the highest paying country, followed by Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, the US, and Denmark. Average pay rates were lowest in the Philippines, with Vietnam, Bulgaria, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India paying slightly better in ascending order from the bottom rank. These lower paying countries also tended to pay more in the way of short term incentives to IT employees than the other end of the scale.
Indonesia, Bulgaria, India, and Japan recorded the largest percentage of performance-linked pay (10 to 15 per cent) for the lowest IT experience level. For high level IT experience, Brazil, Germany, and Canada place the largest percentage of pay at risk (18 to 20 per cent).
The so-called 'IT premium' is the difference in pay for the IT function compared to similar level jobs outside of the IT function. For example, the lowest IT experience level in Bulgaria, Australia, Poland, and Hungary is paid more than 20 percent higher, than jobs requiring basic and similar experience levels in other sectors. In Argentina and Sweden, IT professionals at this junior level still earn more than 10 per cent less than in other professions at junior level.
In countries where considerable premium are still paid for IT consultants and contractors, companies still find it very difficult to attract and retain talented internal IT staff. These countries include Bulgaria, Hungary, and Australia.
- Business Staff
