IT
A newcomer to support can expect around £16-22k working on helpdesk, while an engineer with good qualifications, such as a degree or MCSE, along with a few years' experience can pick up as much as £30k. There is also the opportunity to earn a higher salary if you expand your role to include areas such as server support or network administration. Working directly for an organisation will typically pay more than if doing the same job through an outsourcing company. Investment Banking and some of the more prestigious specialist firms and consultancies tend to be the most generous employers, although they will expect long hours in return!A graduate developer, even with a computing degree, can expect as little as £16-25k, due to demand for jobs, and the need for companies to invest heavily in their training. More senior programmers, or team leaders, after 3-5 years working on a permanent basis can earn salaries of £35-50K. Contractors are the big money winners and, depending on the demand for their specialisation, can pick up as much as £80 per hour. Java and C++ are in big demand, so specialists in these disciplines can demand the top rates, while specialists in HTML, XML, SQL and Visual Basic can earn up to £60 hourly.
A word of warning! Although contractors tend to get paid more, they tend to miss the permanent perks such as holiday leave, pension schemes, health cover and sponsored training, and rarely enjoy the same level of job security, typically being the first to go in any cost-cutting or downsizing process.Salaries for creative IT positions can vary considerably, depending on the size of the organisation and the ability or experience of the individual. A graduate level salary for a web designer or developer is likely to be about £16-24K, rising to around £30,000 after a few years. Senior developers or managers can earn significantly more, with specialists working freelance able to name their price. Similarly with graphic design work, although a junior role might only pay £12-15K, with 2-3 years experience an average salary will be about £30K and a top designer, who becomes creative director at one of the top agencies, can expect to earn a six figure package.
As with most educational positions, trainers earn fairly modest salaries, typically getting between £14,000 and £22,000 as a graduate starter and rising to around £30,000 after 4-5 years experience. Again, those individuals who specialise in a particularly sought after technology or who build enough of a reputation to work freelance can charge significantly greater fees for their services.
Telecommunications
Mobile technology is about to enter a very interesting development phase. The launch of the iPhone with its improved Internet browsing enabling the improved display of web pages, a large, full-colour touch screen, mp3 playback and camera is a product rivals such as Nokia and Sony Ericsson will want to better. Equally, the increasing demand for communication services to be available at any time will see even more advancements in technology available to mobile operators.In a similar way, the Internet's social networking boom shows no sign of slowing down, with more complex programme and sites being introduced to enhance the way we use the web. Broadband is becoming an expected feature of household communication packages where television, landlines and even mobile phones can be incorporated into a single payment per month.
To cope with such changes, engineers, IT workers, designers, advertisers and sales people will be needed throughout the industry to keep up with the constantly changing environment and is sure to be an exciting time.