Job portal ICTjob.ph recently released its “ICT Barometer 2019,” which reveals a high demand for IT jobs that require complex and specific skills.

The continued digitalization of business across all industries makes the ICT (information and communications technology) the fastest-growing in the country. With this development, companies are now seeking IT professionals that have specialization in specific fields such as programming and software development, among others.

“There are only a few IT professionals in the talent pool who are knowledgeable in programming Python as opposed to other software such as Java and PHP,” said Fred Tshidimba, founder and chief innovation officer of ICTjob.ph. “But this does not mean that Java professionals are easier to hire. What it means is that there is more Java/PHP-equipped talent compared to those who are experienced in Python.”

The study by ICTjob.ph shows, for instance, a noticeable 85.63% increase in the salary of senior-level Oracle developers from P87,000 in 2018 to P161,500 at present. With strong demand for information on the net, HTML/CSS Developers also experienced a 71.69% increase in their salaries. Android Developers, both mid- and senior levels, had a 21.56% and 50% salary increase, respectively, on the back of rapid advancements in mobile software technologies.

“Based on our study, the more complex and in-demand the skill, the higher the base salary one can expect from employers even if one has just started working for the ICT industry,” said Tshidimba. “We also realized that some roles like DevOps and business analysts were highly searched by the market. It’s time for job seekers to upskill.”

Job categories

The data is based on data gathered from ICTjob.ph’s clients and their requirements versus the IT talent’s asking salary and skills from January to June 2019. The ICT Barometer is updated each semester to reflect developments and trends in the industry.

Unlike the ICT Barometer 2018 that featured only seven major job categories, this year’s ICT Barometer covers more specific roles with 20 additional titles for a more accurate and timelier estimate. Last year’s programmer/developer category, for example, has been expanded to include front-end, back-end, and mobile Developers to reflect more correctly the difference in salary and demand. More titles such as software engineer, full-stack developer and design roles such as graphic artist, web designer, and UI/UX specialist have been added to the ICT Barometer 2019 as well.

ICTjob.ph notes the emphasis today is on data knowledge and application and soft skills such as project management and communication. When it comes to reviewing the salary package and planning the career development of the IT talent pool, a good combination of software and management skills is a huge advantage.

“When it comes to working for big ICT companies, the years of experience and skills are important. But knowing how to communicate and project management is an advantage,” Tshidimba said. “This is why project and IT managers and other managerial and operational work get significantly higher pay. Meanwhile, those who work freelance teleworking need to compete more on skill and specialty. They consistently need to be updated on the latest trends and acquire skills on their own to gain a competitive advantage among other IT professions.”