In CompTIA's research on the state of IT skills gap, 68% of IT firms report having a "very challenging" time finding new staff. They are hiring, with 33% saying they are understaffed and another 42% saying they are fully staffed but want to hire more in order to expand. How are today's IT skills matching up to industry's workforce needs?
3. The Global IT Industry: $3.6 Trillion
30%
21%
11%
29%
9%
Source: IDC | 2013 revenue estimate
4. Components of the Global IT Industry
56%
44%
Telecom services includes fixed and wireless voice and data, covering the consumer and business markets.
67%
33%
Global IT Market
Telecom Services IT Hardware, Software & Services
U.S. IT Market
Source: IDC | 2013 revenue estimate
5. IT
Hardware
27%
IT
Services
18%
Software
11%
Telecom
Services
44%
Global
IT Industry
Telecom Services
• Fixed voice
• Fixed data
• Wireless voice
• Wireless data
Software
• Applications
• System infrastructure software
IT Services
• Planning & Implementation
• Support services
• Operations management
• Training
IT Hardware
• Servers
• Personal computers
• Storage
• Smartphones
• Tablets
• Network equipment
• Printers & other peripherals
Key Industry Segments: Global IT Market
Percentages represent revenue share of the segment
Source: IDC | 2013 revenue estimate
6. IT
Hardware
25%
IT
Services
24%
Software
18%
Telecom
Services
33%
U.S.
IT Industry
Telecom Services
• Fixed voice
• Fixed data
• Wireless voice
• Wireless data
Software
• Applications
• System infrastructure software
IT Services
• Planning & Implementation
• Support services
• Operations management
• Training
IT Hardware
• Servers
• Personal computers
• Storage
• Smartphones
• Tablets
• Network equipment
• Printers & other peripherals
Key Industry Segments: U.S. IT Market
Percentages represent revenue share of the segment
Source: IDC | 2013 revenue estimate
8. Many Businesses Seek to Improve Their Use of IT
2%
7%
34%
43%
15%
Not at all close
Not that close
Moderately close
Very close
Exactly where
want to be
Degree to Which Businesses are “Where
They Want to Be” in Using Technology
Top Technology Priorities
Base: 1,254 business and IT executives from Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Middle East, Thailand and the UK
Source: CompTIA International Technology Adoption and Workforce Issues study
1. Security/Cybersecurity
1. Data storage/back-up
2. Network infrastructure
1. Web/Online presence/e-commerce
1. Updating aging computers/software
2. Mobility-related initiatives
3. Automating business processes
through technology
1. Data analytics/Big data/Business
intelligence
9. Many Businesses Seek Improvement on the IT Skills
Front
1. Staff productivity
2. Customer service / customer engagement
3. Security / defending against malware, hacking, etc.
4. Innovation / new product development
5. Speed to market with new products or services
Top Areas Affected by IT Skills Gaps
1. Teamwork
2. Customer service
3. Project management
Top Rated “Soft” IT Skills
1. Networks / Infrastructure
2. Database / Information management
3. Server / data center management
4. Storage / data back-up
5. Help Desk / IT support
6. Data analytics / Business intelligence
7. Printers, copiers, multifunction devices
8. Security / Cybersecurity
9. Customer relationship management (CRM)
10. Web design / development
Top Rated IT Skills in Terms of
Importance to Businesses16% of businesses report being exactly where
they want to be with IT skills, while 40% report
being very close.
Consequently, nearly half of businesses (44%)
seek significant improvement on the IT skills
front.
Base: 1,256 business and IT executives from Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Middle East, Thailand and the UK
Source: CompTIA International Technology Adoption and Workforce Issues study
10. Degree to Which IT Professionals Are Involved in
Various Technologies
51%
50%
42%
39%
36%
34%
33%
29%
27%
22%
18%
17%
19%
19%
28%
29%
30%
30%
29%
30%
36%
37%
40%
37%
18%
21%
20%
21%
24%
24%
26%
29%
24%
28%
30%
30%
11%
10%
10%
10%
10%
13%
12%
11%
12%
14%
12%
15%
Cloud computing
BI / data analysis / big data
Telecommunications (VoIP, UC, etc.)
Mobility - smartphones, tablets, apps
Databases / information management
Storage / data back-up / business continuity
Servers / data center management
Security / cybersecurity
Printers, copiers, multifunction devices
Networks / infrastructure (LANs, WANs, WiFi, etc.)
Software / software configuration
Desktops / laptops
Half Strategic /
Half Hands-on
Hands-on
Involvement
Little or No
Involvement
Strategic
Involvement
Source: CompTIA’s 2nd Annual IT Career Insights study
Base: 1,277 U.S. employed IT professionals
12. 25%
42%
33%
Fully staffed; no hiring plans
Fully staffed, but want to hire in order to expand
Understaffed
IT Firms Grapple with Understaffing
10%
12%
5%
6%
by 5% by 10% by 15% by 20%+
Degree to which IT Firms are Understaffed
To put into context, an IT firm with 100
employees reporting understaffing of 10%
is short 10 workers.
Source: CompTIA IT Industry Business Confidence Index, Q2 2014 | Base: n=305 U.S. IT industry executives
• Q2 2014
Current Staffing Levels
13. Strategies Used to Manage Understaffing Challenges
14%
18%
19%
20%
27%
32%
50%
Partnering with other firms to offset
staffing or skills shortages
Outsourcing more tasks or entire functions
Automating more tasks or functions through technology
Postponing or canceling projects
Using more contract or temporary workers
Re-deploying staff from lower priority projects to
higher priority projects
Requiring workers to put in more time on the job
Text
Source: CompTIA IT Industry Business Confidence Index, Q2 2014 | Base: n=305 U.S. IT industry executives
14. 52%
48%
Yes No
Half of All IT Companies Report Having Job Openings
18%
47%
75% 76%
Micro
firms
Small
firms
Medium
firms
Large
firms
Segmentation of Incidence of Current Job
Openings that Need to be Filled
Source: CompTIA IT Industry Business Confidence Index, Q2 2014 | Base: n=305 U.S. IT industry executives
• Openings during Q2 2014
15. 11%
9%
12%
15%
19%
23%
28%
29%
33%
39%
48%
Other
Social media expertise
Inside sales staff
Marketing staff
Consultative sales staff
Project managers
Security expertise
Network engineers
Cloud expertise
Application developers
Technicians or IT support/service
Most IT Firms’ Skills/Job Roles Needs Skew Toward
Technical Positions
Source: CompTIA IT Industry Business Confidence Index, Q2 2014 | Base: n=305 U.S. IT industry executives
16. Segmentation of IT Firms’ Skills/Job Roles Needs
Overall
Micro IT
Firms
Small IT
Firms
Medium IT
Firms
Large IT
Firms
Technicians or IT support/service 48% 42% 42% 54% 57%
Application developers 39% 24% 44% 40% 48%
Cloud expertise 33% 22% 29% 37% 45%
Network engineers 29% 17% 27% 42% 35%
Security expertise 28% 20% 16% 31% 47%
Project managers 23% 9% 26% 33% 28%
Consultative sales staff 19% 20% 29% 13% 13%
Marketing staff 15% 28% 9% 17% 6%
Inside sales staff 12% 16% 13% 12% 8%
Social media expertise 9% 15% 8% 6% 6%
Other 11% 10% 13% 10% 9%
Micro firm = 1-9 employees Medium firm = 100-499 employees
Small firm = 10-99 employees Large firms = 500+ employees
Source: CompTIA IT Industry Business Confidence Index, Q2 2014 | Base: n=305 IT industry executives
17. Finding Workers with the Right Set of Skills/Experience
8%
26%
40%
20%
6%
5%
10%
29%
47%
10%
Not at all challenging
Not that challenging
Somewhat challenging
Challenging
Very challenging
Technical positions Non-technical positions
Average Time to Fill
Technical Positions*
28% Less than 2 months
34% 2-3 months
14% 4-5 months
9% 6 months+
A NET 57% of IT firms indicate challenges in hiring technical workers vs. 26% for non-technical workers (e.g. marketing, sales, etc.)
*Don’t know response not shown
Source: CompTIA IT Industry Business Confidence Index, Q2 2014 | Base: n=305 U.S. IT industry executives
18. HR Hiring Challenges
68%
25%
7%
44% Right level of experience
37% Right “hard” skills
37% Availability in local region
37% Timely manner
36% Right salary range
36% Right “soft” skills
Top Challenges in Filling Openings
with the Right Candidates
Source: CompTIA’s HR Perceptions of IT Training and Certification study
Base: 400 U.S. HR professionals
Very
challenging
Somewhat
challenging
Manageable
Finding New Staff
Over Past 12 Months
• Across all types of organizations
19. IT
Industry
Employment
IT
Occupation
Employment
Within the IT
industry, there
are many IT
occupations.
An estimated 5.73 million workers were
employed in the U.S. information
technology industry in 2013. This
includes technical and non-technical
positions in employer firms and non-
employer firms.
An estimated 4.74 million workers were
employed in core IT occupations, across
the full spectrum of U.S. industry sectors
and the government sector
in 2013. This figure includes non-
employers, such as the self-employed
or sole proprietors.
Sources: EMSI | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages | CompTIA
IT Industry Employment vs. IT Occupation Employment
20. Number of US Workers in Core IT Positions
SOC Code Job Description
Employment
Count –
Employer Firms
Employment
Count –
Sole Proprietors 2013 Total
11-3020 Computer and Information Systems Managers 319,852 30,431 350,283
15-1110 Computer and Information Research Scientists 26,839 533 27,372
15-1120 Computer and Information Security Analysts 575,257 94,055 669,312
15-1121 Computer Systems Analysts 499,742 93,365 593,107
15-1122 Information Security Analysts 75,515 690 76,205
15-1130 Software Developers and Programmers 1,453,425 256,248 1,709,673
15-1131 Computer Programmers 324,998 75,776 400,774
15-1132 Software Developers, Applications 610,857 45,244 656,101
15-1133 Software Developers, Systems Software 410,829 27,517 438,346
15-1134 Web Developers 106,740 107,712 214,452
15-1140 Database and Systems Administrators and Network Architects 620,339 43,946 664,285
15-1141 Database Administrators 115,842 11,221 127,063
15-1142 Network and Computer Systems Administrators 361,528 24,391 385,919
15-1143 Computer Network Architects 142,968 8,334 151,302
15-1150 Computer Support Specialists 708,636 128,617 837,253
15-1151 Computer User Support Specialists 536,681 105,386 642,067
15-1152 Computer Network Support Specialists 171,955 23,231 195,186
15-1190 Computer Occupations, All Other 193,522 25,929 219,451
17-2060 Computer Hardware Engineers 81,740 4,289 86,029
49-2010 Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers 112,544 63,164 175,708
TOTAL EMPLOYMENT 4,092,154 647,212 4,739,366
Sources: EMSI | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages | CompTIA
21. Salaries and Job Growth for Core IT Positions
Salaries 10 Year Job Growth Projections
ONET Code Core IT Occupation
Average
Annual Salary
Projected NET
New Jobs
2012 - 2022
2012 – 2022 %
Change
11-3021.00 Computer and Information Systems Managers $120,950 50,900 15%
15-1111.00 Computer and Information Research Scientists $102,190 4,100 15%
15-1121.00 Computer Systems Analysts $79,680 127,700 25%
15-1122.00 Information Security Analysts $86,170 27,400 37%
15-1131.00 Computer Programmers $74,280 28,400 8%
15-1132-1133.00 Software Developers $93,350 222,700 22%
15-1134.00 Web Developers $62,500 28,500 20%
15-1141.00 Database Administrators $77,080 17,900 15%
15-1142.00 Network and Computer Systems Administrators $72,560 42,900 12%
15-1143.00 Computer Network Architects $91,000 20,900 15%
15-1150.00 Computer Support Specialists $48,900 123,000 17%
15-1199.00 Computer Occupations, All Other NA 7,800 4%
17-2061.00 Computer Hardware Engineers $100,920 6,200 7%
49-2011.00 Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers $36,620 5,100 4%
Total NA 713,500 17%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Occupational Employment Statistics, January 2014
23. Historical Number of US IT Job Openings
ONET Code Core IT Occupations
# Postings
2013
# Postings
2012
# Postings
2011
# Postings
2010
11-3021.00 Computer & Information Systems Managers 59,873 51,626 56,939 41,317
15-1111.00 Computer & Information Research Scientists 13,233 11,486 11,104 8,532
15-1121.00-.01 Computer Systems Analysts & Informatics Specialists 282,601 259,277 293,623 231,845
15-1122.00 Information Security Analysts 54,588 49,801 52,786 38,044
15-1131.00 Computer Programmers 99,260 87,910 101,849 88,167
15-1132.00 Software Developers, Applications 601,881 645,630 689,162 566,386
15-1133.00 Software Developers, Systems Software 46,605 44,880 48,265 41,041
15-1134.00 Web Developers 87,183 92,750 98,083 89,627
15-1141.00 Database Administrators 117,010 108,449 124,032 104,434
15-1142.00 Network & Computer Systems Administrators 125,302 130,462 139,063 110,738
15-1143.00-.01 Computer Network Architects & Telecom Engineers 52,028 54,449 63,830 50,332
15-1151.00 Computer User Support Specialists 201,332 157,876 165,577 126,067
15-1152.00 Computer Network Support Specialists 11,675 13,507 14,172 9,886
15-1199.00 -.12 Computer Occupations, All Other 490,684 441,558 486,115 395,210
17-2061.00 Computer Hardware Engineers 7,286 8,015 8,737 7,000
49-2011.00 Computer, Automated Teller, & Office Machine Repairers 28,493 29,903 31,196 25,944
Total 2,279,034 2,187,579 2,384,533 1,934,570
Source: Burning Glass Technologies Labor Insights, July 2014
Year over year
24. Top Specialized Skills Listed in IT Job Ads
1. SQL
2. JAVA
3. Oracle
4. JavaScript
5. LINUX
6. UNIX
7. Software Engineering
8. Microsoft C#
9. Extensible Markup Language (XML)
10. SQL Server
648,016 US IT job postings in Q2 2014, of which 14% do not
specify skills.
Top Skills Cited in IT Job Postings
Source: Burning Glass Technologies Labor Insights, July 2014
Top Skill Clusters in IT Job Postings
1. Software & Programming
2. Common Skills: Communication & Coordination
3. Common Skills: Problem Solving
4. Common Skills: Business Environment
5. IT: Programming, Development, & Engineering
6. IT: Databases & Data Warehousing
7. Common Skills: Project & Process Flow
8. IT: Web Design & Technologies
9. IT: Business Intelligence
10. IT: Network Administration & Security
648,016 US IT job postings in Q2 2014, of which 16% do not specify skill clusters.
Q2 2014
25. Top Job Titles Listed in IT Job Postings
1. Software Engineer
2. Java Software Developer
3. Systems Engineer
4. Network Engineer
5. .Net Developer
6. Software Developer
7. Web Developer
8. Systems Administrator
9. Systems Analyst
10. Data Analyst
648,016 US IT job postings in Q2 2014.
Top Titles Cited in IT Job Postings
Source: Burning Glass Technologies Labor Insights, July 2014
Top Job Titles in Network Administration &
Security Skill Cluster
1. Network Engineer
2. Systems Administrator
3. Systems Engineer
4. Software Engineer
5. Java Software Developer
6. Network Administrator
7. Information Technology Specialist
8. Security Engineer
9. Senior Systems Engineer
10. Senior Systems Administrator
139,385 US IT job postings in Q2 2014 within the IT: Network Admin. &
Security skill cluster.
Q2 2014
26. Programming/App. Dev.1
Help Desk/Tech. Support2
Networking3
Top 10 IT Skills in Demand for 2014
Mobile Apps./Devices4
Project Mgmt.5
Database Administration6
Security7
Business Intel./Analytics8
Cloud9
Interpersonal10
Source: Global Knowledge
27. Professional
Development
“We have to keep up with
changes in technology. If
we don’t, then we won’t
be able to support our
clients or keep our jobs.”
28. 16%
18%
19%
19%
19%
20%
25%
31%
34%
36%
44%
53%
Training / Teaching
Project management
Database management
Mobility
Storage
App development / Programming
IT support
Virtualization
Servers
Cloud computing
Networks
Security / Cybersecurity
Source: CompTIA’s 2nd Annual IT Career Insights study
Base: 1,440 U.S. IT professionals
94% of IT pros plan to
pursue more training in at
least one area.
Top IT Skills IT Professionals Plan to Pursue
Note: Nearly all respondents (95%) are already certified in
CompTIA A+ (68%), Network+ (51%), or Security+ (48%).
IT knowledge / skills IT pros would like to further develop over the next two years
29. Professional Development Policies
47%
46%
7%
50% Instructor-led class off-site
39% Instructor-led on-site
36% Conferences
34% IT certification
33% College tuition reimbursement
20% Online / self-directed
Top Types of Organizational Support for
IT Staff Training
Source: CompTIA’s HR Perceptions of IT Training and Certification study
Base: 400 U.S. HR professionals
Formal
program /
set budget
Informal /
cover some
expenses
Other /
None
Organizational Support for
Professional Development
30. 0%
1%
23%
46%
30%
1%
1%
6%
27%
66%
Not at all valuable
Not that valuable
Somewhat valuable, somewhat not
valuable
Valuable
Very valuable
Value of IT Certification Increasing
Source: CompTIA’s HR Perceptions of IT Training and Certification study
Base: 400 U.S. HR professionals
NET Valuable
2014: 93%
2011: 76%
2014
2011
IT certification used often for:
72% Requirement for certain job roles
72% Professional development/training
67% Measure of willingness to work hard
& meet a goal
60% Confirm subject matter & expertise
31. Growing Importance of Certification
19%
6%
50%
51%
31%
43%
2011 2014
Growing
significantly
in importance
Growing
somewhat in
importance
Flat or
declining in
importance
Source: CompTIA’s HR Perceptions of IT Training and Certification study
Base: 400 U.S. HR professionals
Top Benefits of Testing vs. Training Only
98% Cite one or more benefits to certification
testing vs. training alone, such as:
40% Better validation of knowledge learned
36% Increases value/credibility of the training
34% Provides test taker with improved
understanding of subject matter
33% Demonstrates test taker’s abilities
“Is a good baseline validation of what was
learned that can be looked at against
employee’s performance post certification.”
IT Certification Importance
Over Next 2 Years
32. About This Research
Source: CompTIA IT Industry Business Confidence Index, Q2 2014 | Base: n=305 IT industry executives
CompTIA is a member of the Marketing Research Association and abides by
its guidelines for survey best practices and research ethics. CompTIA is
responsible for all content contained in this report.
This summary and all CompTIA research is one way in which the association
re-invests resources in the IT channel. As the voice of the IT industry,
CompTIA has hundreds of tools, market intelligence reports and business
training programs to help IT channel organizations grow through education,
certification, advocacy and philanthropy. The full reports are available at no
cost to CompTIA members to help them develop and hone their business
plans.
Visit www.comptia.org or contact research@comptia.org for more
information.
Editor's Notes
See IT Industry Outlook 2014 for more info.
The global IT market reached an estimated $3.6 trillion in 2013. This covers revenue generated from the sale of hardware, software, IT services, and telecommunications.
The U.S. market accounts for approximately 27% of the total, or nearly $1 trillion in hardware, software, IT services and telecommunications.
Continued growth expected, especially in the areas of IT services & software.
Transition to all types of businesses vs. IT firms.
Continued need for foundational IT skills as well as more emerging, especially as companies span the tech adoption curve.
Most businesses seek to improve their utilization of IT; few are exactly where they want to be in terms of effectiveness or efficiency.
Emerging technologies, such as cloud computing, continue to see adoption gains. Although as businesses rely more heavily on the “Internet of Things,” security, data loss and privacy concerns will affect more companies on more levels than ever before.
RE gray box, it’d be a similar graph for skills gap as for tech usage on prior slide.
For a number of reasons, IT skills gaps remain a challenge for most businesses. Few are exactly where they want to be with staff expertise and experience. Furthermore, more than half of businesses report being concerned about the quality and quantity of IT talent available for hire (58%).
From the IT professional PoV, what they’re working on. Mix of foundation techs + emerging.
Compared to one year prior, involvement in everything has increased, esp cloud computing & mobility.
Quote from IT pro in a focus group for the IT Career Insights study.
Three-quarters (75%) are understaffed or fully staffed but want to add staff
Other challenges:
Competing w/ large employers that can make more enticing offers: 33%
Costs associated w/ recruiting (e.g. job board costs, headhunters): 32%
Other: 1%
What industry sector employs the most IT workers?
Outside of the IT industry itself, which is the largest employer of IT workers, other sectors that hire significant numbers of technical and knowledge workers include: finance, manufacturing, management consultants, healthcare, and the government.
2012 Median avg. salaries (BLS OOH). 2012 median avg. for all occs (including non-IT): $34,750. 10-year growth for all occs: 11%. Avg. salary for BLS “all Computer occs”: $76,270 (i.e. excludes occ codes 11, 17 & 49 and includes Mathematical occs). And 18% growth whether including or excluding Math occs (still excluding the 3 other non-core IT occs.).
Add’l IT salary data available via other sources such as Burning Glass, Global Knowledge, Robert Half & Foote Partners.
See quarterly US IT Employment Snapshot for more info.
See quarterly US IT Employment Snapshot for more info.
“All Other” Includes others such as Computer Systems Engineers, BI Analysts, Database Architects, IT Project Mgrs., Web Admns., etc.
Source: Burning Glass Technologies Labor Insights, July 2014.
15-1121.01 = Informatics Nurse Specialists.
18% change 2010 to 2013.
No change in top 3 Skills rankings since Q1 2014; small changes in remaining.
No changes in any of top 10 Skills clusters since Q1 2014.
Top Baseline Skills:
Communication
Writing
Organizational
Problem Solving
Troubleshooting
Leadership
Planning
Project Mgmt.
Microsoft Windows
Management
Note: There are several hundred job titles listed in postings.
Only change in top 10 Titles since Q1 is .Net Developer moving up +1 (switching places with Software Developer).
No changes among top 4 titles within the Ntwk/Security Cluster. Some other changes with the remaining, e.g. Java SW Developer moving up to 5th from not being in the top 10 in Q1 2014.
This list is based on the results of a thorough analysis by Global Knowledge of: “Hiring and salary surveys, such as the 2014 IT Skills and Salary Survey from Global Knowledge and Windows IP Pro, TEKsystems' 2014 Annual IT Forecast, Foote Research Group's 2014 IT Skills and Certifications Pay Index, Computerworld's annual Forecast survey, Robert Half Technology Survey, and information from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Futurestep, Mondo, GovLoop, and Dice”
More info: http://www.globalknowledge.com/training/generic.asp?pageid=3635
Quote from IT pro in a focus group for the IT Career Insights study.
Q36
2013 data shown. Only 6% selected “None” (same as in 2012). Right click on chart, Edit Data for 2012 data. 517 US IT pros in 2012.
See report for more details.
Formal prof dev program w/ a set amount of budget for it: 47%
Prof dev is handled on a more informal basis, but we cover some expenses: 46%
Prof dev is recommended, but employees handle everything on their own: 5%
Other: 0%
None of the above: 2%
Other Types:
Weinbars: 13%
Other: 0%
None: 2%
Slightly higher value seen in IT cert. vs. Certification in general:
NET valuable: 91%
Very: 53%
Valuable: 38%Somewhat: 8%
Not that: 1%
Not at all: 1%
Among those rating it as somewhat not valuable, top reasons are:
Experience is valued over IT cert: 57%
IT certs don’t necessarily align with job performance: 39%
College degrees are valued over IT certs: 29%
Insufficient ROI: 14%
IT certifications factor into hiring process less frequently as:- Screening or hiring criteria (27% Often, 69% Sometimes)
- Differentiate between otherwise equally qualified candidates (32% Often, 65% Sometimes)
IT Cert Importance +13%age points over 3 years:
2014 NET Growing: 94%
2011 NET Growing: 81%