I've been whining and feeling sorry for my self for a couple of years about how lousy the pay is working for the state government, but now I see that it isn't just the state government. Pay is now apparently absolutely abominable even in the private sector.
This survey by the Idaho Department of Labor shows wage rates for the Boise area for 2011.
| SOC Code |
Occupation
Title |
Employment |
Entry Wage |
Midpoint (Median) |
Average (Mean) |
Middle
Range |
| 15-0000 |
Computer and
Mathematical Occupations |
8,580 |
$16.59 |
$29.26 |
$29.07 |
$19.81 |
$37.36 |
|
|
| 15-1121 |
Computer
Systems Analysts |
550 |
$23.80 |
$31.75 |
$33.41 |
$26.39 |
$39.55 |
|
|
| 15-1131 |
Computer
Programmers |
880 |
$17.69 |
$28.00 |
$29.13 |
$20.50 |
$35.14 |
|
|
| 15-1132 |
Software
Developers, Applications |
820 |
$22.37 |
$35.56 |
$35.73 |
$25.08 |
$44.81 |
|
|
| 15-1133 |
Computer
Software Engineers, Systems Software |
** |
$27.39 |
$36.55 |
$35.54 |
$31.55 |
$41.54 |
|
|
| 15-1141 |
Database
Administrators |
110 |
$21.98 |
$33.09 |
$34.10 |
$24.95 |
$44.41 |
|
|
| 15-1142 |
Network
and Computer Systems Administrators# |
620 |
$20.00 |
$29.62 |
$29.09 |
$21.99 |
$35.28 |
|
|
| 15-1150 |
Computer
Support Specialists |
2,200 |
$12.04 |
$17.46 |
$18.66 |
$13.76 |
$22.53 |
|
|
| 15-1179 |
Information
Security Analysts, Web Developers, and Computer Network Architects |
540 |
$18.82 |
$26.80 |
$28.59 |
$20.71 |
$33.22 |
|
|
| 15-1799 |
Computer
Occupations, All Other# |
470 |
$18.51 |
$32.06 |
$29.92 |
$22.06 |
$37.49 |
|
|
Yes, being a state employee does put me below the average, but not as dramatically as was the case even a few years ago. Think of this as a hint for employers in places like Silicon Valley: these are not Bangalore wage rates, but they sure aren't California wage rates, either. Here's your chance to split the difference and get software developers who you can easily understand on the phone.
Here's your chance to split the difference and get software developers who you can easily understand on the phone.
ReplyDeleteIf they haven't signed a disabling non-compete recently.
Having watched Route 128 die while California zoomed past it, I'm convinced one of the major reasons is the state's long standing public policy that non-competes are unenforceable. This makes for a liquid market in talent and eliminates one method "dog in the manger" idiots use to keep good ideas dead (a personal pet peeve of mine from harsh experience).
California may kill the Silicon Valley et. al. Golden Goose, but they'll have to try harder than they are now.
I am not surprised. The down economy has been used to lower wages...
ReplyDeleteOne does have to wonder how this plays out locally with all the news stories of shortages of talent. After all we are constantly told local employers can't find enough talent and the local schools aren't producing enough CS majors. Then they complain about how hard it is to recruit people from other states to come here....as someone over 40 I know much of this is BS!
I forgot to buy my tickets before they sold out to the Develop Idaho event today, but last year I heard the above at the event. Though I did hear a few senior CS students complain about the lower wages locally.
Don't forget Raul is determined to bring in more H1-B's so I'm sure the wages will rocket to the moon (he apparently thinks so).
There is still a strong perception (rightly so) that moving to Idaho is a big risk with few employers to fall back on---even though there are many more now then there was a decade ago.
If they want more talent they will have to raise wages eventually and start considering us fossils for work.