Salaries for IT professionals specialising in cyber security will rise by 7% in 2018, according to a new survey. There will also be a rise for development and infrastructure specialists.

The report, published by recruitment agency, Robert Walters, attributes this to the increasing demand for cyber security specialists due to the slew of high profile data leaks and cyber attacks over 2017. The survey notes that the wider role of IT professional will see a 2% rise in salary.

Ahsan Iqbal, Associate Director at Robert Walters, commented “While a 2% increase in salaries may seem quite modest, it is important to note that this follows a prolonged period of IT professionals commanding higher and higher wages.”

“At this point, salaries for IT professionals are highly inflated, with employers having to compete to secure top talent. In this context, the increases for cyber security specialists are particularly noteworthy.”

“In addition to technical skills, employers are keen to secure professionals who can demonstrate communication and project management skills as they look to more closely integrate their IT function into the wider business.”

Skill shortage pushing up salaries

Recent research from the The Open University shows that the skill gap is pushing companies to inflate salaries above the market rate to attract top talent. Experienced CISO and IT security experts are in strong demand, and with GDPR on the horizon and a marked rise in the frequency of cyber attacks, security has become a core concern within the boardroom. As technology marches forward becoming increasingly enmeshed with daily life the need for IT professionals won’t abate.

Iqbal believes that employers need to address other facets beyond wage to attract top talent, “For many IT professionals, while a high salary is important, there are other incentives which can attract them to a role. In particular, flexibility is regarded as highly important, with many IT specialists looking to work for employers who are open to remote working and flexible hours.”