Report: Rapid programming, XML, security skills top Q4 IT pay

Computerworld - Rapid application development (RAD), security and XML skills generated the top IT pay in the fourth quarter, according to a new report from New Canaan, Conn.-based Foote Partners LLC.
RAD and extreme programming skills commanded premium bonuses of 16% of base pay during the quarter, according to Foote Partners. Meanwhile, security skills associated with customer relationship management, data warehousing and other project assignments helped pull in average bonuses of 15% of base pay. XML, SQL Server and Oracle database skills were also top earners, landing technicians 13%, 13% and 12% bonuses above base pay, respectively.
The bonuses for extreme programming skills are "being driven by the need to get work done," said David Foote, president and chief research officer at Foote Partners, which tracks 32,000 IT workers in 1,880 private- and public-sector organizations during the course of the year.
In the past, IT organizations "used to set a goal, going from A to B to get things done, but now companies want extreme flexibility and adaptability in their systems development," said Foote, who is a Computerworld columnist. By deploying a number of different RAD teams, companies are able to work on multiple projects at once and pick and choose between projects. "That's helping to drive pay levels and demand in this area," he said.
According to the report, the highest-paying technical certifications last quarter included those for Project Management Professional (PMP) and security certifications such as the Global Information Assurance Certification Certified Intrusion Analyst. Foote is predicting a "bubble" in security-related job hiring beginning in mid-2004 driven by spending increases in those areas.
The findings from the Foote Partners report "maps with what we're seeing," said John Studdard, senior vice president and chief technology officer at Lydian Trust Co. in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer certifications "are the minimum requirement to get into our shop from the networking side," he said.