2021 IT Skills and Salary Report - Survey Findings on Salaries, Certifications, and Career Satisfaction

Sep 4, 2026

Uploaded by Rowan

2021 Global Knowledge’s IT Skills and Salary Report synthesizes survey responses from more than 9,300 IT professionals worldwide to quantify in-demand skills, compensation, and learning outcomes. The report covers base salary patterns, responsibility-level differences, and regional pay trends across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, along with the drivers of raises and bonuses. It analyzes certification benefits, top-paying credentials, and training impacts on job satisfaction while detailing IT decision-maker challenges, skills gaps, and key technology investment priorities.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages60

Reading Time2 h 31 min

AccessFree to download

INTRODUCTION

How to use the report

Primary findings

SALARY

Base salary

Responsibility level

Career experience

Job function

Industry

U.S. salaries

Canadian salaries

European salaries

Raises and bonuses

CERTIFICATIONS

Individual benefits of certification

Certification categories

Top-paying certifications

Certifications held

Certifications pursued

CERTIFICATION RESOURCES

IT DECISION-MAKER INSIGHTS

Key challenges

IT department budgets

Top investment areas

Top technology provider focus areas

Skills gaps

Most in-demand jobs

Value of training and certification

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Training types

Why professionals train

Training inhibitors

JOB SATISFACTION

Job security

Employee turnover

Workplace challenges

LOOKING AHEAD

The time to act is now

Advice for closing skills gaps

Top traits for technology skills development

The hows and whys of training

CONCLUSION

Survey methodology

Thanks to our partners

Demographics

ABOUT SKILLSOFT

Media inquiries

GLOBALKNOWLEDGE 2021 ITSKILLSANDSALARYREPORT # TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 3 How to use the report 4 Primary findings 5 SALARY 8 Base salary 9 Responsibility level 10 Career experience 11 Job function 12 Industry 13 U.S. salaries 15 Canadian salaries 16 European salaries 17 Raises and bonuses 18 CERTIFICATIONS 20 Individual benefits of certification 21 Certification categories 22 Top-paying certifications 24 Certifications held 26 Certifications pursued 27 CERTIFICATION RESOURCES 28 IT DECISION-MAKER INSIGHTS 29 Key challenges 29 IT department budgets 30 Top investment areas 31 Top technology provider focus areas 33 Skills gaps 34 Most in-demand jobs 39 Value of training and certification 40 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 41 Training types 42 Why professionals train 44 Training inhibitors 46 JOB SATISFACTION 47 Job security 48 Employee turnover 49 Workplace challenges 51 LOOKING AHEAD 52 The time to act is now 52 Advice for closing skills gaps 53 Top traits for technology skillsdevelopment 54 The hows and whys of training 54 CONCLUSION 55 Survey methodology 57 Thanks to our partners 57 Demographics 57 ABOUT SKILLSOFT 60 Media inquiries 60 # INTRODUCTION Welcome to Skillsoft’s Global Knowledge 2021 IT Skills and Salary Report. Conducted annually forthe past 15 years, this comprehensive report is one of the largest studies oftechnology professionals around the globe. It focuses on the most in-demand skills; current salaries andother compensation; training, leadership development, and certifications; and overall career satisfaction.More than 9,300 IT professionals participated, including both staff and decision-makers (self-identified,based on whether they manage employees and their level of authority). We’ve published findings brokendown by region: North America; Latin America; Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA); and Asia -Pacific, as well as examined worldwide trends. LOOKING BACK AT 2021 This year, we were particularly interested in uncovering the state — and state of mind — of techprofessionals. As the world responded to and began recovering from unprecedented disruption,organizations everywhere felt the effects of three significant shifts: •A global health crisis •Widespread social justice movements •Worldwide economic uncertainty Businesses around the globe, across every industry, faced unparalleled challenges. Workforces wentremote. Reskilling and upskilling became paramount to fill skills gaps and keep existing teams employed,even if it meant training them for new or evolving roles. Access to and encouragement of learning was critical as employees and employers alike reacted inreal-time. Consumption of learning increased exponentially, and new topics emerged as not justpopular, but mission-critical. For example, we saw application-specific courses like Microsoft Teams: Communicating With the App draw nearly 200 times more learners, and power skill-centered courseslike Developing Emotional Intelligence draw nearly 300 times more learners. 3 2021 GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE IT SKILLS AND SALARY REPORT REPORT 3 In many ways, the IT world was at the center of all the change, especially as every industrywas forced to accelerate digital transformation. While positive gains were felt during thistime — for example, 52% of our survey respondents reported pay increases — many ITprofessionals experienced stress, lack of training, and organizations that didn’t supportthem. In fact, the three issues were interrelated. Both IT staff and decision-makersexpressed a feeling of added pressure due to a lack of training and support. Another source of stress was the skills gap. Working around a skills gap in aparticular technology, framework, or best practice proved to be counterproductiveand demotivating. Projects were derailed and many organizations were unable to fullyrealize a return on their tech investments. In our s

FAQs

What topics does the 2021 IT Skills and Salary Report cover?

The report covers IT salaries and compensation, popular certifications and their value, certification resources, professional development and training, and overall job satisfaction. It also includes IT decision-maker insights such as challenges and skill gaps.

How many participants contributed to the salary and skills findings?

More than 9,300 IT professionals participated. The survey includes both staff and decision-makers who self-identify based on whether they manage employees and their authority level.

What are the main challenges highlighted by IT decision-makers?

Key challenges include training and support gaps and the skills gap in specific technologies, frameworks, or best practices. These issues contribute to hiring difficulty and make it hard for organizations to fill roles and realize returns on tech investments.

Sep 4, 2026

Uploaded by Rowan