IT Pros Don't Have Enough Hours in the Week to Get the Job Done

The work climate for IT operations professionals has been the subject of some startling trends, as revealed by ITPro Today's 2023 Salary Survey.

With ongoing challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the shifting work landscape, and the overall macroeconomic landscape, there are no shortage of issues for IT pros to deal with. Whether working remotely, on-premises, or anywhere in between in some form of hybrid approach, IT pros are resilient and — perhaps more important for all the non-IT pros who rely on them — continue to keep the lights on.

The survey has a number of highlights of which IT professionals should take note, including insights about workload, training, tools, and satisfaction with compensation. One of the more worrying findings in the survey is that nearly one quarter (24%) of IT professionals can't get their work done in a normal 40-to 45-hour workweek (Figure 1).

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Figure 1

There can be any number of reasons why a normal workweek isn't enough time, including the simple fact that many organization just don't have enough qualified staff. The time challenge is also likely why so many different third-party surveys over the course of 2022 identified automation and AIOps as key trends. With automation and AIOps, demands on IT pros' time can be reduced such that just maybe a 40- to 45-hour workweek will be enough to get the job done.

Tools and Training Are Not a Concern for ITOps Professionals

Somewhat surprisingly, although many IT pros noted they don't have enough time in a regular workweek to get things done, apparently lack of tools or training is not an issue.

A concern that has come up in various research is that IT pros either don't have the tools or the training to get the job done (Figure 1). The ITPro Today survey found a very different result.

Two-thirds of IT professionals who responded to the survey believe they have all the tools needed to do their job well. Going a step further, 60% indicated that they have all the training needed to do a good job (Figure 1).

Job Satisfaction for IT Pros Is Mixed as Salaries Stagnate

The survey also provides a series of particularly interesting data points about the state of IT pros' jobs and how satisfied (or not) they are overall.

Sixty-two percent of IT pros indicated that they are either satisfied or very satisfied with all aspects of their jobs, including compensation and benefits. Thirty percent have a neutral view, and only 8% indicated that they are actually dissatisfied (Figure 2).

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Figure 2

Further indication that IT pros remain mostly satisfied in their current position came from a few other survey questions. Participants were asked how likely they are to seek employment at another organization within the next 12 months. Nearly two-thirds responded that they are either unlikely or highly unlikely to seek employment elsewhere (Figure 3).

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Figure 3

While IT pros are satisfied with their job and are not looking to move, that doesn't mean they are actually making any more money this year than last. In fact, 43% of the IT pros who responded to the survey indicated that they received a salary change of between 1% and 4% in 2022, which would barely keep up with inflation (Figure 4).

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Figure 4

Although salaries are stagnating somewhat, overall compensation for IT pros remains competitive, with more than 80% making at least $100,000 in salary. See Figure 5 for our respondents' self-reported salary figures, broken down by title.

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Figure 5

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