Dive Brief:

• The second annual survey by the THE Journal of IT professionals working in K-12 schools and districts found the overall average salary in the field has risen and respondents are overwhelmingly positive about the future.
• The THE Journal reports that the average salary for IT professionals in education was $2,000 higher than last year, or $65,742, with C-level leadership earning $102,000 on average, also an increase from last year. By contrast, the average salary for network/data center/security staff dropped $9,000 to $51,154.
• In terms of job satisfaction, about 75% of respondents were at least satisfied with their positions and 81% expected to remain in those positions for the next year, but 33% were dissatisfied with their salaries, 22% were dissatisfied with the “top brass” in their organizations and 34% were dissatisfied with departmental budgets.

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Dive Insight:

The education sector has historically been at a disadvantage when it comes to attracting IT talent because other industries have traditionally offered higher levels of compensation. At the K-12 level, however, family-friendly work schedules can help convince IT staffers to choose schools over other companies in the private sector.

In the upcoming years, districts cannot expect the workload of IT professionals to lessen. Schools are increasingly implementing personalized learning strategies in the classroom, often with the use of digital technology, and blended learning is becoming more and more common. Beyond the traditional tech maintenance and infrastructure support role, IT leaders are being asked to put their expertise to use on the curriculum and instruction side of things as well. Many districts see this collaboration as critical to their success.