Tech hiring at highest in 16 years

69 percent of surveyed South Florida employers say they plan to increase staff

South Florida’s tech employers are hiring at the highest rate in 16 years, according to an annual report by Fort Lauderdale recruiting firm ProTech.

Sixty-nine percent of those surveyed said they plan to increase tech staff in 2018, compared with 64 percent in 2017. No tech employers said they planned to decrease staff.

Hiring “is really strong. If anything, the issue is finding as many people as they need to hire,” said Deborah Vazquez, CEO and founder of ProTech.

At the same time, a record 92 percent of technology professionals said they would leave their job for a better opportunity. That’s up from 91 percent in 2017. But only 49 percent said they would consider leaving Florida for another job, down from 57 percent a year ago.

Of those tech employers surveyed in the tricounty region, 67 percent perceive the economy as getting stronger, up from 50 percent last year.

Compensation remains issue for tech workers in Florida.

Forty percent of tech workers cited compensation as the top reason for leaving a job. Less-cited reasons were long work hours, benefits and corporate culture.

IT professionals said their average salary increase was 4 percent in 2017, the same as in 2016. From 2013 to 2015, the pay hikes were even higher — 5 and 6 percent.

“[Salary] has gone up a lot a top South in recent years. It’s beginning to level off a bit,” Vazquez said. “But compared to other professions, it’s a pretty healthy figure.”

The average raise in 2017 for U.S. workers was 3 percent, according to global pay specialist Willis Towers Watson. South Florida tech salaries range from $62,000 a year for a tech support specialist to $175,000 a year for IT leadership, according to the survey.

Thirty-four percent of tech managers cited compensation as a top reason for losing staff, compared with 50 percent a year ago. That was followed by work-life balance, or long work hours; lack of a career path; and company culture or work environment.

In the recruiting business, Vazquez said she sees salary has become less important to job candidates in recent years.

“We see a lot of employees and candidates taking lateral moves for a flexible work policy, to telecommute,” she said. “It’s not just about the money. They don’t want to be working 60 hours a week and not have a life.”

ProTech surveyed 1,100 tech executives and more than 24,000 IT professionals in South Florida. For other survey findings, go to protechitjobs.com.