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Methodology
For this year’s survey, we contacted respondents exclusively by email, sending them to a password-protected Web site to complete the survey. MCP Magazine again hired Beta Research West /North American Testing, Inc. to conduct the survey, contact respondents, and tabulate the results. Beta sent email messages to 33,000 names in April, using every nth name from a Microsoft-supplied list of all Microsoft Certified Professionals in the continental U.S. Results are based on 6,679 respondents, for a response rate of 20 percent.

As in past surveys, in order to maintain proportional representation by title in all areas of the country, we divided the U.S. into five regions (see maps beginning on p.48). That is, if 10 percent of all names in the Northeast were MCSDs, 10 percent of those contacted in the Northeast were MCSDs. Also, we removed earnings totals of the self-employed and eliminated excessive highs and lows (base salaries below $20,000 or above $250,000).

Internal vs. External

We consistently found a big difference in salary between those who work in corporate IT/IS supplying internal services to other employees and those who primarily supply external services (working for solution providers, value-added retailers, and systems integration companies). IT professionals supplying external services averaged $73,000 in base salary, 20 percent above the $60,600 of those who supply services primarily to corporate IT departments. Part of the reason may be that companies tend to use more experienced people for outside assignments. Also, working with outside clients may demand more skills and expertise than working with internal employees.

(Click on images to view larger version.)

Chart 7. Salary by Internal vs. External Services.	Chart 8. Expected Bonuses in 2000. Of the 57 percent of respondents who reported eligibility for bonuses, we asked what dollar amount they expected to receive in 2000. We also asked how bonuses are calculated and paid.

Chart 8a. How are Bonuses Calculated?	Chart 8b. When are Bonuses Paid?

Also, our survey showed that companies supplying external services tend to have a higher percentage of IT workers with expensive talents, including security, Unix, and programming skills.

Bonuses were also higher for those at external service firms, averaging $5,700 a year vs. $4,500 for those supplying internal services.

Outside Income and Hours Worked

Despite high salaries, performing outside work for extra income remains lucrative to many in IT. Among our respondents, two-thirds reported receiving some income from “other job-related sources.” The amount earned was relatively low for those with little experience, peaking among those with 5-6 years of experience at $6,400 this year. Outside income then dropped as experience increased, perhaps as respondents with more responsibility—and higher salaries—felt less inclination to moonlight. In an industry with a reputation for long hours and sudden weekend emergencies, number of hours worked was surprisingly reasonable.

(Click on images to view larger version.)

Chart 9. Salary and the Average Work Week	Chart 10. Salary and Company Size

	Chart 11. Salary by Skills for MCPs and MCSEs. We asked respondents which of 16 products or technologies they’d worked with on a project for at least six months. We then sorted by salary. Note that the large difference shown between MCP and MCSE earnings is probably due to more than the Microsoft title; MCSEs average more years of experience, among other things. Numbers shown are 2000 average base salary.

Chart 11a. Salary by Skills for MCP+Is	Chart 11b. Salary by Skills for MCSE+Is

Chart 11c. Salary by Skills for MCSDs	Chart 11d. Salary by Skills for MCTs

Respondents said they average 45 hours a week. Number of hours worked remained remarkably consistent across years of experience, job functions, and specific skills.

(Click images to view larger version.)

Chart 12. Salary by Responsibility	Chart 12a. Salary by Responsibility for MCPs

Chart 12b. Salary by Responsibility for MCP+Is	Chart 12c. Salary by Responsibility for MCSEs

Chart 12d. Salary by Responsibility for MCSE+Is	Chart 12e. Salary by Responsibility for MCSDs

Chart 12f. Salary by Responsibility for MCTs

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