RECAP OF 2015, WHAT IS IN STORE FOR 2016?

Happy 2016!  As we kick off the new year, wanted to close the loop on the prior.  To summarize, 2015 was a year that seemed to further fortify an employee’s market.  We’ve seen salary ranges increase $10K – $15K on average, new skillsets emerge as more in-demand than prior years, and the talent market become increasingly competitive.

To land good talent, employers are competing against a variety of factors including multiple offers, counter offers and most of all speed and flexibility.  It comes down to which company can make the fastest offer, with the most flexible terms. Being an employee’s market, the increased comp ranges are primarily based on supply and demand.  Compensation doesn’t always rely on what’s brought to the table in terms of skillset or delivery, it’s also based on what other companies in the market are willing to pay, and currently compensate for similar skillsets.

The employment market is encountering new philosophies and embracing the millennial talent pool, which is now the largest age-related demographic in today’s workforce, and there are no defined rules of engagement.  The skillsets that seem to be in high demand at the present time include Software Engineers – (NodeJS, Python, Ruby, Java/Scala, .Net), Mobile Developers – (iOS/Android), Front End Developers with more specific frameworks (ie Angular, React, Meteor, Backbone, etc.), UX Designers, QA Automation Engineers, DevOps Engineers and Data Engineers/Scientists.

Our data shows that average base salary ranges (not including benefits, perks, bonuses, stock/equity or other factors that might influence total compensation) for the most common positions are:

  • NodeJS Engineer: $90K – $110K (mid), $110K – $135K (Sr)
  • Python Engineer: $90K – $110K (mid), $110K – $135K (Sr)
  • Ruby on Rails Engineer: $100K – $120K (mid), $120K – $160K (Sr)
  • .Net Engineer: $90K – $110K (mid), $110K – $140K (Sr)
  • Java/Scala Engineer: $110K – $125K (mid), $125K – $150K (Sr)
  • PHP Engineer: $90K – $110K (mid), $110K – $135K (Sr)
  • Front End Engineer: $100K – $120K (mid), $125K – $150K (Sr)
  • DevOps/Linux Engineer: $110K – $125K (mid), $130K – $150K (Sr)
  • Data Engineer: $110K – $130K (mid), $130K – $150K (Sr)
  • Data Scientist: $115K – $130K (mid), $130K – $180K (Sr)
  • QA Automation/SDET:  $110K – $125K (mid) $125K – $150K (Sr)
  • Product Manager: $90K – $120K (mid), $120 -150K (Sr)
  • UX Designer: $80K – $110K (mid), $110K – $135K (Sr)
  • Project Manager: $90K – $110K (mid), $110K – $130K (Sr)
  • iOS Developer: $110K – $125K (mid), $125K – $165K (Sr)
  • Android Developer: $110K – $160K (mid), $160K – $180K (Sr)

As we look forward to 2016, here are some actionable strategies employers can deploy quickly to land new talent in this highly competitive landscape:

  • Improve internal workflow for interviewing candidates and making offers
  • Offer telecommuting options (if setup for that)
  • Target and hire jr-mid Level talent (if setup for that)
  • Offer free training and certification courses
  • Community evangelism
  • Sell your environment, highlight why it’s a great place to come to work every day, and how impactful the role is

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