Average salaries for information technology sector professionals across Canada have gone up 4.1 per cent over the past year, according to a national survey to be released June 1

In its second annual salary survey and hiring manager's guide, the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) found total compensation increases were highest in Alberta, where employers were paying 7.4 per cent more than last year.

In comparison, Statistics Canada reported late last month the cost of living index rose 2.2 per cent in April compared with the same month in 2006.

The survey was done with IT World Canada magazine and CareerDoor Inc. It is the only all-Canadian compensation survey for the information technology industry. Salary and job satisfaction data were compiled using responses from more than 2,800 people.

John Pickett, editorial director of the Toronto-based IT World Canada, said staff were still compiling and double-checking some survey results. Early indications showed most workers were "fairly satisfied" in their jobs, but still looking around at other potential opportunities.

"There are all kinds of reasons why people will change jobs. That could be a whole other survey in itself," he explained. "Once you reach a certain level of salary, quality of life is certainly important. The priorities are also different with older workers versus the newer ones just out of school."

As survey results were coming in, editors also noticed 16 per cent of the respondents were women, which reflected an overall industry bias. "I personally think there is a reason to be concerned with that because they (women) have a whole different perspective on things. The industry needs to address that at some point," said Pickett.

Meanwhile, one national IT staffing agency said the industry demand was at an all-time high. "The demand for IT professionals has been increasing steadily over the past 36 months, demonstrating a steady growth," Terry Power, president of CNC Global, said in a media release.

One of the agency's strongest increases in job orders came from Calgary, where requests jumped 20 per cent with a focus on architects, business analysts and help-desk support staff, Power said.

- David Hatton