6/18/2001 -- ZDNet is reporting that salaries for IT professionals are on the decline for the first time since 1985.

In an article published on June 13, ZDNet cites a survey conducted by Janco Associates, which found a decrease in overall compensation for IT professionals in the first six months of 2001, as compared to the last half of 2000.

The survey looks at benchmark salaries, which includes compensation such as bonuses, stock options, and other financial incentives used to attract IT professionals for a particular position. The trend appears to have affected high-level IT positions the most, with chief information officers being hardest hit -- benchmark salaries for CIOs fell 37 percent during the above time period, from $434,416 to $317,699.

In the article, Janco CEO M. Victor Janulaitis cites a decrease in performance-related bonuses for high-level IT positions and slower demand for IT workers in general as reasons for the decline.

Click here to read the article in its entirety on ZDNet.com. -B.N