7/30/2003 -- According to Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine's 8th Annual Salary Survey, average salaries for those holding Microsoft certifications are on the rise -- for the most part.

The average salaries for MCSEs on Windows 2000 increased 11 percent since last year to $59,400, the study found. Salaries for MCSEs on NT and MCSAs rose 3 percent ($61,600 and $47,700, respectively). Compensation for MCSDs rose eight percent overall to $74,600.

However, not all is rosy: The average salaries of MCTs and MCDBAs both dropped, with MCDBAs taking the most significant hit at 7 percent (MCTs dropped 1 percent). The study also said that 10 percent of respondents were laid off in the last 12 months -- an amount "slightly above" the number reported last year.

The study also looked at compensation based on a variety of different factors, including job title, location, years of experience.

Experience Pays
Years of experience continues to be the most deciding factor when it comes to compensation, as shown in the chart below.

Click image for a larger view.

Reprinted courtesy of MCPMag.com

Income rises most dramatically with years of experience; for example, with the MCSD v. 6.0, there's a disparity of more than $35,000 per year between the least experienced and most experienced holders.

Skills also play a factor. The survey found that the three top-paying Microsoft skills are BizTalk Server ($82,100), Commerce Server ($81,900) and Content Management Server ($73,400). Those with the following five general IT skills earned the most, on average: data warehousing ($71,800), software design ($71,700), Oracle ($71,400), e-commerce ($71,000 ) and extranets ($70,900).

Education also appears to matter, with those holding a Master's degree ($71,800) or Bachelor's degree ($64,200) averaging significantly more than those with only a high-school diploma ($55,800) -- although the lack of education didn't seem to hinder high-school dropouts, who averaged $64,000.

Complementary Certifications
The study also looks at average compensation based on other certifications those surveyed hold. The top earner this year was Cisco's Certified Security Professional, with those holding it earning an average of $93,500 per year. Following came Sun's Certified Java Developer title, with an average of $84,500, and the Project Management Institute's Project Management Professional at $81,000. Below is a chart showing the top 10.

Reprinted courtesy of MCPMag.com

Wilson Research Group of San Carlos, California, managed the study for Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine and measured the responses from more than 6,500 U.S.-based Microsoft Certified Professionals. Detailed information from the survey's findings -- including average compensation by location, industry, job title, gender, and type of organization, all broken down by title -- can be downloaded in PDF format from http://mcpmag.com/salary2003/ (registration required). A summary in HTML format is available here. -Becky Nagel