Study: Tech Job Satisfaction on the Rise, but Some Fear Obsolescence

Job satisfaction among IT professionals is increasing, according to a report by CompTIA, a suburban Chicago-based industry association. The report also details a stronger interest in cybersecurity as well as opportunities for more training and networking.

A net 79 percent of IT pros are satisfied with their jobs, according to the report entitled, “Evaluating IT Workforce Needs”. That’s up from 73 percent in 2015.

Meanwhile, 73 percent of the respondents feel their job provides them with a sense of personal accomplishment, while 71 percent believe their job makes good use of their talents.

A majority of the 820 IT professionals surveyed (51 percent) express an interest in working on cybersecurity-related issues, well ahead of other cutting-edge issues such as the Internet of Things (30 percent) and artificial intelligence or machine learning (20 percent).

But on the pessimistic side of the equation, nearly one-quarter of respondents said they are concerned about their skills becoming obsolete.

Among female IT pros, 34 percent say they ended up in an IT role after working in non-IT jobs. This finding aligns with earlier CompTIA research, which found that though boys and girls generally use technology in about equal numbers, girls and young women have less access to information about careers in the technology field.

Among other statistics, 53 percent of respondents would like more training and professional development resources; 48 percent seek more career advancement opportunities and career path guidance; and 61 percent report that involvement in a professional group would benefit their career.

The survey of 820 IT professionals from across the United States was conducted in June 2017.

Channel Impact^®
While it is good to see increasing job satisfaction, fears of obsolescence underscore the need for additional training and career planning skills.