By David Byrd

IP Communications utilizes the skills of traditional telecom and information technology (IT). However, most of us with telecom backgrounds have conceded that the bulk of the work and authority lies with the IT department. As such, it is important to understand what you should be paying the members of your IT organization.

InformationWeek has released its annual salary survey with some interesting results. Most of us are aware that IT managers and staff have had a few turbulent years in the last decade with the latest recession still fresh in our minds. However, it appears that IT salaries continue to be in the upper tier of job earners with IT managers earning a median total compensation of $115,000 and staffers making $87,000. Last year Broadvox was considered a small business with just under 100 employees. I can say with certainty that the numbers reported by InformationWeek are higher than our levels of compensation. However, I am not concerned as there are several reasons for this discrepancy. IT personnel pay has been greatly influenced by two relatively new disciplines, content management and analytics, where the management pay median is $131,000 and $130,000,  respectively. Staffers do fairly well also with a median pay of $107,000 and $90,000 for the two disciplines. Pay is also influenced by certain industries with securities and investment IT staffers earning a median of $111,000 and federal staffers earning $98,000.

Perhaps you are wondering if you should be paying more to retain or acquire talented IT personnel. I would first read page 41 of the study which is probably the best way to gauge whether you are offering or receiving competitive wages. Page 41 covers Salary by Company Revenue. These numbers much more closely reflect the pay levels of companies Broadvoxs size. Management median pay is between $85,000 and $96,000 with staffers in the $70,000 range. This is important to note, because pay is only one component of why people work for a company. Additional considerations include company stability, benefits, work schedule, commute, job challenge and responsibility. I, for one, enjoy getting paid, but I have a passion for marketing and sales. I thoroughly like the team at Broadvox and have found working for Andre Temnorod, our CEO, very fulfilling.

Most of you reading this blog work for a SMB. Most of you would not trade that work experience to work for a large enterprise. Therefore, as you consider what you pay your employees or evaluate what you earn, remember the total work experience is the true measure. That is the great balancing act.

David Byrd is vice president of marketing and sales for

Broadvox,

and is responsible for marketing and channel sales programs to SMBs, enterprises and carriers as well as defining the product offering. Prior to joining Broadvox, David was the vice president of Channels and Alliances for Eftia and Telcordia. As director of eBusiness Development with i2 Technologies, he developed major partnerships with many of the leaders in Internet eCommerce and supply chain management. As CEO of Planet Hollywood Online he was a pioneer in using early Internet technologies to build a branded entertainment and eCommerce website company partnered with Planet Hollywood. Having over 20 years of telecom sales and marketing experience, he has held executive positions with Hewlett-Packard, Sprint and Ericsson.