2026 IT Salary Survey - median compensation for IT Pros over $106K

Highest Demand positions are for Executive Levels in SMBs – Salaries up by 4.27%

IT Pros with AI - Omni commerce experience see record increases in salaries

Summerlin South - NV - e-janco.com - Janco's 2026 IT Salary Survey has just been released. Its data shows high demand for SMB Executive IT Pros with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning skills, with salaries up by 4.27% in the last year. Median salaries for all positions surveyed are now $106,257 – up 1.67%. The survey data show that all IT Pro salaries in large enterprises increased by an average of 1.11%, with most of the major increases at the staff and executive management levels of 1.63%. In SMBs, salaries increased by 2.28% across the board, with the most significant growth for IT executive management – 4.27%. The Salary Survey can be ordered separately or with the IT Hiring Kit, which includes the 2026 Salary Survey, the Interview and Hiring Kit, and up to full Job Descriptions. Janco will be publishing its full set of findings on Substack (https://itmanager.substack.com/).

The CEO of Janco, M. Victor Janulaitis said, “The US IT Job Market now is just over 4 million jobs. Layoffs by several tech giants and demand for IT Pros with AI and ML skills across almost all industries still exceed the supply of qualified individuals.   Our data show that 108,000 IT jobs remain unfilled, with much of that due to a lack of qualified candidates."
The CEO added, "This is the 45th year the firm has conducted the study, and it includes hundreds of enterprises in most industries and of all sizes in North America. A copy of a summary of the survey can be downloaded via our website at https://e-janco.com/salary.htm."  

The survey is now available for immediate download. Our observations for the 2026 IT Salary Survey are as follows:

  • Salary increases have slowed to 1.67% from last January
  • Many IT organizations have eliminated or automated functions, reducing the need for "entry-level" and "low-skill" positions. IT departments hired fewer graduates this past year.
  • Total compensation for IT executives in Large Enterprises is 13.2% higher than in Mid-sized enterprises. IT Pros are paid less in SMBs than in Large Enterprises, on average, $5,175
  • Base salaries for all IT Pros increased by 1.23% - now $100,924.
  • Median compensation (including bonuses and fringe benefits) for IT Pros in large enterprises is $108,643, with executives' median salary at $188,294.
  • Salaries for IT Professionals, in aggregate, rose 1.67% in the past 4 quarters – less than the annualized inflation rate.
  • With bonuses and fringe benefits, IT Pros fared best, with total compensation increasing by 1.11% in large enterprises and 2.28% in mid-sized enterprises.
  • Salary compression is occurring as "new hires" are offered salaries at the top end of the pay ranges for existing positions – often higher than those of current employees in the same position.
  • Attrition rates in mid-sized enterprises are rising faster than in large enterprises.
  • Salary levels in mid-sized enterprises are rising faster than in large enterprises, 2.28% versus 1.11%
  • Demand has remained high for IT professionals supporting artificial Intelligence, security, Blockchain, and e-commerce.
  • Staffing and retention remain a primary priority for C-level management.
    NOTE: the table below is updated automatically with the latest IT salaries when a new salary survey is published. That happens every January and June. The historical data is available.

    Latest Median IT Salaries

    Latest Mean IT salaries
    For the latest data go to the current IT Salary Survey

The President added, "AI and ML are expanding the scope of coverage that CIOs have. Hiring is definitely on the upswing for IT Pros with these skills, but many jobs go unfilled due to a lack of candidates. CIOs have moved AI/ML, e-Commerce, security, social media engagement, and digital presentation to the top of their agenda. That impacts the governance of Information Technology."

IT Hiring Kit Address AI/ML Hiring Priorities

IT Hiring Kit includes latest IT Salary Data, Interview and Hiring Guide, and 334 Job Descriptions.In today's economy, nearly every organization faces pressure to have the right talent in place, run at peak efficiency and "do more with less". With the economy improvement and lowest unemployment numbers in several years, HR departments are pressured to get qualified professionals on board now.

Read on IT Hiring Kit  Order IT Hiring Kit

Janco is an international consulting firm that follows issues that concern CIOs and CFOs. The firm publishes a series of IT and business Infrastructure HandiGuides® and Templates including IT Infrastructure Policies and Procedures, Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Template, Security Template, IT Job Descriptions, and its semi-annual IT Salary Survey.