A new study by Robert Half breaks down which IT jobs are expected to rake in the most dough in 2014. Application development (titles including, applications architect, manager or developer) ranks near the top of the list with salaries ranging from $94,000 to $148,000. What’s interesting, yet not at all surprising, is that SharePoint is the most profitable skill, adding an additional 12 percent to the salaries above.

With the release of SharePoint 2013, Microsoft’s focus on usability and simplicity has given firms a meaningful reason to reconsider adoption. As SharePoint continues to gain momentum in the legal industry, SharePoint roles remain high in demand.

In addition to the cosmetic changes, the SharePoint 2013 architecture is different, also contributing to the shortage of SharePoint skills. Microsoft has made a pivotal shift in how custom functionality is built. To build custom functionality in previous versions, application developers leveraged “Full Trust Solutions” whereas SharePoint 2013 emphasizes the “App Model.”  Full Trust Solutions relied heavily on SharePoint skills and less on HTML, CSS and JavaScript; the opposite is now true for the App Model. This dramatic shift is proof that Microsoft is finally committing to industry standards and emerging technologies for programmers and developers.

While the shift in focus from Full Trust Solutions to the App Model has made server-side SharePoint skills less prominent, the need for SharePoint expertise is still required and remains in demand.

Other high-paying job titles include any IT C-level (CIO, VP of IT, etc.), consulting and systems integration and database administration. You can view all the titles and their salaries by reading the article on InformationWeek.

 

*To learn more about SharePoint 2013’s App Model and how it impacts your IT department, look for our ILTA whitepaper coming in April.