Salaries in the tech sector increased by nearly 10 per cent in the last year and IT workers are among those most likely to land a “transformational” pay rise in the coming year, according to a new study.

Recruiter Hays released its F25/26 Salary Guide this week which also reveals the highest paying tech roles in Australia and those most in demand.

The report is based on a survey of 12,000 professionals and hiring managers across more than 1,000 roles and 25 sectors.

The data reveals that salaries in IT and technology system design rose by 9.6 per cent year-on-year, the third best performance out of all the industries.

The tech sector is also among the most likely to offer significant pay increases of up to 20 percent in the next year, with just under 10 per cent of organisations planning to do this.

The report found that tech workers are more likely than employees in many other sectors to be satisfied with their wage, with 64 per cent satisfied with their current salary.

“When organisations invest in their people, we see stronger employee satisfaction and loyalty,” Hays APAC CEO Matthew Dickason said.

“However, when salaries fall short of expectations, there’s a real risk of losing talent.”

The best paying tech roles

The data also reveals the five tech roles that are most in demand: cybersecurity analysts, architects, data analysts / engineers, business analysts and cloud / DevOps engineers.

The report also includes detailed salary guides for a range of tech-related professions across Australia, with typical salaries associated with these jobs.

Some of the best paid tech roles in Australia include business architects, who are typically paid $200,000 annually in major cities, and cybersecurity architects, who are paid $220,000 on average in New South Wales and Victoria.

Machine learning engineers and AI engineers are typically earning $190,000, while DevOps engineers are on $170,000 in major cities in Australia.

When it comes to software engineers, those working in New South Wales and Victoria are typically earning about $120,000 annually, while senior software engineers are seeing their salaries increase to about $160,000.

Executive tech roles come with significant salaries, with chief information officers typically earning more than $300,000 in New South Wales and just under in Victoria, while chief data officers are on about $250,000.

A divided landscape

The Hays report shows that the salary landscape is “more polarised than ever”, with workers in some industries enjoying regular and major pay rises, while those in others are facing stagnating incomes.

“This data reveals clear divides in which industries are paying more and planning to continue doing so,” Dickason said.

“It’s no longer enough to cite skills shortages.

“Unless those shortages are matched with real salary action that aligns with expectations and industry benchmarks, talent will move where the money and opportunity are.”

Younger workers are less likely to be satisfied with their income, with less than half of those aged under 30 happy with their pay and more than 40 per cent of those aged 30 to 39 years old feeling significantly underpaid.

It’s also stark when it comes to the gender divide, with men dominating the higher salary brackets and outnumbering women two-to-one when it comes to roles earning more than $200,000, according to the report.

Companies must act now to address some of these imbalances or face an exodus of staff, Dickason said.

“The labour market is no longer forgiving,” he said.

“Employers who act now to benchmark roles, align pay with performance and benefits with expectations, and reward potential will win.

“Those who don’t will lose their best people to hungrier competitors and more giving industries.”

Another report last month revealed that the highest paying tech roles in Australia include infrastructure, backend systems and data engineering.

Previous research has also found that more than half of Australian workers would switch jobs in exchange for a pay rise of about 20 per cent.