As the working world still grapples with the changes provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic – shifts in how people think about from where they work, why they work, and how they fold work into the rest of their lives have caused a pendulum shift. Given widely reported “trends” such as the Great Resignation and quiet quitting, it appears the employee is very much in the driver’s seat…at least for now. 

And if earning well and having autonomy is important to you, it’s never been a better time to work in the tech sector. Statistics show that the majority of tech professionals – 60.9% – had an increase in salary between 2021 and 2022, and only 7.5% suffered a decrease. Deeper analysis shows that 51.2% of women had a salary raise, as compared with 62.6% for men.

And according to a report published by Hired, 2022 looks like a winning year for tech professionals. Here are the top-paying tech roles in the United States:

The findings of Hired’s analysis are based on 907,000 interview requests over 47,000 active positions, facilitated through Hired’s marketplace from January 2019 through June 2022, and on surveys of 2,000 tech professionals regarding their salary, benefits, and flexible work preferences. Here are the key take-aways. 

Salaries on rising–particularly for the remote worker 

The report highlights that companies are more interested then ever in recruiting remote entry-level employees, but that salaries for local employees of that level are not growing as quickly as those for people with more experience. The data seems to indicate that companies are more focused are creating lucrative opportunities to draw more seasoned talent. 

Notably, remote workers are attracting higher salaries in these areas, apart from the San Francisco Bay Area, the only market where local salaries topped remote salaries, although only by 1%. According to the report, the preference for remote work in the tech sector has created a situation in which 15 out of 17 markets had higher remote salaries (up from 13 markets in 2021), and remote roles paying $3,000 more on average globally.

The top three highest paying markets in the US for remote salaries remained in 2022 with salaries climbing for all three markets across the board:

But it’s not all about the money, by a longshot. Flexibility is surfacing as the top factor in considering a job opportunity, something our own Global Workforce of the Future report found as well. 

While money matters, workers are making it clear that well-being and work/life balance are highly valued priorities when it comes to signing a contract or not. This chart shows the report’s findings when it comes to company benefits candidates and employees value.  

Contradictions and challenges

According to Josh Brenner, Hired CEO, 2022 has so far been a mix of highs and lows.

"The hiring climate this year has been full of contradictions and challenges," he said. "We've seen climbing salaries, aggressive hiring, and layoffs – all at once. However, the hiring landscape remains competitive as companies innovate and diversify their teams through remote work. We're seeing salaries rise globally as employers expand their talent pools and candidates find more opportunities outside their backyards. To ride out this storm of uncertainty, we recommend a shift from hyper-growth to more efficient growth. Be responsive and attentive to what's important to employees, stay the course on DEI initiatives, and continue to nurture your employer brand."

Good news for some, but not all

For the experienced working in tech, the Hired report reveals good news of a lucrative, healthy job market. However, for those just graduating or attempting to transition to the tech world, it’s a little less rosy. 

While there’s been an increase in companies looking to recruit junior-level talent on a remote-work basis – businesses are showing far more openness in interviewing non-local candidates and job seekers are showing an increased preference for remote-only roles – the salary offers of local junior talent has not grown as quickly as those of tech professionals with more years under their belt – with “experienced” defined as three or more years.

And although salaries may be increasing in 2022, so has inflation. Hired found that most employees feel their salary is not in line with inflation and the increased costs of living seen this year. Almost 65% of remote employees and 82% of local employees surveyed said they did not feel their salaries have kept up with rising inflation and living costs.