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| CURRENT SECTION :: Market Reports | UK's most visited IT Contractor Site - 250k unique visitors March 2008 |
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Freelance Web Developers are enjoying a massive surge in hourly rates with one IT agency reporting the largest increases since the dotcom boom. According to the Association of Technology Staffing Companies (ATSCo), contractors with web development skills now earn an average 30 % higher wage than they did in 2004. This is partly down to the sustained success of websites like Google and eBay that have transformed the web into a more positive environment for business, increasing hourly pay from £20 to £26. It is also due to an increasing number of IT pros and start-up individuals eyeing the Web as a source of income. “Contractors with those skills should make full use of them because rates are going up by hefty amounts,” said Ann Swain, chief executive of ATSCo. “Permanent staff are in a good position to keep their jobs or find new openings. For people looking to get into web development, there is now work out there and this could be a good time to switch.” According to the company’s latest survey, demand for web developers has further increased in the public sector by the government bid to drive all services online by the end of the year. Paul Taylor, Director of IT at Hudson, says the demand for freelance web developers is now outpacing the call for permanent IT staff. “There is certainly a specific demand for contract or freelance web developers more than their permanent counterparts, chiefly because once the Web system is up and running - it’s up and running completely,” he said in an interview with Contractor UK. “There maybe some tweaking and maintaining but it is pretty self-sufficient. What we have noticed is that it’s no longer just about having an online presence, but rather companies can use writing tools to measure which pages are working and which are the most popular. “As a result, UK businesses are now trying to migrate as much online as they possibly can.” According to Mr Taylor, who is also on the executive board at ATSCo, the demand for web development comes at a time when people are eyeing the internet as a “revenue stream.” He said that contractors were likely to benefit from the demand because some end-clients have little need to bring the skills of web development in-house. “Businesses have asked themselves, ‘why bring those skills in-house when they are going to be needed just in the short term?’ For instance, with an investment bank running a small application - they won’t need to hire someone in permanently because its likely to be a short-term project and they can simply hire a contractor on that ‘need’ basis. “Computer freelancers are highly skill orientated but companies simply don’t need to bring this in-house, unless like Contractor UK, where the site constantly updates via providing news and information. But in most cases, if the site is perhaps an online booking system, it is much more of a maintenance role.” Evidence from ATSCo shows the most in demand web skills are Java, Microsoft's .net, C#, SQL and SQL Server. Reflecting on the 30% rise for IT contractors, Anne Swain recommended that freelance web designers could boost their earnings even more by showing themselves as ‘business savvy.’ [See CUK’S ‘IT Pros called to become business savvy’] “A commercial background can add value to your skills,” she told Computer Weekly. “Work in a large corporation on a web project to add more value. Not just a static site.” Mar 10, 2005 Email this article Printer friendly page Previous Page
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