IT professionals earn salaries 30 per cent higher than the average UK worker, according to new research from IT recruitment firm Computer People. Even so, two-thirds of IT staff are seeking new jobs.

The firm's IT Salary Review 2008 report surveyed nearly 5,000 UK IT staff and found that 39 per cent of respondents are actively looking for a new job while 48 per cent are "keeping an eye on the market". Twenty seven per cent said their next job move will be within three months.

Of those looking for another job, 37 per cent said it was for career progression and just a quarter said it was for salary reasons. "The report suggests that if you want to improve your retention you have to look at what opportunities you're presenting to your IT staff," said Nick Dettmar, managing director of Computer People. "For example, what opportunities are you giving them to progress beyond technical roles – above anything the business acumen of individuals dictates the amount they get paid."

The average wage in the sector is £35,160, compared to £24,908 across other industries. The report found that Cobol-trained professionals earned the most, at an average wage of £41,870, while Cisco skills were at the bottom of the chart, at £32,320.

Dettmar suggested that firms should think about keeping their technology systems up to date wherever possible as IT staff may think their skills could soon going out-of-date if they aren't working with the latest kit.