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Here are the highest and lowest paid IT jobs

Voice over IP (VoIP) and unified communication skills top the list of qualifications IT staff should develop to remain upwardly mobile. However, web designers and helpdesk staff are among the lowest-paid IT workers.

This is according to recent IT salary surveys conducted by TechRepubic and ITWeb.

According to TechRepublic's 2008 IT Skills and Salary Survey, the top ten skills IT staff should consider acquiring to remain competitive are: voice over IP, unified communications, hybrid networks, wireless technologies, remote user support, mobile user support, software as a service, virtualisation, IPv6 and security.

ITWeb's IT Salary Survey 2008 found that while service orientated architecture and ERP skills claimed salary averages of between R35 000 and R40 000 a month, support and helpdesk staff took home an average R11 800 a month and web designers slightly more at around R12 000.

The average salary for South African IT staff is between R25 000 and R31 000. The staff earning the big paycheques are those in the enterprise management sector including system architects, ERP consultants and SAP consultants.

For those looking to get ahead in the coming years, security certifications, including the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Systems Security Certified Practitioner are among the most in-demand skills according to TechRepublic.

Locally, Cisco qualifications are also a ticket to bigger salaries, as are security skills. CISSP-qualified staff earned R37 084 a month on average. Cisco Certified Internet Engineers earned an average of R46 350.

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