Technology salaries in BC growing at unprecedented rate, finds new survey

If you’re in the tech sector in British Columbia, chances are you’re getting a pay rise, according to the latest annual salary survey by the HR Tech Group.

The survey by the association of HR professionals in BC tech companies included data about 15,904 individual salaries from 112 companies in the province.

It found salaries for intermediate technology professionals in BC went up 5.8% compared with last year.

Tech jobs with the highest salary increases, according to the survey, included:

• Product Development Managers, who earned 16.5% more
• Sales Managers, who earned 10.5% more
• Senior Animators who earned 7.6% more

“In 25 years of conducting the BC Tech Salary Survey we have not seen such large salary increases,” said Allison Rutherford, Executive Director in a release.

VFX jobs some of highest paid

For the first time, the survey included salaries in BC’s growing visual effects and animation industry, which offers some of the top paying jobs in the province.

“The VFX/animation sector is one of the most dynamic and fastest growing industries in the BC economy,” said Rutherford.

Ten major film and animation companies took part, including SONY Pictures Imageworks, Industrial Light & Magic and Technicolor’s MPC.

According to the survey, some of the highest salaries in that industry included:

• Specialist Lighting Artists and VFX Artists, with average salaries of $105,000/year
• Senior Animators, with average salaries of $93,000/year