IT Salary Tracker: Silicon Valley

Datamation content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

What is Silicon Valley, exactly? Is it a state of mind, the molten core of the new economy, an actual place? The commercial/industrial zone south of San Francisco Bay resists easy definition. While the region has seen spectacular growth and innovation, not to mention some of the highest IT salaries in the world, it has a dark side as well. This is evident in feature articles like the one in The New York Times last month that reported how Silicon Valley professionals with a salary of $50,000 can wind up living on the street because of the astronomical cost of housing. Over the next three weeks, we will run a series of salary charts profiling IT jobs in the swath of land representing the largest convergence of high-tech enterprise anywhere, beginning this week with a general overview.

Dice.com, Datamation’s sister site and an Internet job board for IT professionals, contained over 20,000 job listings for IT pros in Silicon Valley in April 2000. We looked at jobs in 10 area code zones, covering more than 15 cities and towns. Zones and some of their corresponding localities are as follows:

Results are based on averages or totals from the following information at dice.com: job titles, job skills, and locations. Benefits are not included in compensation listings. Next week: Open source pros–an overview. —Zach Rodgers

408–San Jose 650–Santa Clara, San Mateo 510–Oakland, East Bay 925–Antioch, Concord, Pleasanton, Walnut Creek 916–Sacramento, Walnut Grove, Lincoln, Newcastle 707–Santa Rosa 831–Santa Cruz 209–Stockton 559–Fresno 530–Chico, Redding, Marysville, Nevada City, El Dorado

San Jose contained the greatest number of jobs available, at 10,948. Software engineers were in highest demand, with 699 availabilities. Results are based on averages or totals from the following information at dice.com: job title, job skills, and location. Next week: senior-level positions in Silicon Valley.

Greatest demand by area (average):
San Jose and surrounding areas, 10,948 availabilities

Greatest demand by job title:
Software engineers, 699 availabilities

Datamation/dice.com IT Salary Tracker
Silicon Valley: demand by area code

Source: Datamation/dice.com IT Salary Tracker/April 2000

Datamation/dice.com IT Salary Tracker
Silicon Valley: demand by job title

Source: Datamation/dice.com IT Salary Tracker/April 2000

Chart data compiled by Laurie Souza.