In January 2023, according to HeadHunter analysts, employers reduced the salaries offered to IT specialists compared to last year. The median salary for a novice programmer was 100 thousand rubles, which is 13% less. Mid-level IT specialists receive 160 thousand rubles, which is 11% less than last year. Meanwhile, the salaries of highly qualified developers increased by 4%, to 250 thousand rubles. There is still a shortage of senior specialists on the market.

According to experts, the influx of young professionals into the IT market, observed since the spring of 2022, is one of the reasons for the decline in salaries. For example, the distribution of online IT courses increased traffic on such courses by 80% in January-August 2022. Also, a decrease in the salaries of IT specialists may be caused by the departure of foreign companies from the Russian market and the release of a large number of personnel.

Despite the fact that the proposed salaries in the IT sector have decreased, the actual income of specialists has not been affected. In 2023, the actual salary for beginner IT specialists increased by 9% (up to 97,000 rubles), medium-skilled specialists – by 11% (up to 158,000 rubles), and highly qualified personnel – by 5% (up to 211,000 rubles).

It is noted that the salaries of specialists working in areas that have suffered from sanctions have mainly decreased. Also, earlier, specialists expected an increase in salaries when changing jobs, but in 2022, many decided to give in and did not increase their salary requirements.