Annual IT survey: Senior game product managers making good bucks

Next in line after top management at IT firms as app developers gain importance.

KARACHI:

Amid the rise in demand for experienced and trained game developers, the category of Senior Game Product Manager emerges as the highest-paying job after the top management in the country’s IT sector, an annual IT salary survey by the industry’s representative body revealed.

According to the 2014 IT Salary Survey by Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT and IT-enabled services (ITES), senior game product managers with an average monthly salary of Rs236,666 were reported to be the highest-paid officials in Pakistan’s IT sector – just below top executives.

The survey revealed that the chief executive officer’s (CEO) average monthly salary of Rs311,079 was the highest paid job function, whereas 9% of the respondents said their CEOs were paid more than Rs675,000 a month. This was followed by the chief technology officer (CTO) whose average monthly salary was reported to be Rs256,250, which is a 6% increase over 2013.

Pakistan Software Export Board former managing director and founding partner at Jugnoo Media (a game developing company) Zia Imran said because of their commercial nature, gaming apps are the highest source of revenue in the mobile phone apps industry. “This is a high demand job because there aren’t many trained developers available in Pakistan and producing a high quality app that can engage users is not an easy job.

“Simply put, a game product manager is to the app what a director is to the film — he is the key person who ensures the end product is engaging and meets highest quality standards.”

According to Imran, there is a high demand for professionals who can develop high-quality content. “If you are a good developer, you can produce the next Angry Birds, which can become a property worth billions of dollars in a couple of years,” he said. “In case you are an average developer, not even 15 people will download your app.”

He said the remuneration trends for Pakistan’s IT professionals seem to be encouraging. “If we compare the findings from those obtained in 2013, we notice an average increase of 12.37% in salaries,” the P@SHA press release said, noting the highest increase of 94.24% in a mid-level Ruby Programmer’s income.

The lowest paid job, according to the survey, was found to be an entry level administration professional who earned Rs23,000 a month on average, an increase of 7.26% over 2013. On the benefits side health insurance, bonuses and flexible working hours remained the top three choices.

P@SHA IT Salary Survey, in its fourth edition, provides analysis of average salaries, growth, promotions and benefits for the IT and ITES sector employees in Pakistan. The survey includes findings from 93 companies, 14,352 employees working in 26 job roles and 92 unique levels both in core IT and business roles. The rapidly evolving nature of the tech sector influences job requirements and skill sets, making annual IT Salary Survey a necessary tool for companies wishing to hire and retain the best talent. “I am pleased to see more and more companies participating in the survey, indicating their trust in us and the usefulness of the survey. With a higher number of participating companies our survey sample findings are closer to the actual salaries being offered nationally,” P@SHA President Jehan Ara said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2^nd, 2014.

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