GITNUXREPORT 2026

Hr In The It Industry Statistics

Hiring tech talent is slow and competitive, requiring flexible, well-branded strategies to succeed.

Rajesh Patel

Team Lead & Senior Researcher with over 15 years of experience in market research and data analytics.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

Our Commitment to Accuracy

Rigorous fact-checking · Reputable sources · Regular updatesLearn more

Statistic 1

Average IT salary in US is $112,000, with 5% annual merit increases.

Statistic 2

Tech bonuses average 12.5% of base for software engineers.

Statistic 3

78% of IT firms offer 401(k) matching up to 6% of salary.

Statistic 4

RSUs comprise 25% of total comp for senior IT roles at Big Tech.

Statistic 5

Health premiums cost IT employees avg $1,500/year employee share.

Statistic 6

45% of IT cos provide unlimited PTO, averaging 20 days taken.

Statistic 7

Gender pay gap in IT at 4%, closing from 6% in 2020.

Statistic 8

67% offer student loan repayment up to $5,250/year.

Statistic 9

Median IT comp package $165K including equity for mid-level.

Statistic 10

52% of IT benefits budgets allocated to wellness perks.

Statistic 11

Sign-on bonuses avg $20K for cybersecurity specialists.

Statistic 12

401(k) participation 89% in IT vs 68% national.

Statistic 13

Parental leave 16 weeks paid for 61% of Big Tech IT roles.

Statistic 14

38% provide pet insurance as emerging IT perk.

Statistic 15

Total comp transparency demanded by 69% of IT job seekers.

Statistic 16

HSA contributions matched by 44% of IT employers, avg $1,000.

Statistic 17

73% offer mental health days, 4 avg per year.

Statistic 18

Equity cliffs vest 25% at year 1 for 55% of startups.

Statistic 19

Commuter benefits cover 80% of transit costs for 62% IT firms.

Statistic 20

29% annual raise for promotions in IT management.

Statistic 21

Fertility benefits cost $300M/year industry-wide.

Statistic 22

56% of IT comp influenced by location premiums, SF 30% over avg.

Statistic 23

Sabbaticals offered after 5 years by 21% IT cos, 8 weeks paid.

Statistic 24

92% provide life insurance 1x salary.

Statistic 25

Variable pay 15% of target for sales engineers in IT.

Statistic 26

48% budget increase for perks post-pandemic in IT.

Statistic 27

Women represent 26% of the IT workforce, up from 24% in 2020.

Statistic 28

Black employees hold 7.4% of tech jobs despite 13.4% US population share.

Statistic 29

51% of IT companies have DEI officer roles, but only 19% report progress.

Statistic 30

Latinx workers are 8% of IT staff, facing 15% higher promotion barriers.

Statistic 31

LGBTQ+ identification in tech at 11%, with 2x harassment rates.

Statistic 32

35% of IT firms set gender diversity targets, achieving 28% female hires.

Statistic 33

Neurodiversity hiring programs in 22% of large IT cos, filling 12% unique roles.

Statistic 34

41% of underrepresented minorities in IT report microaggressions weekly.

Statistic 35

ERGs boost retention of diverse IT talent by 21%.

Statistic 36

29% of tech boards have women, up 5% YoY.

Statistic 37

Bias training reaches 67% of IT managers, reducing biased hires by 14%.

Statistic 38

AAPI employees 6% of IT, with 18% pay gap vs white peers.

Statistic 39

Inclusive recruiting yields 2.3x more diverse IT candidates.

Statistic 40

54% of IT cos track pay equity, finding 4% unexplained gaps for women.

Statistic 41

Veteran hiring in tech at 1.5%, below 7% civilian labor force.

Statistic 42

62% of diverse IT teams outperform on innovation metrics.

Statistic 43

Disability disclosure in IT hiring at 4%, with accommodations in 73% cases.

Statistic 44

Intersectional women (BIPOC) are 3% of tech leadership.

Statistic 45

DEI budgets up 12% to $2M avg in FAANG-level IT firms.

Statistic 46

48% of IT employees value allyship training for inclusion.

Statistic 47

Supplier diversity programs engage 34% of IT procurement.

Statistic 48

Age diversity: 5% over 55 in IT vs 25% workforce avg.

Statistic 49

71% of IT leaders link DEI to business performance.

Statistic 50

Blind resume reviews increase diverse IT callbacks by 26%.

Statistic 51

23% of IT startups have all-white founding teams.

Statistic 52

Mentorship for URM in IT doubles promotion rates.

Statistic 53

In 2023, the average time-to-hire for IT roles in the US was 44 days, compared to 36 days across all industries.

Statistic 54

75% of IT hiring managers report skills gaps as the top challenge in recruiting software engineers.

Statistic 55

Only 28% of IT companies use AI-driven tools for resume screening, despite 60% expressing interest.

Statistic 56

62% of IT firms increased employer branding budgets by 20% in 2023 to attract top tech talent.

Statistic 57

Campus hiring for IT roles grew by 15% YoY, with 40% of new hires from universities targeting CS programs.

Statistic 58

55% of IT recruiters use LinkedIn as primary sourcing channel, generating 80% of qualified leads.

Statistic 59

Referral hiring accounts for 45% of IT hires, with 4x higher retention rates than job board hires.

Statistic 60

70% of IT companies face candidate ghosting, with rates highest for senior developer roles at 35%.

Statistic 61

Diversity hiring goals met by only 22% of IT firms, targeting 30% underrepresented groups in tech roles.

Statistic 62

Cost-per-hire for IT positions averaged $4,200 in 2023, up 12% from 2022 due to competition.

Statistic 63

48% of IT hires come from passive candidates, requiring advanced sourcing strategies.

Statistic 64

Video interviews adopted by 82% of IT recruiters, reducing time-to-interview by 30%.

Statistic 65

65% of IT firms report offer acceptance rates below 85%, citing counteroffers as main issue.

Statistic 66

Gig economy workers fill 18% of short-term IT project roles, saving 25% on full-time costs.

Statistic 67

52% of IT recruiters prioritize remote work flexibility in job postings to widen talent pools.

Statistic 68

ATS usage in IT recruiting at 92%, but only 40% customized for tech skill parsing.

Statistic 69

38% increase in IT contract-to-hire conversions post-2022 layoffs.

Statistic 70

Employer Net Promoter Score (eNPS) for IT hiring processes averages 45, below industry 55.

Statistic 71

67% of IT leaders use hackathons for talent assessment, improving hire quality by 22%.

Statistic 72

Sourcing from GitHub yields 3x more qualified devs than traditional boards.

Statistic 73

41% of IT hires require relocation support, costing avg $7,500 per candidate.

Statistic 74

Mobile-optimized career sites boost IT applications by 28%.

Statistic 75

76% of IT recruiters face salary transparency demands from candidates.

Statistic 76

Predictive analytics in IT hiring adopted by 35%, forecasting 15% better fit.

Statistic 77

29% of IT roles filled via internal mobility programs.

Statistic 78

Chatbot screening used by 51% of IT firms, cutting admin time by 40%.

Statistic 79

63% prioritize soft skills like adaptability in IT interviews.

Statistic 80

Background checks fail rate for IT candidates at 12%, highest for cybersecurity roles.

Statistic 81

54% of IT startups use equity offers to compete on compensation.

Statistic 82

Virtual reality assessments trialed by 14% of large IT firms for coding tests.

Statistic 83

IT industry turnover rate stands at 13.2% annually in 2023, higher than the 10.6% national average.

Statistic 84

47% of IT employees cite lack of career growth as primary reason for leaving.

Statistic 85

Voluntary turnover in tech hit 18% for millennials in software dev roles.

Statistic 86

62% of IT workers plan to job hunt within 12 months due to burnout.

Statistic 87

Retention bonuses implemented by 55% of IT firms, retaining 75% of recipients.

Statistic 88

Employee engagement scores in IT average 68/100, correlating to 21% lower turnover.

Statistic 89

39% turnover reduction achieved via mentorship programs in IT.

Statistic 90

Remote work boosts IT retention by 25%, per hybrid policy adopters.

Statistic 91

52% of departing IT staff leave for better pay, avg 15% salary increase.

Statistic 92

Exit interviews reveal manager relationships cause 29% of IT exits.

Statistic 93

Stay interviews conducted by 41% of IT HR, predicting turnover 6 months ahead.

Statistic 94

71% of IT firms with strong DEI programs see 19% lower turnover.

Statistic 95

Average IT tenure is 2.5 years, down from 3.1 in 2019.

Statistic 96

Flexible hours retain 33% more IT parents post-maternity.

Statistic 97

Predictive turnover models used by 28% of IT cos, accurate to 82%.

Statistic 98

45% of IT turnover tied to poor onboarding experiences.

Statistic 99

Alumni networks rehire 22% of ex-IT employees at higher rates.

Statistic 100

Wellness programs cut IT turnover by 14% in high-stress roles.

Statistic 101

64% of ITers stay longer with transparent promotion paths.

Statistic 102

Regretted loss rate in IT is 16%, costing 1.5x salary per employee.

Statistic 103

Hybrid models retain 27% more mid-level IT managers.

Statistic 104

Feedback frequency correlates to 12% turnover drop in IT teams.

Statistic 105

58% of IT exits due to lack of challenging work.

Statistic 106

Succession planning reduces key IT role vacancies by 30%.

Statistic 107

49% turnover in first year for IT without buddy systems.

Statistic 108

Equity refreshers retain 68% of vested IT stock option holders.

Statistic 109

IT women turnover 20% higher than men due to bias.

Statistic 110

Gamification in performance mgmt lowers voluntary IT turnover by 18%.

Statistic 111

37% of IT firms lost 10%+ staff to competitors in 2023.

Statistic 112

IT training spend averages $1,300 per employee annually.

Statistic 113

82% of IT workers upskill via online platforms like Coursera.

Statistic 114

AI/ML certification demand up 40%, with 65% employer-sponsored.

Statistic 115

57% of IT firms allocate 5% payroll to L&D budgets.

Statistic 116

Microlearning modules complete 3x faster in IT training.

Statistic 117

71% report skills obsolescence every 2.5 years in tech roles.

Statistic 118

Leadership dev programs for IT managers cost $4,500 avg.

Statistic 119

44% use VR for IT soft skills training, retention +75%.

Statistic 120

Internal academies train 30% of IT promotions.

Statistic 121

68% of devs learn new langs on-the-job vs formal training.

Statistic 122

Diversity training ROI 24% higher productivity in IT.

Statistic 123

52% IT budget for cloud certs like AWS, $500M industry total.

Statistic 124

Gamified learning boosts IT compliance training by 90%.

Statistic 125

39% of ITers seek MBA for career advancement.

Statistic 126

Coaching engagements avg 6 months, 20% promo rate lift.

Statistic 127

75% complete personalized learning paths in LMS.

Statistic 128

Cybersecurity training hours mandated 40/year per employee.

Statistic 129

61% use mentorship for tech stack knowledge transfer.

Statistic 130

L&D ROI measured by 47%, avg 4:1 return in IT.

Statistic 131

Women in IT training programs increase pipeline 28%.

Statistic 132

Agile/Scrum certs held by 55% of IT project managers.

Statistic 133

33% annual increase in GenAI training enrollments.

Statistic 134

Cross-functional training reduces silos by 35% in IT depts.

Statistic 135

49% fund conference attendance, avg $2,000/employee.

Statistic 136

Skills-based promotions rise 22% with competency frameworks.

1/136

Sources

Trusted by 500+ publications

+497

While hiring a software engineer can take eight days longer than any other role, mastering the unique challenges of recruiting and retention is what separates a thriving IT company from a struggling one.

Key Takeaways

In 2023, the average time-to-hire for IT roles in the US was 44 days, compared to 36 days across all industries.
75% of IT hiring managers report skills gaps as the top challenge in recruiting software engineers.
Only 28% of IT companies use AI-driven tools for resume screening, despite 60% expressing interest.
IT industry turnover rate stands at 13.2% annually in 2023, higher than the 10.6% national average.
47% of IT employees cite lack of career growth as primary reason for leaving.
Voluntary turnover in tech hit 18% for millennials in software dev roles.
Women represent 26% of the IT workforce, up from 24% in 2020.
Black employees hold 7.4% of tech jobs despite 13.4% US population share.
51% of IT companies have DEI officer roles, but only 19% report progress.
Average IT salary in US is $112,000, with 5% annual merit increases.
Tech bonuses average 12.5% of base for software engineers.
78% of IT firms offer 401(k) matching up to 6% of salary.
IT training spend averages $1,300 per employee annually.
82% of IT workers upskill via online platforms like Coursera.
AI/ML certification demand up 40%, with 65% employer-sponsored.

Hiring tech talent is slow and competitive, requiring flexible, well-branded strategies to succeed.

Compensation and Benefits

Average IT salary in US is $112,000, with 5% annual merit increases.
Tech bonuses average 12.5% of base for software engineers.
78% of IT firms offer 401(k) matching up to 6% of salary.
RSUs comprise 25% of total comp for senior IT roles at Big Tech.
Health premiums cost IT employees avg $1,500/year employee share.
45% of IT cos provide unlimited PTO, averaging 20 days taken.
Gender pay gap in IT at 4%, closing from 6% in 2020.
67% offer student loan repayment up to $5,250/year.
Median IT comp package $165K including equity for mid-level.
52% of IT benefits budgets allocated to wellness perks.
Sign-on bonuses avg $20K for cybersecurity specialists.
401(k) participation 89% in IT vs 68% national.
Parental leave 16 weeks paid for 61% of Big Tech IT roles.
38% provide pet insurance as emerging IT perk.
Total comp transparency demanded by 69% of IT job seekers.
HSA contributions matched by 44% of IT employers, avg $1,000.
73% offer mental health days, 4 avg per year.
Equity cliffs vest 25% at year 1 for 55% of startups.
Commuter benefits cover 80% of transit costs for 62% IT firms.
29% annual raise for promotions in IT management.
Fertility benefits cost $300M/year industry-wide.
56% of IT comp influenced by location premiums, SF 30% over avg.
Sabbaticals offered after 5 years by 21% IT cos, 8 weeks paid.
92% provide life insurance 1x salary.
Variable pay 15% of target for sales engineers in IT.
48% budget increase for perks post-pandemic in IT.

Compensation and Benefits Interpretation

While IT professionals enjoy lucrative salaries and equity packages that make their 401(k)s blush, the industry's competitive arms race for talent has now escalated to offering pet insurance and sabbaticals, proving that even in tech, happiness is increasingly measured in perks and peace of mind.

Diversity and Inclusion

Women represent 26% of the IT workforce, up from 24% in 2020.
Black employees hold 7.4% of tech jobs despite 13.4% US population share.
51% of IT companies have DEI officer roles, but only 19% report progress.
Latinx workers are 8% of IT staff, facing 15% higher promotion barriers.
LGBTQ+ identification in tech at 11%, with 2x harassment rates.
35% of IT firms set gender diversity targets, achieving 28% female hires.
Neurodiversity hiring programs in 22% of large IT cos, filling 12% unique roles.
41% of underrepresented minorities in IT report microaggressions weekly.
ERGs boost retention of diverse IT talent by 21%.
29% of tech boards have women, up 5% YoY.
Bias training reaches 67% of IT managers, reducing biased hires by 14%.
AAPI employees 6% of IT, with 18% pay gap vs white peers.
Inclusive recruiting yields 2.3x more diverse IT candidates.
54% of IT cos track pay equity, finding 4% unexplained gaps for women.
Veteran hiring in tech at 1.5%, below 7% civilian labor force.
62% of diverse IT teams outperform on innovation metrics.
Disability disclosure in IT hiring at 4%, with accommodations in 73% cases.
Intersectional women (BIPOC) are 3% of tech leadership.
DEI budgets up 12% to $2M avg in FAANG-level IT firms.
48% of IT employees value allyship training for inclusion.
Supplier diversity programs engage 34% of IT procurement.
Age diversity: 5% over 55 in IT vs 25% workforce avg.
71% of IT leaders link DEI to business performance.
Blind resume reviews increase diverse IT callbacks by 26%.
23% of IT startups have all-white founding teams.
Mentorship for URM in IT doubles promotion rates.

Diversity and Inclusion Interpretation

The tech industry's DEI report card is essentially a spreadsheet of good intentions where the formulas for "real progress" keep returning #REF errors.

Recruitment and Hiring

In 2023, the average time-to-hire for IT roles in the US was 44 days, compared to 36 days across all industries.
75% of IT hiring managers report skills gaps as the top challenge in recruiting software engineers.
Only 28% of IT companies use AI-driven tools for resume screening, despite 60% expressing interest.
62% of IT firms increased employer branding budgets by 20% in 2023 to attract top tech talent.
Campus hiring for IT roles grew by 15% YoY, with 40% of new hires from universities targeting CS programs.
55% of IT recruiters use LinkedIn as primary sourcing channel, generating 80% of qualified leads.
Referral hiring accounts for 45% of IT hires, with 4x higher retention rates than job board hires.
70% of IT companies face candidate ghosting, with rates highest for senior developer roles at 35%.
Diversity hiring goals met by only 22% of IT firms, targeting 30% underrepresented groups in tech roles.
Cost-per-hire for IT positions averaged $4,200 in 2023, up 12% from 2022 due to competition.
48% of IT hires come from passive candidates, requiring advanced sourcing strategies.
Video interviews adopted by 82% of IT recruiters, reducing time-to-interview by 30%.
65% of IT firms report offer acceptance rates below 85%, citing counteroffers as main issue.
Gig economy workers fill 18% of short-term IT project roles, saving 25% on full-time costs.
52% of IT recruiters prioritize remote work flexibility in job postings to widen talent pools.
ATS usage in IT recruiting at 92%, but only 40% customized for tech skill parsing.
38% increase in IT contract-to-hire conversions post-2022 layoffs.
Employer Net Promoter Score (eNPS) for IT hiring processes averages 45, below industry 55.
67% of IT leaders use hackathons for talent assessment, improving hire quality by 22%.
Sourcing from GitHub yields 3x more qualified devs than traditional boards.
41% of IT hires require relocation support, costing avg $7,500 per candidate.
Mobile-optimized career sites boost IT applications by 28%.
76% of IT recruiters face salary transparency demands from candidates.
Predictive analytics in IT hiring adopted by 35%, forecasting 15% better fit.
29% of IT roles filled via internal mobility programs.
Chatbot screening used by 51% of IT firms, cutting admin time by 40%.
63% prioritize soft skills like adaptability in IT interviews.
Background checks fail rate for IT candidates at 12%, highest for cybersecurity roles.
54% of IT startups use equity offers to compete on compensation.
Virtual reality assessments trialed by 14% of large IT firms for coding tests.

Recruitment and Hiring Interpretation

The IT hiring landscape of 2023 is a paradoxical tug-of-war where companies, despite investing more in branding and chasing elusive 'perfect' candidates for longer periods, are still largely getting ghosted, failing diversity goals, and losing out to counteroffers because they're oddly reluctant to fully embrace the very AI and sourcing innovations that could save them.

Retention and Turnover

IT industry turnover rate stands at 13.2% annually in 2023, higher than the 10.6% national average.
47% of IT employees cite lack of career growth as primary reason for leaving.
Voluntary turnover in tech hit 18% for millennials in software dev roles.
62% of IT workers plan to job hunt within 12 months due to burnout.
Retention bonuses implemented by 55% of IT firms, retaining 75% of recipients.
Employee engagement scores in IT average 68/100, correlating to 21% lower turnover.
39% turnover reduction achieved via mentorship programs in IT.
Remote work boosts IT retention by 25%, per hybrid policy adopters.
52% of departing IT staff leave for better pay, avg 15% salary increase.
Exit interviews reveal manager relationships cause 29% of IT exits.
Stay interviews conducted by 41% of IT HR, predicting turnover 6 months ahead.
71% of IT firms with strong DEI programs see 19% lower turnover.
Average IT tenure is 2.5 years, down from 3.1 in 2019.
Flexible hours retain 33% more IT parents post-maternity.
Predictive turnover models used by 28% of IT cos, accurate to 82%.
45% of IT turnover tied to poor onboarding experiences.
Alumni networks rehire 22% of ex-IT employees at higher rates.
Wellness programs cut IT turnover by 14% in high-stress roles.
64% of ITers stay longer with transparent promotion paths.
Regretted loss rate in IT is 16%, costing 1.5x salary per employee.
Hybrid models retain 27% more mid-level IT managers.
Feedback frequency correlates to 12% turnover drop in IT teams.
58% of IT exits due to lack of challenging work.
Succession planning reduces key IT role vacancies by 30%.
49% turnover in first year for IT without buddy systems.
Equity refreshers retain 68% of vested IT stock option holders.
IT women turnover 20% higher than men due to bias.
Gamification in performance mgmt lowers voluntary IT turnover by 18%.
37% of IT firms lost 10%+ staff to competitors in 2023.

Retention and Turnover Interpretation

The data paints a starkly avoidable portrait of the IT industry: you're hemorrhaging talent not because people are inherently disloyal, but because you're systematically failing to pay them fairly, challenge them meaningfully, support their growth, and treat them like humans instead of replaceable code-monkeys.

Training and Development

IT training spend averages $1,300 per employee annually.
82% of IT workers upskill via online platforms like Coursera.
AI/ML certification demand up 40%, with 65% employer-sponsored.
57% of IT firms allocate 5% payroll to L&D budgets.
Microlearning modules complete 3x faster in IT training.
71% report skills obsolescence every 2.5 years in tech roles.
Leadership dev programs for IT managers cost $4,500 avg.
44% use VR for IT soft skills training, retention +75%.
Internal academies train 30% of IT promotions.
68% of devs learn new langs on-the-job vs formal training.
Diversity training ROI 24% higher productivity in IT.
52% IT budget for cloud certs like AWS, $500M industry total.
Gamified learning boosts IT compliance training by 90%.
39% of ITers seek MBA for career advancement.
Coaching engagements avg 6 months, 20% promo rate lift.
75% complete personalized learning paths in LMS.
Cybersecurity training hours mandated 40/year per employee.
61% use mentorship for tech stack knowledge transfer.
L&D ROI measured by 47%, avg 4:1 return in IT.
Women in IT training programs increase pipeline 28%.
Agile/Scrum certs held by 55% of IT project managers.
33% annual increase in GenAI training enrollments.
Cross-functional training reduces silos by 35% in IT depts.
49% fund conference attendance, avg $2,000/employee.
Skills-based promotions rise 22% with competency frameworks.

Training and Development Interpretation

In the perpetual arms race against technological obsolescence, where a developer's half-life is roughly 2.5 years, the IT industry is shrewdly betting that a $1,300 wager on continuous learning—delivered via micro-bites, virtual reality, and a heavy dose of caffeine—is the only hedge against turning their brightest minds into very expensive paperweights.