Microsoft Dynamics Salary Survey: Experience, wavering job satisfaction drive hiring in 2018

Nigel Frank International first conducted its annual Microsoft Dynamics Salary Survey in 2009, and in the decade since has surveyed almost 60,000 Dynamics professionals.

The 2018 survey examines over 14,000 data points, from self-reported survey responses to real jobs registered with Nigel Frank in the past 12 months, to give an accurate and up-to-date snapshot of the channel in 2018. The report details the prevailing sentiments of Dynamics professionals from across the globe on topics including Dynamics 365 adoption, gender pay equality, and the value of Microsoft certifications. The report also calculates average salaries for a wide range of roles across several Dynamics products and is published in different regional variations.

Print copies of the survey were available at Microsoft Inspire. For those not lucky enough to have attended the event, online copies have been available from Monday July 16th. Here's a look at a few of the key takeaways from this year's edition.

Earning potential

When asked what factor had the greatest impact on the earning potential of a Dynamics professional, experience was a clear winner over education or industry certifications, indicating that there are no shortcuts to a lucrative career in Dynamics.

Fifty-six percent of respondents said that years of experience in Dynamics had greatest influence, while 43% cited years of general experience in IT as a top factor. Exposure to large projects came in just behind with 40% of respondents believing this was a key influence.

Educational factors lagged behind in the lower half of the table, with 29% of respondents recognizing a university degree as a valuable determinant. Just under a quarter felt that specific vertical industry experience could help bump up earnings.

Despite the fact that 54% of respondents were themselves Microsoft ...