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For those who make it to the top of the IT ladder, the pay can be great.

But most IT executives in U.S. and Canada seem to be losing ground as a result of the economic recession, according to a new report released today by Janco Associates Inc.

Janco, a Park City, Utah-based IT consulting firm, said it found that the mean compensation for CIOs in large companies is now $168,839, a 6.11 per cent decrease from a similar study it issued a year ago.

In midsized organizations, the current average is $163,211, a drop-off of nearly 5 per cent, said Janco, which cited reductions in bonuses and fringe benefits for the compensation declines.

Janco's salary survey draws on data collected throughout the year by extensive Internet-based and completed survey forms sent to businesses throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Data was collected from 231 U.S. organizations and information was also culled from filings submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

As part of its report, Janco also compiled a list of some of the most highly paid people working in IT, although several of the people on the list have multiple responsibilities at their companies - while others have taken new jobs since the compensation data was publicly reported.

The list is based on information available as of last summer and covers the preceding 12 months, Janco said.

In Canada, the fact that IT executive salaries have a high bonus component (higher than management and staff salaries) – and are therefore highly dependent on results – could be a challenge in a struggling economy.

A 2008 IT Job Market & Salary Survey report published by IT World Canada indicates that last year compensation packages for Canadian IT executive positions continued to outpace those for management and staff positions.

According to the report, the average total compensation for IT execs and senior management in 2008 was $135,000 – and this represented a 4.6 per cent increase over the average compensation for this group in 2007.

However, the survey also indicated that for executive and senior management positions, cash bonuses accounted for nearly 20 per cent of total compensation. This compared to 11 per cent for management and staff/technical positions.

Not surprisingly, in Canada CIOs dominate the top-paying jobs, although VP of IT/IS with or without the CIO designation, commands the highest compensation for IT executives.

In the Janco survey, the highest-paid executive idenfitied is Jeffrey Fox, chief operating officer at Alltel Corp., a Little Rock, Ark.-based telecommunications firm.

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