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Salary Survey 2022 Introduction
SALARY SURVEY 2022 OVERVIEW
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Welcome to the fifth edition of the iGB-Pentasia salary survey , our annual benchmarking of global igaming pay . To introduce this year ’ s issue , Alastair Cleland discusses the major talking points of 2022 , among them a continued shortage of talent , the industry ’ s willingness to use innovative talent solutions , and candidates ’ demands for more rounded packages beyond a basic salary .
“ To successfully hire in the current landscape , companies need to think seriously about giving candidates – and existing employees – what they want ”
ALASTAIR CLELAND , MANAGING DIRECTOR , PENTASIA – PART OF THE CONEXUS GROUP
Talent is creating significant challenges for the igaming sector going into 2023 . It ’ s a candidates ’ market with high demand for talent and a shrinking talent pool . This year ’ s headline 12.5 % salary growth figure reflects the increasingly competitive nature of the talent market .
Demand for talent is driven by our sector ’ s high-growth mode . Contributing factors include the legalisation of sports betting in the US ; rising adoption of mobile and online payment methods boosting the growth of the online gaming market ; and new audiences , with more female players engaging with igaming .
Getting ‘ talent ’ right will , however , be missioncritical for individual businesses , and the sector as a whole .
TALENT SHORTAGES ACROSS THE INDUSTRY As our research confirms , we face a global talent shortage , which is directly affecting igaming ’ s ability to grow . This , in turn , is impacting salaries .
Last year we saw a substantial uplift in salaries as the industry bounced back after the uncertainty of 2020 . This year ’ s headline figure of 12.5 % average salary growth builds on this trend .
However , in many roles , the uplift is even more significant . For example , there ’ s a limited pool of compliance candidates with the right experience and specialisms . You can expect to pay 28 % or more to secure a new hire in these legal and regulatory roles .
Similarly , the tech skills shortage continues to create problems for the industry , particularly for companies wanting to hire people with expertise in new technologies like AI , VR , IoT and cryptocurrency . Tech roles have also become geographically standardised and it is no longer possible to find people from a ‘ cheaper ’ talent market .
Put simply , the scarcer the commodity , the more expensive it becomes .
As the talent shortage bites , gaming companies are increasingly open to game-changing new models of talent acquisition and management . Enterpriselevel talent solutions offer significant improvements in performance , efficiency and speed . Popular models include RPO ( recruitment process outsourcing ) and ‘ augmented teams ’ – as provided by our partners VentureStep – which offers rapid access to pre-built talent teams , particularly in tech .
Training and upskilling have become critical too . Our partners at iGaming Academy now train more than 35,000 professionals every year on specialist skills and compliance , with the US market most active . Hiring from outside industry is often the only way .
NEW MARKETS AND A MATURING INDUSTRY Perhaps most surprising is that senior management roles generally have a salary ceiling yet have experienced a 16 % salary increase from 2021 .
The primary driving force is the US , where new roles are being created at the senior level as more states open legislative doors .
But we ’ re also seeing this in other markets as the igaming industry
SALARY SURVEY 2022