Salaries for IT professionals have increased by four times the UK average in the past year as competition for their skills grows, new research reveals.

The survey of more than 5,000 IT employees found that senior project managers and business analyists have seen a 15% pay rise due to growing demand.

IT salaries have risen faster in the past 12 months than in the last five years, the Association of Technology Staffing Companies (Atsco) reports.

The technology body's results will put pressure on IT departments to improve professional development opportunities to retain and maintain top staff.

Anne Swain, chief executive of Atsco, said: "Cost containment remains a top priority for IT departments. But pressure on salaries has been building for some time and organisations are realising that in order to contain key sklls they are having to offer more."