CIOs Taking It On The ChinCIOs Taking It On The Chin

The economic downslide has hit the wallets of CIOs as hard as it has since 1985, according to a mid-year salary survey by IT management consulting firm Janco Associates Inc. In the last six months, the compensation needed to attract and retain top CIOs at large companies fell nearly 37% to $317,699 from $434,416. The benchmark for CIOs at midsize companies fell about 31% over the same period, from $490,559 to $373,941.

Janco attributes the falloff primarily to reduced corporate earnings, a key component in most performance bonus plans. The firm says it's the first time in 16 years that compensation for top executive IT talent has fallen.