Aon PLC : Aon Hewitt and TIGA survey shows three per cent rise in salaries for UK games software developers

LONDON, 21 January 2013 - Aon Hewitt, the global human resources solutions business of Aon plc (NYSE:AON),  has today released key findings from its 2012/2013 Games Software Developers' Salary Survey, carried out in association with TIGA, the trade association representing the UK games industry.

The survey, now in its fourth year, is the only comprehensive salary survey carried out annually for the UK games software development industry, with input from developers (both independent and publisher owned), and covering over 14% of the software developer UK workforce. The survey offers insight into current pay levels from graduates up to senior managers, typical organisational structures and evolving workforce demographics.

Steve Munday, senior reward consultant at Aon Hewitt said:

"As an established, comprehensive and now well trusted source of market data, this survey has again provided a detailed picture of the games software industry in terms of pay, benefits and employee demographics. For employees covered by the survey and who remained in the same job between 2011 and 2012, median pay increases remain unchanged from the previous three years, at 3.0% - which is on a par with general industry in the UK (3.2%, as reported in Aon Hewitt's UK Salary Increases Survey). Encouragingly, less than one in 10 employees in the sector had a pay freeze in 2012, compared to one in five in 2011.

The demographic aspects of the survey also highlighted the increasing number of women joining what has been regarded as a male dominated sector.  Steve Munday continued:

"While the Aon Hewitt and TIGA survey shows that this sector remains predominantly male (91%), over the period 2009 to 2012 the survey has seen an overall increase in the proportion of women, moving from 7% in 2009 to 9% in 2012. However, unlike many sectors, despite the low proportion of female employees, the survey results again suggest that the median base salary of male and female employees at equivalent levels, are only very marginally different (less than 0.5%), while target bonuses as a percentage of salary show no difference between genders."

Dr Richard Wilson, chief executive officer of TIGA said:

"In what are generally difficult times economically, there is good news in our annual survey.  Pay is up for most development staff, graduate salaries are rising and pay freezes are down. With TIGA's Games Tax Relief coming into effect in April 2013 the UK games industry is set for growth in a period when many other sectors are struggling. This is a great time to join the video games sector."

 Other key findings from the survey include:
• Base salary increases of 3% over the last 12 months remain the same as those seen in the previous three years and on a par with UK general industry (3.2%) in the same period (Aon Hewitt's Salary Increase Survey 2012).
• Median graduate base salaries are up 7.4% on 2011, almost double the rate between 2010 and 2011.
• Across most participating organisations, 7.0% of the survey population had a pay freeze in 2012. compared with 19.8% in 2011 and 13.0% in 2010.
• Voluntary employee turnover in 2012 was down on 2011 at 13.5%, while attrition was up on 2011 at around 7.2%.
• 9% of the survey workforce is female, the same as 2011 and up on 2010 and 2009.
• Over 50% of the survey population has less than five years of service.
• 90% of participating organisations offer employees a Defined Contribution pension.
• All participants offer some form of private medical insurance.

 Media contact:

Colin Mayes                                               Adam Leviton
Aon Hewitt                                                  Capital MSL
01372 733689                                           020 7307 5339
[e-mail]

Notes to editors:
About the survey
For the survey, salary information is provided for the key functions of art, audio, design, production, quality assurance and technical development/programming. There are 11 survey levels from 'entry level' to 'graduates' and all the way up to 'function heads'. These levels are underpinned by Aon Hewitt's proprietary job evaluation methodology JobLinkTM*. The survey also provides detailed information on bonuses, cash allowances, employee benefits, annual pay increases and employee turnover, as well as organisational structure and employee demographics including gender, age and length of service.

For the first time, market information is also provided on:

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