Slow wage growth has hit the Australian employment market, but despite the slowdown, top IT workers can expect a pay rise in 2018, according to a newly published salary report.

The Information Technology Professionals Association, an IT lobby group, has raised strong concerns that current practices to overcome skills shortages in Australia are seemingly facilitating recruitment to lower-end roles which could easily be filled by local graduates.

IT solutions and services firm NEC has opened its Australian 2018 graduate program for the second year running.