IT specialists with e-commerce experience command up to a 24% pay premium over colleagues in equivalent roles in other sectors, according to business and technology staffing firm ReThink Recruitment.

ReThink says that this is due to demand for IT professionals in the retail sector with experience in e-commerce platforms more than doubling (158%) over the last year.

ReThink received 564 requests for candidates with e-commerce skills in Q4 2010, compared with 218 in Q4 2009.

According to ReThink, the daily rate for programme managers with e-commerce experience in the retail sector is now around £850 per day, compared to £685 per day for programme managers working in other industry sectors. Other roles, such as business analysts and project managers, are commanding similar premiums.

ReThink says that the surge in demand for e-commerce skills is being driven by an ‘arms race’ among retailers who are looking to ramp up their home delivery services and make their core e-commerce platforms truly ‘multi-channel’.

‘Multi-channel’ e-commerce platforms enable customers to shop online via mobile devices, order online and collect from stores (‘click to collect’), and purchase goods via third party marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon.