Almost half of IT leaders in the UK say leaving the industry is their greatest career aspiration, according to researchers.

The study, by online backup specialist Connect, polled 151 IT managers in the UK and four out of 10 suggest they are inclined to "leave the industry altogether".

As much as 19 per cent of leaders dream of discovering an IT innovation, 17 per cent would like to work as an IT director at a cool company and 11 per cent aspire to being the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates.

About 14 per cent of the managers surveyed represented female decision makers and the results indicate that over half the women working in the technology industry (53 per cent) are keen to leave their positions.

The study also indicates morale of IT directors in the workplace also appears to be reaching a new low.

Some 38 per cent of IT directors see themselves as the real person running the business, while 37 per cent believe they are a small but vital part of the food chain.

General reasons for dissatisfaction cited by the managers include dealing with everyday IT problems, as well as email and internet downtime.