"These slumping numbers are in contrast to 2009, when average
starting IT salaries increased by 3.7% from the prior year. And the
bountiful harvest of 2008 enjoyed a robust 5.3% increase over
2007.
"If you’re seeking sunshine in the IT job market, realize
that unemployment remains relatively low in the tech field.
Moreover, the 2010 IT Salary Guide, published by Robert Half
Technology, indicates that several IT skills remain in solid
demand. These include network administration (where cloud computing
and SaaS are boosting the complexity), virtualization, applications
and Web development, and (as always) help desk and desktop
support.
"Particularly hot is information security, identified by 45% of
CIOs in a Robert Half survey as an area of investment – which
should drive hiring. Other tech areas that are top-of-mind among
hiring CIOs are datacenter efficiency (a good buzzword to use at
your next interview) at 28%, VoIP, 26%; SaaS, 20%, and Green IT,
20%.
"Another ray of hope: in its November 2009 newsletter, the IT
job site Dice reported that tech job openings have risen in the two
largest markets, New York and Silicon Valley. Smaller markets such
as Charlotte and Austin are also gaining ground, with Dice
reporting increases in job postings of 45 percent and 31 percent,
respectively, from January 2009. And customers are searching the
Dice resume database more frequently than at any time this
year."
