infoTECH Feature

November 01, 2010

Robert Half Eyeing Modest Increases in IT Salaries Next Year

IT professionals in the U.S. can look forward to an average increase of 3.4 percent in starting salaries next year, according to the latest Robert Half Technology Salary Guide 2011. The IT staffing firm also expects even larger gains in compensation for jobs in heavy demand, including those in Web development, data security, and enterprise resource planning (ERP).

As companies focus more heavily on improving efficiency, managing assets and securing data, demand is rising for IT pros with ERP and security skills. And the growth in social media and customer-oriented Web sites is driving the need for those who can develop Web content and applications.

The highest growth in compensation will be seen by Web designers, with annual salaries likely to rise 5.5 percent to between $50,750 and $83,000. Robert Half believes the demand for social media will fuel the need for skilled designers who can create user-friendly Web sites.

Other niches will see base salaries grow. Compensation for ERP developers is expected to rise by 5.2 percent next year to between $79,250 and $109,500. Starting salaries for business intelligence analysts will increase by 5 percent, to the range of $82,500 to $116,250. Data modelers will see salaries expand by 4.5 percent to between $80,750 and $111,250. Salaries for network managers will rise by 4.3 percent to a range of $79,250 to $109,500 per year. And average annual compensation for IT auditors will grow by 4.2 percent to between $77,750 and $108,000.

Beyond those specific areas, Robert Half is forecasting solid demand for IT pros in the fields of business services, transportation and healthcare. In particular, the firm is seeing a heavy need in healthcare for everyone from help desk staffers to developers to assist in the conversion of medical records to electronic formats.

The figures in the Salary Guide are based on the various full-time and freelance jobs placed by Robert Half as well as research the firm conducts on hiring trends.


Lance Whitney is a journalist, IT consultant, and Web Developer with almost 20 years of experience in the IT world. To read more of Lance's articles, please visit his columnist page

Edited by Tammy Wolf
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