What Skills are Hot for 2012?
February 1, 2012 9:50 AM
Android, iPad/iPhone, and HTML 5 developers will continue to be in demand this year, according to Bluewolf's IT Salary Guide for 2012, which predicts salary increases for software developers, information security analysts, CIOs, and many other types of technology professionals amid increasing demand for top talent.
While the report shows the biggest increases in demand for mobile, data, cloud, and user engagement technologists, it also reveals a decline in job candidates with the skill-sets required to meet those needs.
"Organizations aren't just competing against each other for qualified tech professionals—they're contending with an ever widening talent gap and the mass exodus of baby boomer retirees," warns Bluewolf co-founder and principal Michael Kirven.
The report, which covers major industries including media, telecom, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and financial services, predicts that:
- Senior software developer salaries will rise 6 percent or more, with an average high of $99,000 per year;
- Starting salary ranges are predicted to jump to $98,000 per year for Android, iPhone, and iPad developers;
- Top-tier ERP, BI, and CRM developer salaries will rise from $84,000-$105,000 to $88,000-$110,000;
- Front-end and user experience technologists are seeing spikes in demand with predicted salary ranges for HTML5 at $89,000-$127,000;
- Security analysts will experience a significant increase in salaries ranging from $94,000-$125,000 per year;
- Data analysts and BI professional salaries will creep past pre-recession levels, rising between 5-6 percent annually;
On the executive level, CIOs and CSOs are seeing the most gains. In database administration, business intelligence analysts and data architects are enjoying the largest salary hikes while software and Web development salaries are experiencing jumps all across the board. In information security, analysts are seeing the highest demand.
In mobile, Bluewolf estiamtes that demand for HTML5, iPhone/iPad, and Android is up 200 percent and demand for BlackBerry and Windows Mobile experts is down 50 percent. In the area of big data, demand for those with MySQL, HBase, Cognos, and Informatica experience is up 100 percent, and DB2 expertise is down 50 percent. In the area of cloud computing, Eloqua, Marketo, Salesforce, and Google Apps are hot, and in the user engagement realm, UI Design experts are in higher demand than those with expertise in Flash, Flex, and ActionScript.