Looking for a staff job, or pitching consulting work to the enterprise? Good news for those in either the tech or creative services field — your services are in high demand.
Robert Half just released data on jobs in demand and starting pay for professional jobs projected for 2014. The study, combined with Bureau of Labor Statistics data on professional position unemployment, offers a view of what starting professional pay hikes will look like for next year as well as insight into which professional jobs are in high demand.
Overall, current professional position average pay increases for next year are estimated to be in the 3 percent range, just as they were this year. For new hires, Robert Half says, starting salaries will go up 3.7 percent compared to last year.
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The best spot to be in right now is a new tech gig with the enterprise. Those folks have the lowest unemployment rate and the highest projected starting-salary pay increase of all professional positions. Not far behind are the creative types, with low unemployment numbers and relatively strong projected increases.
HR starting salaries were not specifically addressed by the Robert Half study. The BLS data on unemployment indicates that some HR professionals are in high demand, others not so much. Here's what BLS has on HR jobs:
- Compensation, benefits and job analysis specialists: 1.3 percent
- Training and development: 2.4 percent
- Compensation/benefits managers: 3.4 percent
- HR managers: 4.4 percent
- HR assistants: 6.1 percent both areas.
Here's a look at starting pay and unemployment in other key professional segments:
- Technology. Pay increase: 5.6 percent; unemployment rate: Computer network architects: 1.7 percent, software developers, applications and systems: 2.4 percent, database administrators: 3.6 percent.
- Accounting and finance. Pay increase: 3.4 percent; unemployment: Compliance officers: 5.7 percent, accountants and auditors: 3.2 percent, financial analysts: 2.5 percent.
- Creative. Pay increase: 3.3 percent, unemployment: public relations specialists: 1.7 percent, marketing positions, 2.4 percent, editors: 4.7 percent.
- Legal. Pay increase: 2.7 percent; unemployment: Lawyers, 2.5 percent; paralegals: 5.2 percent.
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
